BattleTech & Alpha Strike Token Reference | LITKO

Last updated: April 30, 2026. Rules references reflect current Total Warfare and Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition. Always check the latest errata for tournament play.

Tracking game state is the difference between a smooth BattleTech game and one that grinds to a halt every round. Heat builds, damage accumulates, electronic warfare locks on, mechs fall prone — and every player at the table needs to see what is happening at a glance. This guide shows you what you need to track, the terminology each rules system uses, and the LITKO tokens, dials, and templates that replace cardboard counters and sticky-note shorthand.

This reference covers both Classic BattleTech (the Total Warfare rulebook line, descended from the original 1984 BattleTech — lance-on-lance scale with full record sheets) and Alpha Strike (the faster, larger-scale variant with simplified damage and per-mech cards). Each section is tagged with the version it applies to. Most tracking products work for both.

By the LITKO Design Team. Designed and manufactured in our workshop in Valparaiso, Indiana. Last reviewed: April 2026.

LITKO has been making BattleTech-compatible accessories for decades — tokens for every game state, heat dials in three configurations, fire arc templates, hex bases, and full token sets for Classic and Alpha Strike alike. The full collection is on our BattleTech accessories page; this guide explains which token does what and helps you build a token kit for the version you actually play.

Classic BattleTech vs. Alpha Strike — Which Are You Playing?

Before you buy tokens, know which BattleTech you are playing. The two systems share lore and miniatures but track game state very differently.

Tracking Heat — The Iconic Mechanic Both versions

Heat is what makes BattleMechs feel alive. Every weapon you fire, every step you run, every leap you jump piles heat into the reactor. Let it climb too high and the mech penalizes itself: shots miss, movement slows, ammo cooks off, and at the top of the scale the reactor shuts down entirely. Heat is the most important number on the table, and it is also the easiest one to lose track of when you are erasing record-sheet bubbles in pencil.

How heat works

In Classic BattleTech, heat is tracked on a 0 to 30 scale on each mech's record sheet. Each turn you generate heat from movement (Walked = 1, Ran = 2, Jumped = a minimum of 3), and from each weapon you fire. You then subtract heat sinks. The remainder is your current heat level. Penalties and shutdown checks scale up as heat climbs:

In Alpha Strike, heat is dramatically simplified. Mechs have an Overheat (OV) value, typically 0–3, representing how many points of overheat the player can voluntarily declare on an attack. Each point of OV adds equal damage and equal heat. A mech with OV0 never overheats at all; a Marauder with OV2 plays very differently from a Hunchback with OV1. Tracking is per-attack: how many OV points were declared this turn, plus a binary Shutdown indicator when things go wrong.

What players track on heat

• Current heat level — the running total this turn (Classic only)
• Movement penalty — loss of MP at heat 5+ (Classic only)
• To-hit penalty — gunnery modifiers at heat 8+ (Classic only)
• Shutdown state — the mech is offline and unable to act (both versions)
• Overheat declaration — pushing past safe in exchange for more damage (Alpha Strike)

LITKO heat tracking products

LITKO makes three heat tracking products, each suited to a different play style. All are precision-laser-cut acrylic, designed to sit beside a 32mm hex base.

For shutdown indication specifically — whether voluntary, ammo-explosion-induced, or rolled into — we also stock dedicated Reactor Shutdown tokens that drop directly onto the mech base.

Tracking Damage, Armor & Critical Hits Both versions

BattleTech's damage system is unusually granular for a tabletop wargame. A mech's hull is divided into sections (head, torso, arms, legs), each with its own armor and internal structure values, and each torso and arm section can take critical hits to specific subsystems. Tracking damage well separates a tight game from one where players argue about whether the left arm was already gone.

Classic damage tracking Classic

A Classic record sheet has bubbles for armor (outer shell), internal structure (the chassis underneath), and a Critical Hit Table for each location. As damage lands, you fill in bubbles. When a location's armor is gone, further hits eat into structure, and each structure point that lands forces a roll on the Critical Hit Table for that location.

This is detailed and authentic, but it has a real failure mode: once the record sheet is messy, mistakes compound. The fix is sleeves and dry-erase markers (most experienced players use them) plus indication tokens that mark the persistent critical hits on the table itself, where everyone can see them, instead of buried on the sheet.

