BattleTech Alpha Strike is nice, quicker and simpler than BattleTech, but not in all aspects. In BattleTech you can simply get any minis (or even paper standups) put on the grid and have fun. Well, Alpha Strike is basically the same, but to to a better experience, you need more than just that.
Alpha Strike (or AS, for short) is a step in the direction of the modern wargaming experience. While in BattleTech (BT), having several mech squads (called 'lances') can slow the game almost to a halt, in AS they are a common place - if you play AS with just a couple of miniatures, the game will last less than half an hour. And when you play with several miniatures, painting them and force organization are important - as in 40K, where you simply can't get any miniature you have and put on the table - they need to be of a certain type, belong to a certain army and be organized in squads and such.
While AS is more 'structured' and allegedly balanced for tournament play, it sends curious mixed signals:
