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[Hanzoku]

There's plenty of Let's Play of Battletech on Youtube, but I'm going to be stubborn and do this as a screenshot Let's Play. Because I'm playing through a brand new game and its fairly linear, beware of spoilers if you're holding off on buying it and want to be surprised.

Episode List:
Episode 1: Prologue
Episode 2: Character Creation
Episode 3: Training Day
Episode 4: Coronation Road
Episode 5: Three Years Later
Episode 6 - Meeting the Crew

Glossary
Kill Information
To track how ridiculous the number of 'Mech kills eventually gets, I'll be tracking kills here by faction, and then total kills and by weight class.

Faction	Total	Light	Medium	Heavy	Assault
Loyalists	1	0	1	0	0
Directorate	6	3	3	0	0
Independent	3	2	1	0	0
Total	10	5	5	0	0

Current 'Mechs and Pilots
Tracking the unit's current 'Mechs and their pilots. The numbers after a pilot's name is Gunnery/Piloting/Guts/Tactics

Blackjack BJ-1 - Han 'Rebel' Zoku 4/4/4/3
Shadow Hawk SHD-2H - Miranda 'Behemoth' Aguilera 3/4/5/2
Spider SDR-5V - Amir 'Dekker' Kowalski 3/4/3/5
Vindicator VND-1R - Jessica 'Glitch' Chernovskaya 5/2/3/4
Locust LCT-1V - Mohammed 'Medusa' Benitez 3/4/3/4

[Hanzoku]

The opening cinematic gives a quick (and very, very brief) summary of events leading up to the game. I'll expand on it below, with many thanks to the editors at Sarna.net for collating all the lore for this universe.



The year is 2107. Until now, humanity has remained in its own solar system, constrained by a lack of a faster then light method of travel.



The Deimos Project aims to change that. The Terran Alliance, the first central government of Terra authorized a mission to investigate the nearby Tau Ceti system. Begun in 2103, the first test of the experimental jump drive took place in 2107.



The world watched with bated breath as Raymond Bache, the test pilot of humanity’s first JumpShip initiated its jump sequence.




In a flash of light, the experimental JumpShip jumped from the Sol system’s zenith jump point to its nadir jump point within a minute. The theories of Thomas Kearny and Takayoshi Fuchida were proven correct, and the K-F drives became a reality.



2116. Less than a decade after humanity unlocked faster than light travel, humanity founded its first interstellar colony on the planet of New Earth, in the Tau Ceti system.



Expansion built rapidly after that, as hundreds of worlds were explored and colonized.





Many inhabitable worlds were discovered and colonized during this period, and humanity spread through the stars.



The Inner Sphere, as it became known, encompassed a radius of around 450-550 lightyears around Terra, and contains approximately 2000 inhabited planets.




The Star League is founded, an interstellar council formed of the Terran Hegemony, the five Great Houses, and the largest Periphery nations. Ian Cameron, the Director-General of the Terran Hegemony becomes the First Lord of the Star League.




Despite this time being considered one of relative peace and prosperity, conflicts were still common, and BattleMech technology continues to advance.



In 2751, Richard Cameron became the sixth First Lord of the Star League. Unlike his ancestor, he was not a visionary leader, but instead was an insecure and paranoid young man who suffered from a lifetime of manipulation by Stefan Amaris, his closest friend and confidant.

In 2763, he passed the Taxation Edict, which levied massive tax burdens on the Periphery realms. Already suffering under heavy taxes, within two years the Periphery erupted into massive revolts, and the Star League Defense Force under General Alexander Kerensky was ordered to pacify the rebelling states.





The catalyst of the rebellion was on New Vandenberg, in the Taurian Concordant. Open warfare erupted there and spread to the other major powers of the Periphery in short order as the SLDF found itself engaging over 50 unknown BattleMech divisions, as the Periphery powers had been preparing for this day for a long time.



One of the incidents early in the war was the destruction of the WarShip (an armed and armored JumpShip capable of maneuvering in system and supporting ground forces through orbital bombardment) SLS Nebraska, a Texas-class battleship that was destroyed when a fuel ship docked internally detonated in a suicide attack.







After an initial series of setbacks as the SLDF recovered from the surprise attacks that opened the war, the Taurian Concordant found itself swarmed under by the full might of the SLDF. By 2767, the Taurian Concordant was on the brink of surrender, but the SLDF had lost 140 divisions and early a million soldiers in doing so.



On December 27th, 2766, Stefan Amaris murdered Richard Cameron in cold blood, ordered the execution of the entire Cameron line, and proclaimed himself First Lord of the Star League.




Kerensky and the rest of the SLDF didn’t take this well. After arranging a ceasefire with the Periphery nations, he turned the SLDF around and marched back through the Inner Sphere, fighting Amaris’s forces across the worlds of the Terran Hegemony. Over 14 grinding years of civil war, the SLDF fought the Rim World Republic’s standing forces and retook Terra.

They ended up capturing Stefan Amaris alive. He was given a fair trial, convicted of a long variety of war crimes and executed by firing squad. However, with the Cameron line dead, there was no successor as the First Lord of the Star League. The leaders of the Great Houses each declared themselves the true heir to the Star League, sparking the Succession Wars.



Fighting would continue to rage for the 245 years, shattering the golden dreams of the Star League and launching humanity into a new series of dark ages.

As for the SLDF and General Kerensky? That’s a story for another time and era.

This is…

[Hanzoku]

Just a warning, this update will have a massive glossary section as the game gets you familiar with some more of the universe’s lore. Future updates should have a much smaller glossary.



A big hand to Harebrained Schemes for producing this game.



I am Kamea of House Arano, High Lady of the Aurigan Reach, Protector of Coromodir, and the Sword of Restoration.

But I am not a hero… no matter what the stories say. A hero would have sacrificed more, compromised less. A hero would have done better. You know this, of course – you were there.



My father used to tell me stories about the ancient times, about the Star League. A golden age of prosperity, upheld by the great MechWarriors of old – guardians of the innocent, protectors of the peace. I always dreamed of following in their footsteps! I was too young to see the truth of things. After all, it wasn’t heroism or a noble cause that won me the throne. It was hiring a mercenary skilled enough – perhaps ruthless enough – to carry the day. Hiring you.



I still don’t know if you fought for honor, or for the thrill of it, or just for my money. But whether it was your noble heart or mercenary mind… your actions gave us hope.  That makes you a hero in the eyes of history. Whether you believe it? That’s up to you.

I have to say, I find this sort of start a complete let down. Granted, you go into a game expecting to win, but having the opening sequence tell you that you’ve won, and now you’re just reminiscing about how you kicked ass prevents any storyline setback from building any sort of tension. No matter how dire things seem, you know that things will turn out alright because you’ve already won.



I wonder if this refers to the coming plotline, or the restoration of the BattleTech property?



We now get to select our backstory and appearance. The first step is to choose where our family immigrated from before they arrived in the Aurigan Reach. Our choices are:











The protagonist’s family hails from the Draconis Combine, originally.



He was trained by Raju Montgomery, a scarred and battered veteran of countless battles.







The day after his sixteenth birthday, his family was betrayed by a trusted servant, and turned on by traitors and pirates. He survived by luck and skill at the controls of the family’s BattleMech, but a Firestarter burned out the family home, murdering the rest of his family.








On his own and with nothing to hold onto, he fell into the life of a soldier of the Aurigan Coalition, rising through the ranks on skill and merit.



Several years later, he crossed paths with his old mentor and found himself conscripted into the Royal Guard to serve as Raju’s aide.



His name is Han “Rebel” Zoku, and this is his story.

Here’s the thing about all the choices above – none of these matter. I think HBS had big plans about branching options and choices, but they must have scrapped it in the end. No matter where your family came from, you’re always a noble. No matter what career you pick, you pilot a Blackjack and whether patriot or pirate, you end up serving in the Royal Guard. It’s a letdown, but maybe it points to a far more fleshed out system in a future BattleTech product.



Glossary Terms
Geography
Aurigan Reach – The Aurigan Reach is a specific group of about two dozen systems in the Rimward Periphery boarding the Taurian Concordat and the Capellan Confederation. The Reach is home to the Aurigan Coalition ruled by House Arano. Beyond the Reach are a large number of independent systems colloquially referred to as the Frontier.

Deep Periphery – The area of space just outside the Inner Sphere and the Periphery is known as the Deep Periphery. The exact borders of this region are vaguely defined. Though not as thoroughly colonized as the Periphery, the Deep Periphery is home to a number of interstellar states such as the Hanseatic League and the Chainelane Isles.

Inner Sphere – The Inner Sphere is the region of space within about 500 light years of Terra. This area is divided between the five Successor States to the former Star League. This region is the heart of human civilization and culture. Beyond the Inner Sphere is the Periphery.

Rimward Periphery – The Periphery is a region of space bordering and surrounding the Inner Sphere. The area directly opposite the galactic core is known as the Rimward Periphery. The Rimward Periphery is home to major states such as the magistracy of Canopus, the Taurian Concordat, and the Aurigan Coalition as well as a large number of independent worlds.

Planets
Coromodir – Coromodir is the center of power of the Aurigan government. Its two habitable worlds are home to billions of people. At the heart of Coromodir VI is the vast Taurian fortress that serves as both capital and last bastion of defense. Both House Arano and House Espinosa consider Coromodir their ancestral home.

Solaris VII – Solaris VII is famous for its BattleMech gladiatorial fights. Known as the Solaris Games, these fights are broadcast throughout the Inner Sphere and the Periphery, where fans eagerly follow the careers of their favorite MechWarriors.

Polities
Aurigan Coalition – The Aurigan Coalition is an interstellar state in the Aurigan Reach area of the Rimward Periphery bordering both Capellan and Taurian space. Growing out of a trade partnership in the mid-29th century, the Aurigan Coalition was formally established in 2910 by High Lady Keona Arano. In the past hundred years, the coalition has grown from four systems to a total of 23.

Capellan Confederation – The Capellan Confederation is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located rimward of Terra. Ruled by House Liao, the Confederation is the smallest and newest of the Successor States and often the loser of conflicts against the other powers of the Inner Sphere. It is an authoritarian police state, with philosophical origins in a text known as the Korvin Doctrine, which argues for total subservience of the individual to the state. Citizens of the Confederation must earn their position and the benefits of citizenship through service to their community. The current ruler of the Confederation is Chancellor Maximillian Liao, a shrewd planner and master manipulator.

Draconis Combine – The Draconis Combine is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located coreward and spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Kurita, the Combine has always been aggressively expansionist – the head of the Combine was the first of the Council Lords to declare himself the new ruler of the collapsing Star League. Regularly in conflicts along its borders with all its neighbors, the Combine is a highly structured, militaristic society, with rulership in the hands of the Coordination, the commander-in-chief of the Draconis Military. The Combine’s culture is heavily influenced by the Japanese roots of the ruling family-despite the minority status of those with Japanese ancestry-as this cultural heritage is imposed from above by the predominately Japanese ruling class. The current leader of the Combine is Coordinator Takashi Kurita.

Federated Suns – The Federated Suns is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located rimward and spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Davion, the Federation is the most powerful of the five, and the people of the Federation pride themselves on their self-proclaimed role as defenders of justice and liberty. The Federation is quite capable of ruthless, decisive action, though, and its idealism readily gives way to pragmatism when called for. The current ruler of the Federation, Prince Hanse Davion, is an experienced and unconventional military commander. The Federation’s alliance with the Lyran Commonwealth effectively ended the Third Succession War.

Free Worlds League – The Free Worlds League is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located rimward and anti-spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Marik, the League was, with the Capellan Confederation, one of the original signatories of the treaties that would eventually form the Star League. After the fall of the Star League, the Free Worlds League granted broad control over its economy and government to the command of its military, the Captain-General. The League is known for being a powerful mercantile state, but the Succession Wars have nearly destroyed its economy. The current ruler of the League is Captain-General Jonos Marik.

Lyran Commonwealth – The Lyran Commonwealth is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located coreward and anti-spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Steiner, the Commonwealth is the wealthiest of the five, with an entrenched and powerful noble class. The focus on pedigree and prestige among the nobility has often resulted in less-than-brilliant officers being elevated to high command, to the detriment of the Commonwealth’s military strength. Much of the Commonwealth’s success comes from the vast resources located within its borders. The current ruler of the Commonwealth is Archon Katrina Steiner, notable for her peace proposal that, in allying the Commonwealth with the Federated Suns, effectively ended the Third Succession War.

Magistracy of Canopus – The Magistracy of Canopus is a large Periphery state, located rimward and anti-spinward of Terra, just beyond the Free Worlds League. Founded explicitly as a matriarchy, the Magistracy is ruled by a Magestrix, a position open only to women, and usually held by a member of the founding Centrella family. Independent since the fall of the Star League, the Magistracy has remained mostly untouched by the Succession Wars, except by the overall collapse of trade and travel. The Magistracy is famed for its social and cultural freedom, with no consensual behavior forbidden by law or custom. The current ruler of the Magistracy is the Magestrix Kyalla Centrella, who harbors a deep grudge against the Inner Sphere, and the Free Worlds League in particular.

Principality of Rasalhague – A minor interstellar state conquered 700 years ago by the Draconis Combine. Now officially known as the Rasalhague Military District.

Star League – From 2570  to 2780, the Star League was an interstellar council formed from the Terran Hegemony, the five Great Houses of the Inner Sphere, and the Territorial States of the Periphery. The stability and prosperity of the Star League led to the flourishing of civilization and technology.

The Star League ended in civil war when the leader of the Rim World Republic, Stefan Amaris murdered the First Lord in a bid to usurp his position.

Taurian Concordat – The Taurian Concordat is one of the largest Periphery states, located rimward of Terra, beyond the Federated Suns. Founded and ruled by House Calderon, the Concordat prides itself on its independence, freedom, and stability. The Concordat is wealthy, well educated, and well armed for a Periphery state. The Taurians defend their independence fiercely against Inner Sphere aggression, particularly by the Federated Suns; they perceive House Davion’s reputation as a protector of liberties as an unwarranted and even hypocritical, and they have a long history of conflict with the much larger Successor State. The current ruler of the Concordat is Protector Thomas Calderon.

Major and Minor Houses
House Arano – ‘FORESIGHT AND VISION.’ The hereditary rulers of the Aurigan Coalition, currently led by Lady Kamea Arano. The Arano house sigil is a great cormorant on a field of red. The ancestral seat of House Arano is Coromodir VI.

From the early days of the Rimward Trade Partnership and the founding of the Aurigan Coalition in 2910 through the current day, House Arano has led the systems of the Aurigan Reach.

House Calderon – House Calderon is the dynastic ruling house of Taurus, the Taurian Homeworlds, and the Taurian Concordat. The line is descended from Samantha Calderon, who founded the first colony on Taurus in 2253. Members of House Calderon are considered fair, egalitarian, and pragmatic in their decisions.

House Centrella – House Centrella is the ruling dynasty of the Magistracy of Canopus. Captain Kossandra Centrella of the Free Worlds League Military founded the Magistracy in 2530 when she became disillusioned with her superiors and the patriarchal structures of the Inner Sphere. The family enjoys immense popularity among Canopian citizens.

House Davion – ‘BY FREEDOM’S SWORD.’ From their capital world of New Avalon, the Davion family led the Federated Suns to become one of the largest and most militarily powerful states in the Inner Sphere. The Federated Suns’ motto ‘By Freedom’s Sword’ illustrates their self-image as a nation: the champion of freedom, democracy, and human rights, although the reality is not so clear-cut. In addition to being a military power, the Federated Suns is home to the New Avalon Institute of Science: the premier research and development center of the 31st century.

House Kurita – ‘HONOR THE DRAGON.’ House Kurita has dominated the Draconis Combine since its founding in 2319 by Shiro Kurita, who imbued the state with its strong Japanese culture. Personal honor and a self-reliance bordering on xenophobia are hallmarks of Kuritan policy. Embracing ‘the way of the warrior,’ the Draconis Combine has had a long history of antagonism with and aggression against its neighbors.

House Liao – ‘ONE VISION.’ The Capellan Confederation is the smallest of the Successor States, and was the last to form, created on Capella by neighboring states in 2366. House Liao gave the Confederation its Han Chinese character and ensured the survival of the realm through strong (if frequently erratic) rule. Popularly disparaged as a totalitarian police state, many Capellan citizens enjoy a high dress of personal freedom and willingly serve the State in return for the generous services it provides.

House Marik – ‘WE STAND UNITED.’ The Free Worlds League, the oldest of all Successor States, has long been ruled by House Marik. The League is an open, multicultural state, consisting of many great and small realms loosely joined together. Politically fragile and frequently riven with instability; House Marik has relied heavily on free trade and technological advancement to keep pace with its rivals.

House Steiner – ‘INDOMITABLE WILL.’ With many resource-rich worlds, shrewd business acumen and a strong industrial base, the Lyran Commonwealth, under the stewardship of proudly Germanic House Steiner, prospered even during the worst of times: in spite of the destruction of the Succession Wars, overall industrial output and average standard of living exceeded that of any other Successor State. This vast wealth helped the Lyran state weather any military reversals – especially self-inflicted ones – by quickly replacing their materiel losses.

Major Events
Succession Wars (General) – The Succession Wars were a series of wide-ranging conflicts between the Successor States of the Inner Sphere that lasted from 2786 to the current year of 3025. During these wars, the Great Houses mobilized vast numbers of BattleMechs to destroy each other and claim territory, with the ultimate goal of ruling the Inner Sphere.

A notable consequence of these conflicts was the significant loss of advanced technology from the prior Star League era.

First Succession War – A brutal conflict that ravaged the Inner Sphere from 2786 to 2821 when Minoru Kurita declared himself the new First Lord of the Star League. Leaders of the other Great Houses followed suit, becoming known as Successor Lords. The First Succession War is notable for the devastating effect it had on the Inner Sphere’s infrastructure and technology base. Much of what was lost has not been regained in the intervening centuries.

Important Characters
Alexandr Kerensky – Born 2700, disappeared 2784.

As Regent and Protector of the Star League and Commanding General of the Star League Defense Force, Kerensky was the highest-ranking military officer of the Inner Sphere. Following his successful conclusion of the Amaris Civil War, Kerensky withdrew from the Inner Sphere with 80% of the SLDF’s personnel and assets, never to be seen again. This action left the Inner Sphere defenseless and precipitated the First Succession War.

Kamea Arano – Brave, idealistic, and determined, the Lady Kamea Arano is the daughter of the late High Lord Tamati Arano II. Due to inherit the throne of the Aurigan Coalition.