Alpha Strike damage tracking Alpha Strike

Alpha Strike collapses the per-location damage system into two pools: Armor and Structure. When armor reaches zero, structure starts taking hits. When structure reaches zero, the mech is destroyed. Critical hits in Alpha Strike use a much shorter table than Classic and produce a small set of named effects: Engine Hit, Fire Control, Weapon Hit, Crew Stunned, and MV Hit (movement reduction; the Vehicle equivalent is called Motive Hit).

Because Alpha Strike is built for larger battles, dial-based tracking shines here: spin a single dial down as damage lands, no record sheet flipping required. The LITKO Armor & Structure Dial is designed for exactly this — one dial per mech, mounted next to the unit card or beside the model.

Critical hit indication tokens (individual)

Five critical hit results matter enough to warrant table-visible indication tokens of their own. These work for both versions, with slightly different rules attached:

Bundled token sets for Classic

Movement Modes & Target Movement Modifier (TMM) Both versions

A mech's movement choice affects three things at once: how far it goes, how easy it is to hit, and how accurate its own weapons are after firing. Both Classic and Alpha Strike use this trade-off, but they label and track it differently. Indicating which mode a mech used is the most argued-about thing at a BattleTech table after critical hits.

The four movement modes

In Classic BattleTech, the defender's to-hit modifier is determined by the Target Movement Modifier table based on how many hexes the unit moved, not the mode itself: 0 hexes = +0, 1–2 = +0, 3 = +1, 4–6 = +2, 7–9 = +3, 10+ = +4. Jumping adds +1 to whatever the hexes-moved modifier would have been. The own-gunnery penalty (the right column above) is what's tied to mode (+1 walked, +2 ran, +3 jumped). The principle is universal: moving faster and farther makes you harder to hit but worse at hitting back.

Target Movement Modifier (TMM) Alpha Strike

Alpha Strike folds the movement penalty into a single number called the Target Movement Modifier (TMM), which is printed on each unit's card based on its speed and agility. A Locust prints TMM 4; an Atlas prints TMM 1. The mode chosen each turn applies modifiers to that printed value: standing still drops TMM to 0, walking and running use the printed value as-is, jumping adds +1, and sprinting grants the highest TMM (typically printed value + 1).

The community convention is to place a die showing the unit's current TMM next to the mech after it moves. This works, but a die is just a die — players still need to remember which face means TMM versus initiative versus a leftover roll. Purpose-built tokens read at a glance and don't get repurposed mid-turn.

LITKO movement tokens

Position States — Stand, Kneel, Prone & Hull Down Both versions

A BattleMech's position is a stance, not just where it is on the map. Position changes the mech's profile, defense modifiers, and what it can do next turn. The states stack, persist between turns, and are easy to forget mid-game — "wait, was that mech kneeling?" is the most common position-state argument at any BattleTech table.

The position states

• Standing — default, full profile, full movement available
• Kneeling — lower profile, defense bonus, half movement to recover
• Prone — flat on the ground, hardest to hit but limited firing arcs and movement
• Hull Down — adjacent to a Level 1+ terrain feature, partial profile exposed; opponents take a +2 to-hit modifier (Tactical Operations advanced rule)
• Knocked Down — involuntarily prone, requires Pilot Skill Check to stand
• Bogged Down — stuck in mud, swamp, or deep snow
• Immobilized — leg destroyed or systems offline; cannot move at all
• Unconscious — pilot is out cold; mech is stationary until they recover

Position tokens

Facing & Torso Twist Mostly Classic

BattleMechs have a unique mechanic: the torso can twist independently of the legs — one hexside (60°) left or right per turn. A mech moves in one direction but can fire its torso-mounted weapons in another. Quad mechs cannot torso-twist at all. Tracking the secondary facing without a marker means constantly re-checking the model's rotation against memory of where it was last turn — or arguing about it.

Torso twist tokens are a small triangular marker placed beside the mech's hex pointing to the torso's current facing. With the marker, both players can see at a glance which weapons can fire at which targets. Without it, the conversation is always: "Wait, my torso was twisted that way. No, this way."

