It is the 31st century. Mankind has spread to the stars and spawned titanic stellar empires, each controlling hundreds of worlds across a thousand light years and beyond. Yet the sins of man have followed him from the cradle of humanity. Political machinations of feudal lords plunge whole sectors into war, while unscrupulous merchant starship captains smuggle weapons to their own faction`s enemies, and greedy military commanders demand tribute from worlds they`re protecting: it is a time of war. What empire will you swear allegiance to, and how will you become a legend? The fifth core rulebook in the BattleTech line, a time of war is designed to mesh with the core rules for the BattleTech war game as described in total warfare and the rest of the core game series.