Raju “Mastiff” Montgomery – A battle-scarred MechWarrior with nearly 40 years of combat experience. In addition to mercenary work, Mastiff has served as Master-at-Arms for a number of noble Houses, training their scions in the arts of war. The Ladies Kamea Arano and Victoria Espinosa have both benefitted from his training.

Technology]
BattleMech – Commonly abbreviated as ‘Mech.

BattleMechs are enormous armored fighting vehicles, often humanoid in design, that can weight up to 100 tons. They are considered the most powerful and deadly surface units a military force can field. BattleMechs are classified as light (20-35 tons), medium (40-55 tons), heavy (60-75 tons), or assault (80+ tons). Because of their incredible power requirements, many ‘Mechs generate ferocious amounts of waste heat, making BattleMech cockpits swelteringly hot and sometimes threatening to cause a complete system shutdown.

BattleMechs
Blackjack BJ-1 – The Blackjack BJ-1 is equipped for both long- and close-range engagements. A pair of AC/2s is backed up by four Medium Lasers, lending the ‘Mech a powerful alpha strike, while Jump Jets enable the Blackjack to move to high ground at a moment’s notice.

Military Formations
Star League Defense Force – The Star League Defense Force (SLDF) was the largest military force in human history, with over 100 million soldiers serving in 486 divisions at its peak. The SLDF suffered horrific losses opposing Stefan Amaris in the Amaris Civil War.

Miscellaneous Terms
MechWarrior – Someone who pilots a BattleMech is called a MechWarrior. They typically serve in the armies of the Successor States or in mercenary units. During the Succession Wars, many MechWarriors owned their own ‘Mechs and passed them down through the generations as family heirlooms.

Gunnery – Gunnery determines the chance to hit with ranged weapons. Higher skill is an effective counter to Evasion and environmental effects that hamper targeting.

Guts – Guts improves the maximum health of MechWarriors. It also reduces the penalty from weapon recoil and increases the threshold of Heat that triggers Overheated.

Piloting – Piloting increases Melee hit chance and base Sprint distance. It also improves the threshold of stability that triggers UNSTEADY and increases the maximum level of Evasion possible from movement.

Tactics -  Tactics increases the effectiveness of Called Shot opportunities. It also reduces the penalty for indirect fire and improves the minimum range of weaponry.

[Rince Wind]

Picture LPs are superior anyway.


I am downloading the game right now.

[Hanzoku]

What’s this? We’ve actually gotten to the meat of the game?

Well… almost. Now for the obligatory tutorial sequence.







In the tradition of most games, we’re a silent protagonist. Therefore, I’ll be adding a lot of dialogue. Italics indicates my own additions, regular font is what the game supplies.

Alright, Rebel, go ahead and check your sensors. You can do so with the controls located to under the sensor map display…

Captain, you trained me when I was 12. I made my first ‘Mech kill at 16, and I’ve been serving in the military for the last four years. I know how to use my sensor system!

MechWarrior! You will check the functionality of your sensors at once!

Yes, Arms Master!



…sensors check out, Arms Master!

Sorry for snapping at you, Rebel. I know you know what you’re doing, something about today just has me on edge. Besides, I had the Espinosa Refit Yards rush the repairs on your Blackjack. Looks like it’s all in one piece, but we should run some diagnostics on it, just to be sure. Standard field tests, you know the drill.

More importantly, though, I wanna tell you more about the job I brought you out here to do. Now do me a favor and get that BattleMech moving-let’s see if there are any kinks in the actuators.

Yes, sir! Though I didn’t think my ‘Mech was up for maintenance yet.

They’ve been cycling a lot of the Guard through these last two weeks. Wanting all of us to look good for the coronation. I had to chase some techs away from my Centurion last night, even though it was given the green light early last week.

I’ll come right out and say it, kid: I wasn’t completely honest with you the other day. There’s gonna be more to this job than escort duty.



I brought you here because there’s something wrong in the capital. It’s been too quiet since High Lord Tamati’s funeral, and I’m worried about Lady Kamea’s safety during her coronation procession.

Anyway, looks like your actuators check out. Let’s conduct a weapons test… target one of those burnt-out old UrbanMechs and open fire.

You think someone is crazy enough to take a run at Lady Kamea while she’s mounted up?

Like I was saying… I can’t prove anything. But my gut tells me something’s off, and a warrior trusts their instincts.



When you target something, the icons underneath provide some helpful tooltips about their condition. From left to right, these targets are GUARDED, taking 50% less damage from ranged attacks to the front and side, ENTRENCHED, taking 50% less stability damage, and TRAINING TARGETs, making them far easier to hit then a real enemy. In this case, we basically can’t miss.

Rebel goes ahead, and alpha strikes the first one to test all of his weapons in one go.




By the time the barrage is finished, we’ve turned everything above the legs into a shower of confetti. The legs wobble for a second and then fall over in separate directions.

Good shot – your guns are in working order, at least.



A remote-controlled tank moves into the forest.

I’ve been training Lady Arano since she was 14 years old. She can be naïve at times, and proud, but I have no doubt that she’ll be a just and effective ruler. It’s on us to see her safely to Cordia City… I’ll rest easier once she’s in the capital, with her cousin Victoria by her side.

Lady Victoria… well, she’s only been training under me for a single season, but she’s already shaped herself into one of the strongest MechWarriors I’ve ever seen. Reminds me a lot of you, truth be told.

Head-strong and convinced that I’m far better than I really am?

What?

I did listen to your lectures at the time, sir, even if I sassed back.

Hah! Well, you’ve shaped up since then. Anyway – we should run a check on your targeting computer. You see that drone over there, the one moving through the tree line? Put some hurt on it for me, and then when it turns, take it out with a rear-angle shot. After it’s down we’ll keep moving.

Aye, sir!

Kamea’s like a daughter to me, and her late father, High Lord Tamati, was a good friend.



We have three new icons. The far left is FOREST, reducing movement and spotting distance, but provides COVER, 25% damage reduction against attacks to the front and side, which doesn’t stack with GUARDED. The next one is the symbol for COVER. Finally, the far-right symbol is WEAK AGAINST MELEE, which indicates that Mechs do double damage when they punt vehicles.

Anyway, we cool off by firing our AC/2s only, as the target can’t be destroyed until we shoot it in its far weaker rear armor.

The tank then moves further into the tree line, but exposes its rear armor to us.

Victoria pulls no punches, but she’s been a loyal companion to Kamea since they were kids. Aside from you, there’s no one I’d rather have by my side in a fight. I think you’ll like her when you meet her. You two might be working together for a long time, after all.

What do you mean, sir?

I’m getting older, Han, and face it, someday I’ll be too old to pilot a ‘Mech and it’ll be time to retire. When that day comes, you might be the next Captain of the Royal Guard, and you’ll be working closely with Victoria. Now before I get any older, you mind putting some rounds into that tank?



We queue up everything and put the hurt on the drone tank, easily punching through the weaker rear armor.

Nice shot. Now, I don’t know how familiar you are with Aurigan politics, but the Reach was badly shaken by High Lord Tamati’s death. It needs a smooth transfer of power, and Kamea belongs on the Cormorant Throne.

Go ahead and fire up your jump jets, kid – I want to see you descend this cliff face. Aim for that patch of ground there, near the edge of the lake.

No sweat, sir, I’ve improved a lot since I was really a kid.

I just remember the first time you tried to jump and nearly drove your mech head first into the ground.

Do you have to bring that up every time?




Ha, a perfect landing!



What the hell!?

Yeah, I was afraid of that… jump jets build a lot of heat, and that was more than your engine could handle. Head into the water – we need to get you cooled off.

Sir, that was not normal! I swear those techs mounted a jet backwards, I’ve got plasma venting straight into my mech’s structure!

Shut it down and get in the water before your ammo cooks off, Rebel!



As the tool-tip indicates, water makes your heat sinks 50% more efficient.

Warning: plasma leak detected. Jump jet malfunction. Jump jet systems damaged. System inoperable until repaired.

Christ, those techs are incompetent.

Oh, for the love of all the gods. This is what I get for insisting on a rush job… not that I had much of a choice. The Espinosa Refit Yards were backlogged like you wouldn’t believe. It looks like they were trying to process every single Royal Guard ‘Mech in time for the coronation.

There isn’t any time to get your jets replaced, so we’re gonna have to make do without ‘em. Go ahead and take that ‘Mech down with a melee attack. I wanna be sure nothing else is gonna break down on your Blackjack before we take it out on the Cormorant Road.



The display indicates the combined structure and armor of the mech across all locations. In this case, the Panther has 1 point of structure in each arm, torso location and head, and 1 point of armor each in head, torso (front and back), arms and legs.



Rebel chooses to shoulder-check the Panther, and the ‘Mech-shaped framework crumples to the ground in ruins.

An odd choice of attack, Rebel.

Didn’t want to risk bending a gun barrel or damaging a leg actuator if we’re marching, sir.

Commendable. Either way, good hit – at least that’s solid. All right, one last test. I want you to take your Blackjack up to a sprint and evade my attack.

Sir?

Relax, I won’t be trying – too hard-  to hit you. Push that engine, kid – if something goes wrong today, I want to know that your ‘Mech can maneuver.



Holy shit! Those were centimeters from my cockpit!