Firing Arcs — Front, Side & Rear Both versions

Every mech has three firing arcs: front, side (left and right), and rear. Whether a target is in your arc determines which weapons can fire and which armor facing takes the hit. Arc disputes are slow, frustrating, and entirely preventable with a transparent template.

The Hex Map Fire Arc Template is a clear acrylic overlay laser-engraved with the arc lines. Drop it over the mech's hex, the template's center aligns with the model's facing, and the arc colors show every legal target hex at a glance. Aerospace mechs and fighters use a different template tuned to the higher-speed flight rules.

Line of Sight & Multi-Target Resolution Both versions

Two related problems happen on every BattleTech turn. First, can the shooter see the target through the woods, building, or smoke? Second, when one mech is firing at multiple targets in the same turn, which weapons go to which target?

A practical line-of-sight marker set has different-sized profile cards (Protomech, Infantry, Mech, Superheavy) that drop in front of the target. If your sightline can see the marker, you have LOS. Multi-target token sets pair lettered shooter tokens with numbered target tokens so weapon assignments are unambiguous before any dice are rolled.

Electronic Warfare — TAG, NARC, ECM, MASC & NOVA CEWS Both versions

The BattleTech universe is full of acronyms for sensor and electronics gear. Each system has its own rules effect, on/off state, and visibility on the table. Without indication tokens, both players have to remember which mech has what active — and that breaks down fast in 12-mech games.

The major EW systems

Target Acquisition Gear (TAG)

Target Acquisition Gear is a sensor "spotter" system. A friendly mech equipped with TAG fires the laser-designator at an enemy mech; once the target is painted, missile-armed friendly units can take advantage of the lock — LRMs in indirect fire mode, Arrow IV homing rounds, Semi-Guided LRMs, and similar guided missile systems all gain a to-hit bonus against that target this turn. TAG itself does no damage. Its value is purely in coordination: a TAG-equipped scout makes every missile-armed friendly unit more accurate against the painted target.

Because TAG involves two mechs — the spotter and the target — tracking it well requires two tokens. One beside the firing mech indicates "TAG active this turn." A second beside the target marks "currently tagged" so missile-fire resolution doesn't get caught arguing about which target is eligible for the bonus.

Narc and iNARC Missile Beacons

The Narc Missile Beacon is a homing pod fired from a dedicated launcher. Once a Narc beacon hits and sticks, every friendly missile fired at that target gains a to-hit bonus. The beacon is persistent — it stays attached until the section it's stuck to is destroyed (or, in advanced rules, removed by specialized means).

The improved version, iNARC, does everything Narc does and shuts down certain enemy countermeasures. Both versions track the same way: a token beside the marked mech tells everyone at the table this unit is currently NARCed (or iNARCed). In missile-heavy lances, this is the difference between coherent fire planning and round-by-round confusion about which target gets the bonus.

ECM and ECCM Electronic Countermeasures

Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) generates a sphere of radio interference around the equipped mech. Inside the radius, enemy sensors degrade: lock-on weapons lose their lock, C3 networks break, Streak missiles can't acquire, and Narc-guided fire stops getting its bonus. ECM is one of the most rules-bending pieces of equipment in BattleTech because it changes what's possible for every unit inside the bubble.

Electronic Counter-Counter-Measures (ECCM) is the rebuttal. ECCM in the same area cancels ECM jamming, restoring normal sensor function. The two systems can be played against each other in dueling stacks, and tracking which mech has which active — and where their radii overlap — is what separates a clean game from a mid-turn rule-recheck. Tokens at each equipped mech are the simplest way to keep both bubbles legible.

Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry (MASC)

MASC is a leg actuator system that, when activated, increases a mech's running speed to 2× walking MP instead of the standard 1.5×. The downside: each consecutive turn of MASC use risks a critical failure on the leg actuator system, and the failure odds get worse the longer MASC stays on. Smart pilots use MASC for one-turn dashes — closing for a charge, escaping a flanking move, repositioning for a sniper line — then deactivate before the burnout roll catches up.

Because MASC is a binary on/off rule with very different movement math depending on state, paired tokens work best. Place "MASC On" beside the mech the turn it activates, swap to "MASC Off" when the pilot deactivates. Without the marker, the next turn's burnout roll gets forgotten and the doubled-movement window quietly extends past where the rules say it should end.

