The Coolant Pod

Jesty, Nitro and Pirate have a bit more of a role playing discussion on character alignments and how some of our favorite (or reviled) characters would stack up on a classic alignment chart. We also talk about how you could use alignments to help roleplay your games of Battletech and add new layers. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more co...

It's May again so that means it's time for the Coolant Pod's annual trek to Detroit and try to avoid getting shot while rolling our own crits. In this episode, Pirate and Tweezer recount our weekend at Motor City Mayhem 2026 and all the explosions and hilarity that ensued there. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If...

Sometimes it's not all giant stompy robots which win or lose your game of Battletech. Occasionally it's just some dude on foot with a gun who wasn't even supposed to be here today that players pin their game hopes on. We have a special guest, Inypt, on this episode to talk all about infantry and how to use them in both Alpha Strike and Classic. We very much appreciate our Patreons who...

Not all games of Battletech are turn based tabletop wargames, some of them involve nothing more than a character sheet and a bit of imagination. In this episode the Pod goes through creating RPG characters for A Time of War and then Traveler. Join us with special guest Jason Hansa as we dive into the roleplaying side of the BT universe. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous i...

In this episode, we try to talk through the Outworlds Alliance - one of the lesser known periphery powers which has become a much more integral part of the storyline since merging with a certain flock of Ravens. We'll cover history of both of these factions independently and what happens after they get together, some key units and paint schemes of course. We very much appreciate our Patreons w...

Brawl in the Bluegrass 2026 has come and gone for this year. Special correspondent Jason Hansa joins the pod to talk about his and Pirate's experiences playing in the event and just the overall weekend experience. It's a long one, so buckle up buttercup. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If you would like to become a P...

We may not be trying to get the band back together, but good mission design is a key feature that can make or break a game of Battletech. In this episode, we discuss some of the key elements that make good missions and we go over the Brawl in the Bluegrass 2026 mission pack (albeit with recommending a few changes during recording that made it to the final version of those missions). We very much a...

What happens when you get a bunch of try hard, win at all costs gamers together with no restrictions? Or just walk outside in Alabama in late July? Buckets of Sweat. But what does that mean really? And how should players or organizers approach an event where it can show up? Jesty, Nitro and Pirate dive in to share our thoughts. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in support...

We recently got new plastic released to the public, so it's time to talk through what's in the Kurita Command Force Pack and decide which units are the gems and duds for both Classic and Alpha Strike. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If you would like to become a Patreon of the Coolant Pod, please visit:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

With the new year, we have a new season of the MRC upon us. And we think you're going to like the changes that are coming in MRC Season 6. Join us as Jesty and Tweezer walk through what's changed, why and how these changes are going to make it easier to get more MRC games in. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If you wo...

Finally able to get all the schedules in place to record our overview of the Classic tournament at Southern assault with honorary host JEM a.k.a. Jason Hansa and special guests Kaiserfalk and Lord Carbon. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If you would like to become a Patreon of the Coolant Pod, please visit:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

With all the hype about the new Aces box, it's time to learn about what the units that come in it can do on the table top. Welcome to a supersized force pack review of the mechs and vehicles that come in Aces: Scouring Sands. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If you would like to become a Patreon of the Coolant Pod, please...

What happens with the Coolant Pod and some friends go to the largest Battletech tournament in North America? Endorsements and riches beyond our wildest dreams? nah, not even close. Bears in the woods? getting there... Pizza and Waffle House and Explosions...in that order? THERE WE GO! Special guest Kaiserfalk joins us to walk through the 6 games of Alpha Strike played at Southern Assault and why Y...

In our first episode of season 3, we have a wonderful guest and exciting topic. Dan Zehner, owner of Bear Cavalry Paints stopped by to talk about his background, hobbying, the products Bear Cavalry produces and all kinds of other stories. These paints have quickly become fan favorites with everyone who tries them and we're exited to have our first ever hobby focused episode of The Coolant Pod....

Slightly different format for the Coolant Pod for this episode but we hope you will enjoy. Tonight, Jesty and Pirate are doing a recap of the recent Desert Hot Drop tournament in Las Vegas, NV with special guests: Chandler from On the Origins of Battlemechs, Matt the Northman from the Valhalla Club and our friend Phaz (also known as Phil). We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generou...

What a long strange trip it has been. Four guys who decided one day "Hell, we should start a podcast. Maybe someone would listen." And now we've been doing this for two full years. This episode is a retrospective and look forward. We dive into our own backstories with Battletech, talk about how this podcast came about, the lessons we've painfully learned and where we want to go w...

Anyone who has competed in a wargaming tournament knows that list building is half the battle. With Southern Assault, Desert Hot Drop, Toys for Tots and more tournaments all coming up soon, Jesty, Nitro and Pirate talk through how they cram in all the goodies they might need to bring to a competitive event and what they just can't leave home without. We very much appreciate our Patreons who ha...

Recently, Nitroburst, Pirate and Tweezer all headed to scenic Nashville, TN to play in the annual MRC birthday bash Battletech tournament at Nashcon and compete for fabulous prizes like a new Broyhill dinette set and the long rumored elemental body pillow. How did we do? Did the sweat roll off in buckets? Stay tuned as we walk through our lists, the missions and game reports. We very much apprecia...

Welcome to the latest episode of The Coolant Pod! In this episode we go back to lore with special guest Jason Hansa, and talk about the juggernaut of home world clans, purveyors of heavy lasers everywhere and general badasses - Clan Star Adder! We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If you would like to become a Patreon of the Cool...

Welcome to the latest episode of The Coolant Pod! In this edition, we are joined by Ray Arrastia and Aaron Cahall from Catalyst Game Labs and we get to learn more about two of them and explore their love for playing this game and the IP they have become so closely associated with. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making more content. If you would...

Welcome to the latest episode of The Coolant Pod! This time around we're looking at new plastic crack open coming out in the near future and walking through the break down of the mechs you'll be getting in the Kurita Ranger Lance and some of the more useful or interesting variants of these chassis. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been generous in supporting us to keep making...

In this episode we have two special guests to help us understand everything that goes into designing and creating printable STL files, particularly for terrain - Matt from Cross Electric Designs and Christopher from Thunderhead Studio. These two put on a superb background and educational talk on the how to's, tools, design philosophies, etc. We at the Pod had a fantastic time listening to them...

This episode is another tactical discussion on the merits of using Indirect Fire. The illustrious Jason Hansa is joining us in the pod again for this somewhat controversial topic on tool allowing you to shoot at your opponents without fear of reprisal. We won't be talking about artillery here, that's an episode all it's own at a later date. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have...

It's starting to get into peak tournament season and the Coolant Pod (with a guest in tow), headed up to Detroit to throw math rocks and have a blast with friends new and old at Motor City Mayhem, the second largest Alpha Strike event in the country. In this episode, we'll break down what decisions we make and how we think about list building for blind mission in the Assault format. Then we'll div...

Ten meter tall mechs are the reason most of us got into this game. But in this episode, the Coolant Pod talks about a unit type that some feel are unheralded, some just don't understand and never take, and frankly WE feel naked going into battle without them. It's time to talk all things Battle Armor and how to use them effectively. We very much appreciate our Patreons who have been genero...