I told you you’d be fine, and it was good to get my aim in. Congratulations, Rebel. Your Blackjack is as combat-ready as it can be, given the circumstances. For what it’s worth, I hope that my suspicions turn out to be unfounded, and we end the day having a good laugh about what a paranoid old man I’ve become. But if not… then I know that you’ll be ready. Alright, it’s time to move out. Lady Arano is waiting for us at the MechBay.

An impressive display, Sir Raju. Of course, this MechWarrior was a student of yours… I’d expect them to know their way around a cockpit.

Rebel, allow me to introduce Kamea Arano, the soon-to-be High Lady of the Aurigan Coalition. Is Lady Victoria on this channel?

Pleased to meet you, your Ladyship.

For the time being. My father as summoned me to the Pickton Docks – I have a fleet inspection and a tour of the family refit yards to preside over before the coronation. Behold, the responsibilities of a noble daughter… I fount of tedium that never runs dry.

I know the feeling, cousin – by this time tomorrow, I’ll be responsible for the entire Reach. Give my best to your father, and don’t be late for the tourney. The gambling dens are already taking bets on how long it’ll take me to cripple that customized monstrosity that you pilot.

[laughing] Bold words, cousin… but the only victory they’ll be celebrating is mine. You may be ascending the throne today, but my Kaga is more than a match for the family heirloom that you call a BattleMech… and in the arena, I reign supreme.

[chuckling] We’ll see, cousin – we’ll see. At any rate, I will see you at the tourney grounds. Sir Raju, I’m ready to go when you are. Overland, along the Cormorant Road, as is the Arano tradition.

Aye, Kamea – we’ll get you there in one piece. Rebel, fall in behind me…

Aye, sir!

… and remember what I told you.


New BattleMechs encountered:

Blackjack BJ-1 – A medium fire support and anti-insurgency mech designed in the waning days of the Star League. By all accounts it is a good, reliable ‘Mech, but it received bad press when initially deployed. Charges that its armor was brittle and tended to fall off, and that its footpads were too narrow and made it susceptible to falling. While unsubstantiated, the damage was done, and the design never entered general usage with the SLDF, instead being quickly relegated to militia units in the Terran Hegemony or sold off to the Successor States. Its only plant was destroyed in 2796.

The Capellan Confederation and Federated Suns had  bought the majority of Blackjacks, though the Federated Suns largely relegated it to militia rules. Techs quickly discovered the spurious nature of the claims about the Blackjack’s lack of reliability, but it wasn’t until 3022 that its reputation was redeemed.  A militia lance consisting of Blackjacks held off a Kuritan attack on Xhosa VII, destroying waves of light mechs as they attempted to take the militia’s position by sheer weight of numbers.

Han Zoku’s possession of the ‘Mech from his Kuritan origin is slightly odd, though it’s possible an ancestor captured it as battlefield salvage from fighting along the Kuritan-Davion border.

Centurion CN9-A – Designed in 2801 to complement the Trebuchet fire support ‘Mech, it has a heavy and varied arsenal to battle enemies at a variety of ranges, and its tough enough to survive considerable punishment. It’s most associated with the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns, and is best known for making slow, steady advances, though its also a capable raider.

The design suffered from chronic issues with the heavy autocannon’s loading systems, only made worse when in 2845, the production lines for the ‘Mech on the planet Ramen II were destroyed. Production of spare parts continued at secondary plants for the next 150 years, but by the dawn of the 31st century, the AFFS were considering phasing out the design in favor of the Enforcer. In response, Corean built a brand-new Centurion production facility on the Federated Suns capital planet of New Avalon in 3012, including a redesign of the problematic systems.

One difference between the stock design and the one presented in game is that the game version carries both medium lasers mounted forward, due to the lack of rear firing arcs in the game.

[Hanzoku]

After a fairly boring tutorial mission systems check, enlivened only by some idiot tech installing a jump jet backwards so we roasted our mech’s insides, we’re onto the second mandatory mission. We just have to escort the princess to her castle so she can assume her throne, what’s the worst that can go wrong?

Hint: A lot.

Espinosa: I remember the Aurigan Reach of old – the time of the Great Expansion. I was just a boy then.



Espinosa: Proudly we went forth, bringing the light of our Coalition to so many systems. And for what? To see our great kingdom slowly waste away?



Espinosa: Year after year, the Council deliberates – while our economy falters, and the wolves bay at every door. While covetous neighbors plot against us! Well, I say it can go. No. Further.



Espinosa: We are here today because if Lady Arano will not act, someone must. I know what I am asking of you.



Espinosa: You will face former comrades, or even loved ones, on the battlefield.



Espinosa: I take up arms against my own niece. But remember: today we sacrifice, so that tomorrow we can return our kingdom to its proper glory. To its proper strength!



Espinosa: So should you fall tonight – know that you did so as true heroes of the Reach! To your stations! For the Directorate!



The dropships we are seeing are Union-class ‘Mech transports, each capable of carrying a company of ‘Mechs and a pair of AeroSpace fighters. With at least five involved, that means that Lord Espinosa has nearly two battalions of ‘Mechs dropping on world as part of his rebellion.



Kamea: I’m going to miss this, Raju… the clarity of purpose that I feel in the  cockpit of a BattleMech. The simplicity of it. But there they are, just up ahead – the city gates, and my future, all laid out before me.



Kamea: …Wait. What’s that smoke?

Mastiff: A guard post – one of the small ones that dot the roads leading into the capital. But the emergency band’s been quiet all morning… I haven’t heard anything about any fire.

Rebel: I’ll call it in, with that much smoke there’s going to be injured.

Mastiff: Wait, don’t. Keep radio silence.

Rebel: Sir?

Mastiff: This is damned odd, and I don’t like it. Kid, keep your head on a swivel and be ready for anything.

Rebel: …Aye, sir. Weapons hot.

For this mission, we’re in charge of a short lance consisting of Mastiff in his Centurion, Rebel in his damaged Blackjack, and Lady Arano in her Kintaro.

The Kintaro is a nasty short-range brawler with two medium lasers and three SRM6 launchers, there’ll be a fuller description at the end of the post.

We can also take a look at our characters and make some guesses about them look in the game files.

Kamea is an awesome shot, but otherwise a regular pilot. She has a Gunnery of 8, Piloting of 3, Guts of 5 and Tactics of 4. She has the basic abilities Multi-Target, which allows engaging up to 3 enemies at once and Bulkwark. Gunnery 8 gives her the advanced ability Breeching Shot – when firing a single weapon at a target, it ignores Cover and Guarded.

Raju is a veteran, and his stats show it. He comes with a Gunnery of 7, Piloting of 5, Guts of 7 and Tactics of 8. He has the basic abilities Multi-Target and Sensor Lock, which reveals an enemy type if its in sensor range but out of visual contact, as well as stripping two charges of evasion off of it. His advanced ability is Master Tactician, which moves him up one initiative level, and reserving helps reduce stability damage.



Kamea: Some sort of explosion… looks recent, too. Do you think it was an accident?

Rebel: You mean like ‘I accidentally triggered all my SRM launchers into the barracks?’ sort of accident?

Mastiff: Can it, Kid. No chance. You see those scorch marks on the rubble? That’s laser fire. We need to get you out of here, Kamea – right now.



Kamea: Yes… I think you’re right. There’s a patrol of Royal Guard ‘Mechs up ahead – we should go to them.

Mastiff: Whatever’s happening here, I won’t let it derail your coronation. Your people need you.

Kamea: Thank you, Raju. I will prove myself worthy of the faith you’ve placed in me.

Mastiff: Of that I have no doubt.



Up ahead, a Commando and Shadow Hawk are waiting for us on the road.

Guardsman: Hail, Mastiff! Hail, Lady Arano! We were preparing for Lady Arano’s coronation parade when we got word of a disturbance along the Cormorant Road.

Rebel: What, no hail for me?

Guardsman: [private channel] Screw you, Han. I still remember how you rolled me at the last poker match.

Kamea: A guard post behind us was attacked – Sir Raju found evidence of laser fire. Is the road behind you clear?

Guardsman: Aye, all the way to the southern gate. Lead the way, Sir Raju – we’ll fall in behind you and guard your six.

Mastiff: …Tell me something, guardsman. If the road is clear, why is your BattleMech damaged?

Guardsman: Our ‘Mechs are overdue for maintenance. But that isn’t important right now – we need to worry about Lady Arano’s safety. Now, my lady, if you’ll come with us…

Kamea: No… you’re lying to us. It’s my coronation day – no MechTech would’ve sent you out for parade duty in that condition.

Rebel: Especially with how they’ve been processing everyone through the Yards.

Kamea: I am your sovereign, sir – you will tell me what happened here!

Guardsman: Damn it, girl – we don’t have time for this. TAKE THEM! Kill the old man and the MechWarrior, but take Lady Arano alive!

Rebel: Hey, Steve? Don’t worry about that debt. I don’t take money from dead men, traitor.

Computer: SAFETIES DISENGAGED.

Mastiff: Fall back, Kamea – get behind us!

Kamea: You didn’t train me to cower, Raju. You trained me to fight.



Mastiff targets the Shadow Hawk, an up-gunned version of the base model with an extra laser and SRM2 at the cost of armor. He teaches its pilot the error of his ways as he pounds it with his full complement of weapons, blowing out its LRM ammo and blowing the right arm clean off.



Meanwhile, Rebel only has a good shot on the Panther, which he takes. However, his shots scatter across the mech, breaching its right leg and all torso sections, but only destroying a heatsink.