NOVA Combined Electronic Warfare System

The Nova Combined Electronic Warfare System (NOVA CEWS) is a Clan-developed integrated suite that bundles ECM, an Active Probe, and a tactical data link into one assembly. NOVA-equipped mechs share targeting data across a network: allied units within range receive fire-control bonuses, and enemy electronics within the same area get disrupted. It's effectively a "force-multiplier-in-a-box" that's most often seen in advanced-rules Clan armies.

An Inner Sphere reverse-engineered variant exists in the Black Hawk-KU, manufactured by Wakazashi Enterprises for the Draconis Combine. Either way, the network state matters — tracking who's in the NOVA bubble and whether it's currently broadcasting prevents arguments about which allies are receiving bonuses each turn.

Stealth Systems — Null Sig, Void Sig & Chameleon LPS Mostly Classic

Three of the most commonly fielded stealth systems are Null Signature, Void Signature, and Chameleon LPS. Each has its own rules and on/off state. They are advanced rules from Tactical Operations and Strategic Operations rather than core mechanics, but they show up in tournament play and in any mech with stealth-equipped variants. All three benefit from clear table-side indication tokens because the rules effects only apply when the system is active. (Other stealth-class equipment exists in BattleTech — notably Stealth Armor and Mimetic Armor — with their own indication needs. In Alpha Strike, these systems appear as Special Abilities printed on the unit card — NULL, VOID, and STL/MAS — and apply per the AS Special Abilities rules.)

• Null Signature System — reduces the mech's heat and electromagnetic signature, making it harder to acquire with sensor-locked weapons
• Void Signature System — an active stealth field that makes the mech significantly harder to hit at all ranges
• Chameleon Light Polarization Shield (LPS) — visual camouflage; counters line-of-sight targeting. (Note: Catalyst's canonical name is "Shield"; LITKO's product is named "System" — same equipment, two community names.)

Null Signature System

The Null Signature System reduces the mech's electromagnetic and infrared profile, making it harder to acquire with sensor-locked weapons, scanner-targeted missiles, and any to-hit roll that depends on getting a clean sensor lock. When active, attackers shooting at the equipped mech take a to-hit penalty that scales with range — longer-range shots get hit hardest, since they rely most on sensor data.

Null Sig works against most sensor-driven weapons but does not help against direct visual targeting (use Chameleon LPS for that). The system has an on/off state, generates heat when active, and can be voluntarily switched off to free up heat capacity for weapons fire. A Null Signature token at the mech's base tells everyone at the table when the system is broadcasting and that range-modified attack math is in effect.

Void Signature System

Void Signature is the most powerful (and rarest) of the three stealth systems. When active, it generates an active stealth field that imposes a substantial to-hit penalty on attackers at all ranges — combining radar absorption, IR masking, and visual distortion into a single effect. Void Sig is signature equipment of the Word of Blake's Shadow Divisions and Protectorate Militia, most commonly seen on Raptor II variants. It is rare outside Blakist forces, but when it shows up at a tournament table, the entire game changes around it.

The cost is heat. Void Sig generates significant reactor heat per turn when active, so the pilot is forced to choose between full stealth and full weapons fire each turn. A token at the base makes the active state visible and reminds everyone at the table that range-band penalty math is in effect.

Chameleon Light Polarization Shield (LPS)

The Chameleon LPS — canonically the Light Polarization Shield, though some product lines (including LITKO's) name it "System" — is a visual camouflage system that defeats line-of-sight targeting. When active, it shifts the mech's surface to match the surrounding environment — effectively a high-tech ghillie suit for a 50-ton war machine. Attackers using visual targeting (most short-range and direct-fire weapons in dense terrain) take a to-hit penalty.

Unlike Null Sig and Void Sig, Chameleon LPS specifically counters visual combat. It does not help against radar-locked or sensor-guided weapons. The system pairs naturally with terrain-based positioning: a Chameleon-equipped mech in heavy woods becomes very difficult to hit with conventional fire. A token at the base marks active LPS so opponents know which targeting modifiers apply this turn.

