Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago

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Travis Gardner reconnects with the [unofficial] 2025 BattleTech TCG World Champion Kevin Michael after taking second in that same tournament. We discuss the state of the game and Kevin's Gauntlet series, an extensive breakdown of the meta derived from thousands of hours worth of playtesting over the last several years.

Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:42 What is "The Gauntlet"?
00:07:20 Why play the BattleTech TCG online?
00:11:30 How does The Guantlet work?
00:18:05 Best way to get started in the game
00:23:05 Growing the community
00:24:30 Deck archetypes
00:27:51 2-7 Swarm
00:32:22 Pilots and Solaris Contacts
00:34:56 BoomWolf
00:39:18 Pilots and Solaris Contacts cont.
00:46:39 Double Overtime
00:48:04 Elementals
00:49:49 C3
00:51:17 BattleTech TCG's "original sin"
00:52:37 Reflecting on an evolved META
00:55:02 War Funds and Black Market Connections
00:57:14 Hidden Reserves
00:59:38 'Mech Hangar
01:00:14 Hasty Alliance/"put X in play"
01:03:21 Merchant Caste
01:05:01 "Broken" cards
01:11:39 Banning cards
01:15:57 Community game modes
01:19:35 Theory crafting vs play testing vs competitive experience
01:24:40 Draft cubes and other game formats
01:26:23 Game development
01:29:15 Progress through failure
01:31:39 Travis's favorite custom card
01:34:46 Developing new cards and abilities
01:39:40 The Art and Artists of BattleTech
01:41:40 Nested abilities and translating 'Mechs from Classic to Cards
01:45:47 Decks that make you go "Hmmmmmm"
01:46:34 Marik Gorgemaster
01:48:18 Mechless
01:52:22 Decks with multiple win conditions
01:54:03 The value of watching gameplay
01:55:50 Getting more players involved
02:02:49 Final thoughts

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For information about playing online or to join in on organized play events visit the Facebook group linked above or comment on this video to request an invite link for the BattleTech TCG Discord.

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VIDEOS FROM MY CHANNEL:
○ BattleTech TCG Online Play | Sealed Tournament - Travis Gardner vs John Milke - youtu.be/V9YnUBaGdeo
○ BattleTech TCG Online Play | Sealed Tournament - Travis Gardner vs Chester Hendrix - youtu.be/51G4GXgcfn4
○ Let's Play the BattleTech Trading Card Game with RazörFist - youtu.be/V8FXbEWOsLM
○ How to Play the BattleTech TCG Online Using LackeyCCG | Building and Importing Decks - youtu.be/xbrbt9ac9EI
○ A Conversation with BattleTech: TCG World Champions Peter Sundholm and Terry Borer - youtu.be/ipROEhqNC-8
○ Battletech TCG/CCG (Part 1.1) | History, Design, Legacy - youtu.be/cGZPI1JFRfc
○ Battletech TCG (Part 1.2) | Deckbuilding, Gameplay, Meta Analysis - youtu.be/O6JcOK8MpuY
○ Battletech TCG (Part 2.1) | Game Mechanics, Killer Combos, Card Viability - youtu.be/Itzks8IVFHU
○ Battletech TCG (Part 2.2) | Deck Building Tutorial: Battle of Luthien - youtu.be/FTTNwu0BkkM
○ Battletech TCG (Part 2.3) | Deck Analysis: 1999 World Championship (1st Place) Marik GorgeMaster - youtu.be/PiqUPFb2q3A
○ BattleTech TCG Errata Discussion with 1997 & 1998 World Champions Peter Sundholm and Terry Borer - youtu.be/JLgIeEsTYss

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BattleTech: Clan Invasion Box - fortressminiaturesandgames.com/collections/catalyst-games-labs-product/products/battletech-clan-invasion

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