Kamea uses the breeches to good effect, her barrage of SRMs destroying everything above the legs.



The Shadow Hawk moves into the forest and exchanges fire with Mastiff and Rebel, but it’s Kamea who repeats her performance with the Panther, barraging SRMs into the badly damaged mech until there’s nothing left but a pair of legs.

With the immediate threat ended, we can pay some more attention to the local radio traffic.

Alexander: [static] Kamea? [static] …Kamea, can you hear me?

Kamea: Alexander, we were just attacked! The Royal Guard – my own guardsmen – tried to take me prisoner!

Alexander: It’s happening here, too… the Royal Guard are killing one another in the halls! Lord Karosas’s House Guard just got gunned down in front me – the Tourney Pavilion is a slaughterhouse!

Kamea: I won’t let these seditionists – or whoever they are – steal my birthright. We need to rally every loyalist we can find and make a push on the capital. I’ll take the throne by force if I must!   

Rebel: It’s faster to call them traitors, m’Lady. Even if seditionists rolls off the tongue better.

Alexander: Go to Rotorua Township, to the armory. Your soldiers are using it as a rallying point – I heard Lord Decimis send his House Guard there a few minutes ago. Someone’s here... I have to move. Rally what force you can and meet me at the tourney grounds. Be safe.

Kamea: You heard him, Mastiff – Rotorua Township. We’ll go there, rally our fighters, and march on the southern gate with an army at our back.

Mastiff: Kamea… I know that you and Lord Madeira are friends, but we can’t take what he told you on faith. Right now, we don’t know who we can trust.

Rebel: We just had to kill two men I was playing poker with the night before. I’m with Mastiff on this one, no one is trustworthy right now.

Kamea: In this case, we do. Alexander has been my closest friend and confidant for as long as I can remember. His loyalty is above question; I trust him with my life… and yours. Now take me to the armory.

Mastiff: As you command, my lady.

The township is to the north of where we fought those two mechs, and as we move up, we make contact with a platoon of vehicles. Consisting of a Galleon, Scorpion and two Strikers, Kamea is closet and engages the Galleon and the closest Striker, splitting her fire with two SRM launchers on the Galleon, and her small rack of LRMs firing on the Striker.

The Galleon eats a face full of SRMs and explodes, while the Striker weathers the attack without issue. It returns fire, but shaken, most of their missiles fly past Kamea.



Mastiff moves up and destroys the Striker with his autocannon and lasers and damaging the Scorpion with his missile rack.

Mastiff: Damn you for making me do that, son. Damn you.

I’m guessing the vehicle platoon we end up facing is Lord Decimis’ forces. Certainly, we don’t encounter anyone friendly, which would indicate that he’s part of the rebellion.

Hanging back, Rebel takes his shot at the Scorpion, and ends up blowing its turret clean off.

Mastiff: Nice job, kid – one fewer hostile on the board!

Mastiff takes care of the last Striker with his autocannon and lasers, clearing the Township of hostiles.

Alexander: [static] Kamea… [static] Kamea, do you read me?! It’s Espinosa – your uncle! Do you hear me? [static] House Espionosa is usurping the throne!

Kamea: It can’t be… My uncle… Victoria…

Alexander: Kamea, I just watched an Espionosa BattleMech plow through an alley full of civilians. This is happening, and it’s happening now!

Your loyalists have fallen back to the market District – that’s where they’re making their stand. What’s left of the Royal Guard are doing their best, but there’s something wrong with their BattleMechs – Wait, what’s that sound? OH, GODS!



That sound is a massive artillery barrage that House Espionosa launches on the nearby neighborhood, presumably the Market District.

Kamea: Alexander?! ALEXANDER!



By the time the barrage is finished, the district is in ruins, most of the buildings having collapsed in on themselves from the massive damage inflicted.

Kamea: Oh no. No, nooo…. We’re too late…

Rebel: We were never in a position to stop that, my Lady. That artillery strike was already inbound.

Victoria: It’s over, Kamea. Your ascendency… the Arano legacy… all of it.

Kamea: Victoria… what have you done?!

Victoria: …You know, Kamea.. for years, I loved you like a sister. But then my father helped me see it. Your family’s complacency. What it’s done to the Reach. Our nation dwindles like a dying star, and House Arano is to blame.

My father offered you a path to glory. I’d have fought under your banner proudly… served as your strong right hand. It was like a knife in my heart when you turned him away.

Mastiff: Damn it, Victoria. I taught you better than this!

Victoria: You taught me lies! Kamea, for the love that I once bore you, I’m going to give you a chance to surrender. I’ll even spare the old man and his MechWarrior if you stand down now. I don’t want to see you hurt, but you cannot be allowed to rule.

Kamea: I’ll see you hanged for this, Victoria. You and your father both! Do you hear me?! You are traitors to the Reach, and I will fight you to the last!

Victoria: Then you truly are a fool. I’ll spare you in spite of yourself… but you’ve cost your royal escort their lives.

Rebel: I’d like to see you try to take them, traitor.



A Leopard touches down next to us, and a short lance of ‘Mechs jumps out as it finishes its touch and go, getting out of the way before we can think about putting holes in it.

Victoria: Attention, all Espinosa forces: this is Lady Victoria Espinosa. Lady Arano is to be apprehended and taken alive, by my command. Fail to follow these instructions and you will have me to deal with.

We’ve dealing with a light scout lance consisting of a Cicada, Spider and Locust.



Mastiff reacts quickest, putting his autocannon and lasers to good use by shooting a leg off the Cicada, dropping it to the ground.

The Spider races into the cover of the trees and tags Mastiff in the arm with one of its lasers.



Kamea tries to show off her multi-shot and breaching shot skills, targeting all three mechs at once. The Locust receives one SRM rack, the Cicada another, and the Spider receives two medium lasers and the last SRM rack.

She scores an armor breach on the Locust’s left torso, left arm and left leg, destroys the Cicada’s left torso and breeches the right, and breeches all three of the Spider’s torso sections, damaging a laser and ripping off its left arm.



Rebel takes his best shot at the Locust, but his hit chances aren’t great. Despite that, he cores out the Locust’s torso, making his first ‘Mech kill of the campaign.



Meanwhile, the Cicada climbs to its feet and limps back into the forest behind it, breaking visual contact.

Espinosa: Attention, citizens of Coromodir VI! This is Lord Santiago Espinosa. With the unanimous support of the founding houses, I have assumed control of the Aurigan Coalition. For your own protection, I urge you to remain calm and stay indoors until otherwise instructed.

All hostile units: stand down, and you have my oath you will not be harmed. Resist and you will be fired upon.

Kamea: My father placed his faith in that man. I gave him my trust. He was family.




Mastiff plans on resisting, targeting the Spider with everything he has, destroying its left torso and center torso in the barrage.



Kamea and Mastiff close in on the crippled Cicada. Kamea’s SRM barrage hammers it into barely functional scrap and destroys its left torso, and Mastiff makes the killing shots by destroying its right arm and torso, killing the pilot through pilot damage.

As the smoke clears, we’re contacted yet again.

Alexander: [static]Kamea… do you read me?

Kamea: Alexander! Thank the gods! I thought I’d lost you when the bombs fell…

Alexander: You very nearly did. Kamea, the city is lost. We have to get off of this planet, and we need to do it now.

Kamea: I can’t abandon Coromodir – this is my home, my birthright…

Rebel: It’s a fucking place, Kamea. And a place isn’t worth dying stupidly for.

Mastiff: The battle’s over, Kamea. Lord Madeira has the right of it – it’s time for you to run. Escape from this madness, and live to restore the Coalition another day.

Kamea: You’re… you’re all right. My uncle has won. The Reach is his.

Alexander: We’ll mourn for it later – the both of us. For now, you need to move! I have a DropShip waiting at Shepherd’s Pass, I’m on my way there right now. Hurry and meet me there – please.

Kamea: We’re… we’re on our way. You get to that ship, Alexander. I mean it. I will not lose you and my throne on the same day!



A Union-class DropShip lands to our south. Its capable of carrying a company, more then enough room for our short lance aboard.

Before we get there though, we have to deal with some enemy stragglers. Rebel moves forward and destroys a Scorpion, while a Striker gets its revenge by pounding the Blackjack with missiles. Rebel expresses his displeasure at the scuffed paint job with his medium lasers, racking another vehicle kill.

As we get closer to the dropship, the radio chatter doesn’t let up.

Victoria: This is your last chance, cousin. Don’t make me order your death.

Kamea: Do whatever you must, betrayer.

Victoria: A headstrong fool to the end. Damn you for this. [sigh] Captain Haust, destroy them. Mastiff, my cousin… all of them. Leave no survivors.

Haust: As you command, my lady.

A pair of pop-up turrets appear to guard the pass, while Haust comes out of hiding with his Wolverine between us and the DropShip.

Mastiff tags the Wolverine with his weapons, which moves forward and targets Rebel in his Blackjack, pounding his armor but not forcing any breaches yet.

Because of the Wolverine’s speed, Rebel can’t get a reasonable lock and instead targets one of the turrets with his AC/2s, damaging but not destroying it.

Kamea suffers the same problem and hits the same turret with her SRMs, damaging the far turret with her LRMs.