Want all three? The Stealth Combat Set

For a single-purchase pack covering all three systems — ideal for stealth-heavy lances or for keeping a "stealth on the table" toolkit ready — the Mecha Stealth Combat Token Set bundles 4 Chameleon, 3 Void Sig, and 3 Null Sig tokens in one 10-piece kit.

Combat Actions — Charge, Death From Above & Pilot Skill Checks Both versions

BattleTech has a rich physical-attack system separate from weapon fire. Mechs can punch, kick, charge, and (most cinematically) jump on top of an enemy mech — the iconic Death From Above. Each is its own mechanic with its own dice rolls and risks. Tokens declare intent before resolution: an "I'm charging" or "I'm DFA-ing" token placed beside the model commits the player to the maneuver and tells the opponent how to plan their response.

Combat action tokens

Battlefield & Terrain Markers Both versions

BattleTech terrain matters. Light Woods add +1 to-hit and cost +1 MP to enter; Heavy Woods add +2 to-hit and cost +2 MP. Rough Ground costs +1 MP. Rubble costs +1 MP and forces a Pilot Skill Check to avoid falling. When you're playing on a paper hex map, drawing terrain in pencil gets messy and hard to redo between scenarios. Token-based terrain lets you build a battlefield in 30 seconds, redeploy it instantly, and never argue about whether a hex was Light Woods or Heavy Woods.

For miniature-style Alpha Strike play, the same tokens drop alongside model trees, ruined buildings, or terrain pieces to confirm the rules state. A model tree might look like Heavy Woods, but the token is the rules truth.

Special Weapons — Mines, Strafing & Aerospace Support Both versions

Beyond the standard weapons loadout, BattleTech includes minefields, aerospace strafing runs, and area-effect attacks. Each requires a marker on the table to indicate either a hidden hazard or the active strike zone. Decoy mines that look identical to live mines until revealed make for some of the best ambush moments in the game.

Objectives, Deployment & Salvage Both versions

Scenario play needs scenario markers. Where do you deploy? Where is the objective? When a mech goes down, who salvages it? Hazard-stripe objectives mark capture-the-flag and hold-the-position scenario aids; destroyed-salvage tokens convert a fallen mech from a model on the table into a campaign-game salvageable asset.

Bases & Movement Trays Both versions

BattleTech minis traditionally use 32mm hex bases (~1.26 inches across the flats — sized just under the standard mapsheet hex's 1.29 inches/~33mm so they drop cleanly inside without overhanging adjacent hexes). The hex shape aligns naturally with the map and tells you the unit's facing without ambiguity. For miniature-style Alpha Strike play with formations of mechs, formation skirmish trays let you move multiple units as a group without losing individual identity.

For broader basing reference across miniature scales and game systems, see our Miniature Base Sizes Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from new and returning BattleTech players. If you don't see what you're looking for, our full BattleTech accessories collection is the fastest way to find a token for any specific mechanic.

What base size do BattleMechs use?

The BattleTech standard for hex-grid play is 32mm hexagon bases — the hex shape aligns naturally with map hexes and tells you the unit's facing without ambiguity. For miniature-style Alpha Strike played on open terrain with rulers, round bases are common. LITKO sells 32mm hex mecha bases in 5-packs. For broader basing across game systems, see the Miniature Base Sizes Guide.

What's the difference between Classic BattleTech and Alpha Strike?

Classic BattleTech (Total Warfare) is lance-vs-lance scale — 4 to 12 mechs total, full record sheets with per-location armor and structure bubbles, detailed hit locations and critical hit slots, and games that run two to four hours. Alpha Strike simplifies the rules so you can field battalion-scale forces (10+ mechs per side) in 45 to 90 minutes. Damage is tracked on a single armor-and-structure pool per mech, weapons fire collapses into a damage value at each range band, and miniatures are usually played on open terrain with rulers instead of a hex map. Most LITKO tokens work for both.

What tokens do I need to play BattleTech?

At minimum: heat tracking (one dial per mech) and a combat/movement set covering shutdowns, salvage, torso twist, and movement modes. The Mecha Combat Token Set covers all of those in 27 pieces. For a fuller setup, add critical damage tokens, a fire arc template, and terrain markers. Tournament play typically also requires position-state tokens (Stand, Kneel, Prone, Hull Down) and electronic-warfare markers if your mechs carry TAG, NARC, or ECM.