Mastiff fires his medium lasers at the Wolverine to strip some evasion and finishes the far turret with his autocannon and missiles. This turns the battle into a 3 on 1 medium mech fight. The Wolverine opens the first round by moving into melee with Mastiff and damaging his Centurion’s right arm, breach the armor but not managing to knock out his autocannon.

Kamea moves into melee as well, breaching the Wolverine’s left torso and stripping his remaining evasion. Rebel stays at reasonable range for his AC/2s and opens up with everything, focusing in on the Wolverine’s breached left torso and taking it out, disabling its SRM pack and breaching the center torso armor.



Mastiff kicks the reeling Wolverine over onto its back, breaching its right arm armor. Rebel takes the shot from the distance, coring out the Wolverine.

While we were fighting, Alexander has made it to the ship, possibly from the south.

Alexander: Thank the gods you made it, Kamea! Captain Halvorsen’s prepping the engines now – in another five minutes we’ll be ready to depart.

Mastiff: Five minutes is a long time. Rebel, you see Lady Arano to the docking ramp. When she’s aboard, come back to me – we’ll hold this pass against whatever comes.

Rebel: Aye, sir!

Mastiff: What’s your ammo situation?

Rebel: Medium-low, sir. I’ve got enough for another good fight.

Kamea: Thank you, Sir Raju. Thank you both. I won’t forget what you’ve done for me today – I promise you that.



Lady Arano hustles her Kintaro aboard the dropship, so now its just digging in for a few minutes before we can fall back as well-



Another Leopard drops its payload for us to play with – it looks like Victoria has finally taken the field. It somehow manages to deploy six mechs, despite the regular Leopard being a lance carrier.

Victoria: All units: advance! I want you to take down that DropShip – destroy everyone and everything that stands in your way!

Mastiff: All right, Rebel. I trained you for this. We’ll fight side by side, watch each other’s backs. Above all else, we will keep Lady Arano safe. Protect the DropShip – it’s all that matters.

Rebel: Yes, sir. I’ll take the three on the right, you take the three on the left?



Computer: Warning: engine heat critical. Warning [ERROR] SHUTDOWN INITIATED. [ERROR] REACTOR OFFLINE, WEAPONS OFFLINE, SYSTEMS INOPERABLE.

Rebel: What the fucking hell? Mastiff, everything’s down, I’ve got plasma venting straight into the mech!

Victoria: Trouble with your Blackjack, Rebel? Shame. That’s been happening to a lot of Royal Guard BattleMechs lately.

Rebel: I will tie you to a flamer and roast you alive, you psychotic bitch!

Mastiff: You have numbers on us, and you’ve resorted to sabotage… and you’re gloating about it? You’ve got no honor, you vicious little brat – not you nor your backstabbing father.

Victoria: Shut your mouth, old man. My father is a great man, and I swear to al the gods, you will suffer if you insult him again.

Rebel: Your father is the git of a diseased whore, bitch!

Victoria: Keep talking, Rebel. You’re first against the wall.

Mastiff: Your father is a coward, and so are you. Rebel, I want you to eject – now. Punch out. You’re no good to anybody in a broken ‘Mech, and I won’t let you die today.

Rebel: Give me just a minute or two, Mastiff, I’ve got half of the cockpit rewired already!

Mastiff: Eject, MechWarrior. NOW. That’s an order!



Rebel: Gods fucking damn it shit fuck fuck ejectiiiiii[static]

Mastiff: Now come for me, Victoria… your teacher is waiting. Come and show me what you’ve learned.



She’s learned to bring overwhelming numbers to fight, that’s for one. I’m guessing on some models, but there’s a Catapult, a Thunderbolt, and I think two Orions, plus another four other mechs.



Raju isn’t doing so hot, with his cockpit literally on fire.



That smug bitch Victoria is loving it.



Another PPC strike rips into Raju’s center torso.



I don’t think he’s walking away from that one.



But Raju’s sacrifice has bought Lady Arano time to escape. Wait, what are those…





Son of a BITCH.


We had a number of new mech models in today’s update.

Panther PNT-9R – A light fire support mech that’s most iconic of the Draconis Combine, being one of their most common light mech designs along with the Jenner. The original PNT-8Z model was revised in 2759 when its main weapon, a Tronel Large Laser was replaced with a Lord’s Light PPC. The model we faced in this mission, despite being called a PNT-9R, is equipped with a large laser, not a PPC. It’s either actually an 8Z, or a custom refit that replaced a damaged PPC with a Large Laser.

Shadow Hawk SHD-2H – Developed during the Golden Age of the Star League, the Shadow Hawk is a powerful fusion of maneuverability and firepower. It has a mix of long-range and short-range weapons, good maneuverability thanks to its jump jets, and excellent endurance. The -2H model is equipped with an AC/5, LRM-5, SRM-2 and medium laser.

The one we face in the mission is actually a SHD-2D version, a Davion refit that adds a second SRM-2 launcher in the center torso, adds another ton of SRM missiles, and a medium laser in the left arm. It does this by stripping 5 tons of armor off of the design, turning the Shadow Hawk into a fragile ambusher that gets its ass handed to it in any sort of stand-up fight.

Cicada CDA-2A – Introduced in 2740 as a competitor to the successful Locust design, the HartfordCo Industries company made a mech just as fast as the Locust, slightly better armed, and twice as heavy, giving it an edge in physical confrontations.  Like many designs, the Cicada’s only production lines were destroyed during the Succession Wars, and it is danger of going extinct.

A medium mech at the light end of the range, it’s main philosophy of ‘go fast!’ tends to run into issues when any of its bigger Medium cousins gets it in range.

Spider SDR-5V – Designed as a light reconnaissance and attack mech for use by the SLDF’s Special Operations forces, it has similar speed to the Locust and better jumping distance then just about any mech. It was built with top-of-the-line reliable parts, sophisticated electronics, and an energy weapon payload which allowed for extended operations without resupply.

Like other designs, the Spider was in danger of going extinct, to the point where offensive operations were conducted to secure supplies of spare parts for this design. Wolf’s Dragoons were notable having four Spiders scattered across their five regiments when they were first encountered in 3005.

Some time in the early 3000s, the Free Worlds League managed to secure the schematics for the Spider from somewhere, and the company Nimakachi Fusion Products Limited took over production of the design, mainly producing them in the FWL and the Draconis Combine.

Locust LCT-1S – One of the most common ‘Mech designs in existence, the Locust has been in continuous production since it was first introduced in 2499. It’s exclusively designed for reconnaissance and quick strike missions, using its speed to outrun most enemies.

Unlike other designs, the number of companies producing the Locust increased during the Succession Wars, from 8 to 12 plants, ensuring that the ‘Mech is readily available to everyone.

The LCT-1S, for the first time using the correct model, is a Lyran variant on the base design. It carries a medium laser in the center torso, and two SRM-2 in its arms, giving it heavier punch, but at the cost of a ton of its already limited armor.

Wolverine WVR-6R – The Wolverine is a 55-ton fast strike BattleMech, meant to handle missions requiring speed and firepower, but which are too hazardous for lighter recon ‘Mechs. Originally a Davion design, it was created as a competitor to the Terran Hegemony’s Shadow Hawk and Griffin designs.

Ironically, the Wolverine was so well designed that the Hegemony, normally the technology leader in  the Inner Sphere would base their upgrades to the Shadow Hawk and Griffin on the Wolverine’s design.

The Wolverine has a small but potent weapons array consisting of an AC/5, SRM-6 and medium laser, giving it decent firepower at longer ranges and a good close-range punch.

Kintaro KTO-18 – The Kintaro was originally designed to deliver Narc missile beacons for missile-heavy lances. The Narc acts as a missile magnet, and the ‘Mech tagged with it will attract every SRM and LRM fired in its general direction like iron filings to a magnet.

Unfortunately, the last Narc missile beacon factory was destroyed in 2792, and with its reason for existence removed, the Narc launcher was switched out for another SRM-6 rack. This turned the Kintaro into a deadly short range brawler, carrying two medium lasers and three SRM-6 racks for short range work. It carries a single LRM-5 as a nod to long range support, but its only meant to see use as the Kintaro moves into combat range.

[Hanzoku]

Soo…. Our mentor, Mastiff sold himself dearly to allow Lady Kamea Arano to escape from the coup carried out by her uncle and niece. With our mech sabotaged, we were forced to punch out.

And then House Espinosa shoots down the dropship, killing Kamea and rendering the whole last mission moot.

Safe to say, Han ‘Rebel’ Zoku is not waking up in the best of moods.



The sun sets over the capital, as fighting winds down.



House Espinosa has succeeded in their coup, and this smug bastard has planted his ass on the throne of the Reaches.




Rebel: Ow, my head, my ribs, my spleen… I feel like an Atlas stepped on me.

Darius: Easy there, Han – you took a nasty crack on the head when you punched out. Don’t worry. You’re safe now.

Rebel: I’m a little concerned that we’ve never met, and you know my first name.

Darius: Well, your last name is lettered on your cooling vest, and ‘Zoku’ isn’t such a common name that we couldn’t find your dossier. But it’s a bit more prosaic, our medic slotted your blood chit to check for allergies before treating you.

Rebel: Ah…  yes, that makes a lot of sense, actually. Mind telling me who you are and where we are?

Darius: My name is Darius Oliveria, and I’m the XO of Markham’s Marauders. We’re a mercenary outfit with ties to House Arano. we did some work for High Lord Tamati way back when.

I’d introduce you to Commander Markham, but he was on a supply run in the Market District when the bombs fell. He, uh… well.

He didn’t make it.

Rebel: I’m sorry for your loss. The Royal Guard lost a lot of good people in the Market as well. It was turning into too tough of a nut for those Espinosa traitors to crack, so they bombed part of the capital to hell and back.

Darius: You saw what happened?

Rebel: We were fighting right outside the outer wall. I saw the bombs dropping all over the district. But I have to ask – you rescued me. Why?

Darius: Seemed appropriate, given the circumstances. After seeing what happened to Markham, it didn’t feel right leaving you in the hands of this new “Directorate.”

When we picked up your broadcast on the emergency band, we knew what we had to do.

Rebel: What about Mastiff? Sir Raju Montgomery – did you find him?

Darius: We found his ‘Mech. It was completely cored out. Nobody survives a hit like that.

For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. We supported the Royal Guard on a handful of deployments, and Sir Raju earned my respect many times over. His death is a loss for us all.

Rebel: Ah, damn it all old man. You should have punched out, too. Were you able to recover my Blackjack?

Darius: Yeah, our MechTech hauled what’s left of it into the Mech Bay. It looked like someone used it for a punching bag.

Rebel: I might have mouthed off to a psychopath with a short fuse. I guess she didn’t appreciate what I had to say.

Darius: It isn’t pretty, but if you give him enough time, Yang can fix just about anything.

Try not to take the loss too hard. Yang said your ‘Mech shows signs of deliberate sabotage… whoever you had working on it really did a number on the reactor. Punching out was the right move.

Rebel: So what happens now?

Darius: Well, things aren’t looking so hot around here, what with the coup and all. House Espinosa’s Directorate is the new de facto government of the Aurigan Reach.

I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Lady Arano is dead. Her DropShip was destroyed on takeoff. It’s all over the news.

Rebel: [silence for a few minutes] Damn it. What a waste.

Darius: That was… quieter than I expected. We caught your radio transmissions.

Rebel: Oh, don’t worry. All the rage is there, just… contained. There’s a certain person I owe a flamer roasting if I ever catch up to her. For now, I have a broken ‘Mech and no prospect of getting near her, so I need to get away since I’m fairly certain she put my name near the top of the ‘shoot on sight’ list.

Darius: Our sentiments exactly. We’re getting the hell out of Aurigan territory – I’ve already booked transport on the first JumpShip out.

We’re heading to a nice, quiet stretch of independent space all the way across the Frontier, on the Canopian border. Not a cheap trip, but we’ll worry about how we’re gonna pay for it later.

As for you… well, you’ve got options. According to your blood chit, you’ve got family out in the Draconis Combine. If you want, I could try to book you transport on a freighter bound for Kurita space. I can’t make any promises, but I’m willing to try.

Rebel: The Combine isn’t my home. Never has been. My family moved to the Reach before I was born. That’s ancient history… and besides, I’m broke. What’s Option B?

Darius: Well, you could stay with us for the long haul. When we get where we’re going, we can drop you at the nearest planet. maybe you can make a place for yourself there.

Of course, I’d need you to pitch in for your share of the fuel – plus food, lodging, and repairs on your ‘Mech. That might be tough if you’re strapped for cash.

Rebel: Darius, I come from the Combine. They’re famous for the Company Store tactic for mercenary units, so I can see when you’re running one on me.

Darius: [smiles] I don’t know what you mean, Han.

Rebel: Suuuuure you don’t.

Darius: …Alternatively, you could find a place for yourself in the Marauders if you wanted to. Wouldn’t take you long to work off your debt, and you ran with Mastiff, so I know you’ve got chops.

Think it over. Sleep on it. You’ve had a hell of a day, and we’ve got a long road ahead.

Rebel: Yeah… I’ll do that.



In the end, there wasn’t a lot of choice to be had, and Rebel joined the Marauders.



IPL Rep: The Independent Prospectors’ League thanks you for your assistance, Commander. We’re miners, not soldiers  - we can’t find those bastards off on our own.

Darius: That’s what you’re paying us for. Don’t worry, we’ll get your platforms back.

IPL Rep: This isn’t just about reclaiming what’s ours. Majesty Metals killed hundreds of us when they tried to jump our claim. We want you to make them bleed for what they’ve done here.

Rebel: Don’t worry, once ‘Mechs get involved, their targets tend to bleed plenty.



Darius: Commander, the OpFor is holding two of IPL’s mining platforms. The first, designated Alpha, is where they’re keeping their turret generator. Move in fast and take it out – those turrets hit hard, so you’ll want to neutralize them ASAP.



Platform Bravo is the site of the OpFor’s corporate security tower. Engage and destroy it. If they bring in a ‘Mech to protect it, take that out, too. Then circle on back and we’ll collect our pay.

IPL Rep: That’s right – I’m ready and waiting to authorize the transfer. Now go on, Commander… hit those corporate pigs right where it hurts. We’ll be watching the action from here.

Rebel: Sit back and enjoy the fireworks, then.

Rebel: [private channel] Alright boys and girls, just like Uncle Darius says, it’s a short and sweet out and back. Behemoth, Glitch, you’re on the generator. Dekker and I will tie up any mobile assets until that generator is burning, then we’ll gang up on them one by one. Now sound off.

Glitch here! Vindicator is 110%!

Behemoth online, Shadow Hawk… all systems nominal.

This is Dekker! My Spider’s ready to go!

Rebel: Alright crew, Rebel online, Blackjack fully operational. Let’s go kick some ass. Dekker, stay with the lance this time, running off on your own is how you tangle with Jenners all on your lonesome.

We’re almost out of the static starting missions. For now, this mission is probably familiar to anyone who watched any of the beta gameplay videos, so the shocking plot twist at the end won’t be too shocking.

We finally have a full lance, consisting of our Blackjack, a Shadow Hawk, Vindicator, and Spider. The Vindicator is new, and it’s a jack of all trades like the Shadow Hawk with a bit more focus on long range combat. It carries a PPC and LRM5 for at range, a medium laser for close range, and a small laser for knife-fighting range.

One difference from the tabletop is that small lasers, machine guns and flamers are now all ‘Support’ category weapons, and their big thing is that they can fire as part of a melee attack.



While our Mediums move up the road in a pack, Dekker hares off to the right in his Spider. He… isn’t the best at listening to instructions.



He gets close enough for some shaky sensor contacts inside Platform Alpha.

You are trespassing on Majesty Metals and Manufacturing property, and acting in collusion with a domestic terrorist organization. Cease your advance immediately or you will be fired upon!

Rebel: How about you power down your weapons and surrender? We’ll have to wreck your turret generator and security office, but otherwise no one will get hurt.

Ha! Like we’d ever surrender to ragtag rebels like you!

Rebel: Your loss.



The nearest mech moves closer, and Glitch jumps onto a bluff to reveal it’s a Spider. She takes a shot with her PPC and LRMs, but fails to connect. Behemoth adds some supporting fire with her LRM rack while Rebel moves up.

Dekker jumps into position to fire on the Spider from the side, but fails to connect.

The OpFor’s response is to lock up the lance with the turrets. Two of them bombard Dekker with LRMs, damaging his armor, while the second mech reveals itself to be a COM-2D Commando. It also lands some hits on Dekker.



Meanwhile, the Spider pings Glitch with its lasers to punish her for sky lining on that bluff. She jumps closer to try to deal with the turret generator, but isn’t quite in range yet, so she hits the Spider with her lasers, destroying its left arm – not a big loss on a Spider.

Behemoth moves up and shoots the Spider’s right leg off, knocking it down, and Rebel finishes it with a called shot to its left leg, taking it out completely.

The turrets fire on Glitch and Dekker, and the swarms of LRMs finally breach Dekker’s armor on the right torso, but he’s otherwise OK.

Dekker jumps further away from the turrets and takes some potshots at the commando, breaching its left torso armor. It moves to flank Glitch and inflicts some minor damage, while Glitch and Behemoth ignore it to run forward, alpha striking the turret generator to get the six odd turrets facing us offline. Glitch takes some minor internal damage from overheating.

Meanwhile, Rebel burns some morale to perform a precision strike on the Commando’s breached left torso, destroying it and damaging the center torso.

Dekker runs in and bravely punches the Commando, knocking out its SRM-4 in the process. It fires its only remaining weapon, its SRM 6 at Rebel, dinging his armor.



The return fire is considerably more effective, coring out the Commando.

With that, Platform Alpha is secure.

Rebel: Alright, good job everyone. Let’s move on the other Platform. The target there is the corporate security tower – Dekker, you take care of it, while the rest of us handle any defenders.



True to form, a Leopard performs a touch and go, dropping off a single mech – we’re informed by the objectives that it’s a Shadow Hawk. Two vehicles also move out down the road.

Behemoth is the first to make contact with the Shadow Hawk and pings its armor. Rebel moves into position above it, but due to the angles has to make due with destroying one of the Scorpions below. Glitch lags behind, but dings the Shadow Hawk with her LRMs.



Behemoth punches through the center torso armor on the enemy Shadow Hawk, and Rebel performs another precision shot to core it, marking our third mech kill of the mission. Dekker dutifully destroys the tower, while Glitch takes care of the other Scorpion with her PPC.

Darius: Great job, Commander. Double back to our client’s platform. The sooner we can collect our pay and break orbit, the better.

Rebel: No complaints from me there, Darius.