What is TMM in Alpha Strike?

Target Movement Modifier. The number opponents add to their attack rolls when targeting a mech that just moved. TMM scales with movement mode: standing still = +0, walking = +1, running = +2, jumping = +3 (or higher), sprinting gives the highest TMM. The community convention is to place a die or movement token next to the mech showing its current TMM — LITKO's Walk +1, Jump +3, and Standing Still tokens are purpose-built for this.

How do you track Hull Down in BattleTech?

A mech is Hull Down when it's adjacent to a Level 1 or higher terrain feature and using it for cover — partial profile exposed, with opponents taking a +2 to-hit modifier (Tactical Operations advanced rule). Track it with a position token at the mech's base so both players see the modifier without re-checking the rules each turn. LITKO's Mecha Maneuvers Token Set includes Hull Down tokens alongside Prone, Kneel, and Stand.

What's the difference between Null Signature, Void Signature, and Chameleon LPS?

All three are mech stealth systems with different mechanics. Null Signature System reduces sensor and IR signature; opponents take range-scaled to-hit penalties when using sensor-locked weapons. Void Signature System is the strongest: an active stealth field that imposes substantial to-hit penalties at all ranges (signature equipment of Word of Blake elite mechs). Chameleon LPS is visual camouflage; it defeats line-of-sight targeting but doesn't help against radar-locked weapons. Each has its own indication token because the rules effects only apply when the system is active.

What does NARC do in BattleTech?

Narc is a homing missile beacon that physically attaches to an enemy mech. Once it sticks, every friendly missile fired at that target gains a to-hit bonus. The improved version, iNARC, also disables certain enemy countermeasures. Narc beacons are persistent — they remain attached until the target rolls a Narc Pod Removal on a Pilot Skill Check, or the section is destroyed. A NARC/iNARC token beside the mech tracks which targets are currently NARCed.

Are LITKO tokens compatible with the official BattleTech and Alpha Strike box sets?

Yes. LITKO's BattleTech accessories are designed to work with Catalyst Game Labs's current rulebooks — Total Warfare, Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition, and the AGoAC starter box. Our tokens, dials, and templates are aftermarket upgrades to the cardboard counters that ship with Catalyst's products. Sizes match the standard hex-grid scale (1.25 inches / 32mm), and the indication terminology mirrors the canonical rule names (TAG, NARC, ECM, MASC, etc.).

What hex size do BattleTech maps use?

A standard BattleTech mapsheet hex measures approximately 1.29 inches across the flats (~33mm) and 1.5 inches across the points (~38mm) — same hexagon, two axes (per Sarna's Mapsheet entry). The flat-to-flat dimension is what matters when sizing bases or templates to fit inside a hex; LITKO's 32mm bases (~1.26 inches across the flats) are sized just under the mapsheet hex flat dimension, so they drop in cleanly without overhanging neighboring hexes. Our Hex Map Fire Arc Template is sized to overlay the same standard. The 18mm hex tokens used throughout this article fit comfortably within a single map hex without crowding neighbors.

How do you track damage in Alpha Strike vs. Classic BattleTech?

Classic uses per-location armor and internal structure bubbles on a record sheet, plus a Critical Hit Table for each location. Most experienced players sleeve the record sheet and use dry-erase markers; persistent critical hits (engine hits, fire control, weapon jams) are also worth marking on the table itself with indication tokens. Alpha Strike collapses damage into single Armor and Structure pools per mech, which you can spin down on a single dial — the LITKO Armor & Structure Dial is built for this. Critical hits in Alpha Strike use a much shorter table that produces named effects like Engine Hit, Fire Control, Weapon Hit, Crew Stunned, and MV Hit (movement reduction; the Vehicle equivalent is Motive Hit), each with its own indication token.

Browse the Full BattleTech Collection

LITKO carries dials, tokens, templates, hex bases, and formation trays for every state mechanic in Classic BattleTech and Alpha Strike. New products are added regularly as the rules expand.

BattleTech, BattleMech, Alpha Strike, and 'Mech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc., used under license by Catalyst Game Labs. LITKO Game Accessories is not affiliated with or endorsed by Catalyst Game Labs or The Topps Company, Inc. Our products are designed to be compatible with these games and are independently produced.