When we approach the client’s platform, the expected unexpected betrayal occurs.

IPL Rep: Brilliant work, Commander. We should have no trouble mopping up the other platforms now that their defenses are down.

Darius: We get the job done. Speaking of which –

IPL Rep: I wasn’t finished. These platforms won’t do us much good if we can’t hold them – Majesty Metals taught us that. So we’re going to need your BattleMechs.

Called it!

[grumbles]
[grumbles]
Rebel: [sighs]

Darius: You’re going to want to reconsider that.

IPL Rep: Why? Your lance has already been target locked by our turrets. Now, power down and surrender, and we’ll let you walk. Or try to fight, and we’ll tear you to shreds. Your call.

Rebel: Oh no, your four turrets you say? Powered by that generator right there next to the lance?

IPL Rep: Er…

Rebel: It’d be a shame if something happened to that generator, wouldn’t it? But we’ll be discussing that real soon.

IPL Rep: Um… wait… maybe I was a little hasty-

Rebel: Uh uh uh! No takebacks on backstabbing!

Darius: [sigh] Well, there goes our goddamned payday. Hold tight, Commander – we’re on our way.

Rebel: Oh, take your time. We’re going to stomp this platform good and flat first. Lance – kill them all.

Yes sir!


We’re ‘surrounded’ by four SRM-6 equipped turrets… and right next to the generator that powers them. Dekker and Behemoth wipe it out, while Glitch kills a Galleon that tries to sneak up on our right.

A Striker breaches Dekker’s Center torso armor with its missiles, and Dekker finds a convenient skyscraper to hit behind. Rebel steps on a Scorpion, and Behemoth blows up the Striker.


Sumire: Stand by for extraction, Commander – let’s get the hell out of here. Oh, and Darius?

Darius: I know, Meyer, I know. You want another team meeting.

Sumire: Give the man a prize.

Important terms that came up:

High Lord Tamati Arano II – Born 2970, died 3022.

Tamati Arano II was a High Lord of the Aurigan Coalition. He succeeded his father, High Lord Tamati Arano I, in 2988.

Tamati is remembered throughout the Reach as a king and benevolent ruler. His key accomplishments include a military campaign against pirate activity on Fjadr, the expansion of social welfare on Coromdir VI, and the Coalition-funded renovation of the Espinosa Refit Yards. Tamati and his wife, Lady Sara Arano, were tragically killed in a JumpShip accident in 3022. They are survived by their daughter, Lady Kamea Arano.

House Espinosa – “FOREVER VIGILANT.” A Founding House of the Aurigan Coalition, currently ruled by Director Santiago Espinosa. The Espinosa house sigil is an ibex on a field of thorns. The ancestral seat of House Espinosa is Coromdir V.

House Espinosa staged a military coup on Lady Kamea Arano’s coronation day, toppling the old Aurigan Coalition and replacing it with a new authoritarian government: the Aurigan Directorate.

JumpShip – JumpShips are spacegoing vessels capable of faster-than-light travel, using massive Kearny-Fuchida drives to instantaneously ‘jump’ from one planetary system to another. Typical civilian JumpShip designs dedicate 95% of their mass to the K-F drive and a solar energy collection system to power it, leaving little room for conventional engines. Consequently, these ships are only seen at jump points beyond each star’s gravitational proximity limit.

Commercial interstellar travel involves riding a DropShip from the planet to the jump point, docking the DropShip to a JumpShip for transit to a new system, and then riding the DropShip back down to the destination planet.

Blood Chit – ComStar-issued identification carried by MechWarriors in the field.

The 31st-century equivalent of a set of dog tags, and for the same reason – if your corpse is otherwise unidentifiable, they can figure out who they’re hosing out of the cockpit.

I realize I’ve been remiss on Vehicle descriptions, but I think all the same ones from the previous mission are present in this one.

Vindicator VND-1R – One of the most well known Capellan Confederation BattleMechs of the Succession Wars, the Vindicator is a workhorse jack of all trades. Almost all of its components are produced on the world of Capella, making it cheap, easy to mass produce and quick to repair.

It’s a slower medium mech with a max speed on par with most heavy mechs, but it does mount jump jets. For a medium mech its heavily armored and well-armed, carrying a PPC, medium laser, small laser and LRM-5 launcher.

Commando COM-2D – A Lyran design first produced in 2463, the Commando is one of the first ‘Mechs ever designed for reconnaissance. When later ‘Mech designs surpassed it in the scouting role due to possessing jump jets, the Commando was redesigned as a short-range striker. It mounts a medium laser, an SRM-4 and an SRM-6 to give it a deadly short-range punch.

Striker Light Tank – A relatively new low-cost light fire support tank hailing from the Federated Suns, the Striker was first produced in 3006 and is quickly becoming a mainstay of the AFFS. It is equipped with an LRM-10 with twelve shots and an SRM-6 with 30 shots, both weapons located in its turret for maximum flexibility.

Scorpion Light Tank – First produced in 2807, the Scorpion is a ubiquitous product of the Quikscell Company. It’s best known for being easy to repair, available in large numbers, and cheap. It’s simply equipped with an AC/5 and a coaxial machine gun.

Galleon Light Tank – First produced in 2692, the Galleon is a fast but fragile light tank, equipped with a medium laser and two small lasers. It is most often encountered in the Draconis Combine and the Free World League but can be found everywhere.

It has the honor of being the only Unseen vehicle for a time, the original Galleon artwork having been ruled as too close to its parent in Crusher Joe, though that decision was reversed in 2014.

[Hanzoku]

We’re not out of Tutorial Woods yet! Soon, but not yet. There’s one more required mission to go, and then we can actually start taking our own contracts. That said, this update is mostly going to focus on getting to know the Marauder’s command staff. (Unit name to change soon.)

Unfortunately, our MechWarriors are largely without their own personalities – your only interaction with them will be through telling them what to shoot in missions, and their occasional involvement with shipboard events.



Rebel: Darius? Why did we dust off like that without collecting all the mechs we shot to pieces?

Darius: Sorry, Han. Sumire detected that the IPL  and MMM were swarming your way. And while I’d bet on us in a lot of fights, they had something like a good battalion of tanks between them, and we were on everyone’s shit list.

The clients and target for the mission were:

Darius – The Rimward Frontier is a hotbed of simmering hostilities, piracy and low-intensity skirmishes. In this environment, MechWarriors with more guts then sense can carve out a living for themselves as independent mercenaries. The pay is good, but the survival rate is very, very low.

Majesty Metals & Manufacturing – This world is independently run by a planetary government, unaffiliated with any of the interstellar states of the Inner Sphere or the Periphery.



We came out without any major damage – though Glitch cooked her structure a bit, and Dekker took some minor internal damage, it was all easy to fix up. Rebel took home five kills, Glitch had two, and Behemoth one.

We then cut to the in-progress command meeting.



Sumire: You need to start finding us better clients, Darius. I mean it.

We’ve been slumming it on the ass-end of the Frontier for three years now, and we are drowning in debt.

Darius: I’m fully aware of our financial situation, Meyer. But I can’t just conjure up new clients out of thin air. Han, do me a solid and back me up on this.

Rebel: If we’re really that hard up for cash, we need to stop talking and start doing something about it.



Yang: Hey, you’ll hear no arguments form me – when we made you our Commander, we all agreed to follow your lead.

Darius, could you walk us through the details of this trouble we’re in? it might help if you broke things down point by point.

Darius: Sure thing, Yang. Point one, Meyer’s right – we’re in debt. Every C-bill we make technically belongs to the banks.

Point two, this corner of the Frontier is a dead zone for mercenary work. There are clients, but they’re terrible. That’s just a fact.

…And that’s it. There are no other points.

Rebel: What’s our best-case scenario? How many jobs will it take to repay the loans?

Darius: Truthfully? I can’t even say. We’re in a pretty deep hole, and from where I’m standing, I don’t see a whole lot of daylight.

The thing is, these banks… and I use that word loosely… they don’t want us to pay off our loans. They’ll do whatever they can get away with to keep us on the hook – hit us with fees, jack up our interest rates, “misfile” our paperwork. I’m trying to find us a way out of this, but it’s gonna take time.

Sumire: And every day that passes, we accumulate more debt. If we keep going like we have been, we’re screwed.

Rebel: Why not just refuse to pay? We can afford to throw our weight around, we’ve got BattleMechs.

This is legitimately a good question. While the universe is super shaky about adhering to it, having BattleMechs is supposed to be fucking rare, which is why mercenaries are hirable in the first place. They act as a massive force multiplier to what should be large formations of infantry and vehicles going at it.

That said, the games are never good at holding to this, so everyone and their mother has access to massive reserves of ‘Mechs.

Darius: That wouldn’t be a very good idea, Han. The banks wouldn’t come for us themselves – they’d hire mercenaries. And you already know how hard up Frontier mercs are for work.

If we stiff the banks, we’ll wind up dead or in debtor’s prison… and out here in the Frontier, those are basically the same thing.

Besides, we’d also get blacklisted by the Mercenary Review Board, and once that happens, our only choice would be to disband or go pirate.

Rebel: Yeah, I’m not fond of either of those options. Okay, so we’re in a bad spot. What are we gonna do about it?

Darius: I don’t see what we can do, Han. I’m already serving up every legitimate contract I can find.

Unless you want me to sidestep the Mercenary Review Board entirely, we’re basically out of options.

Yang: Go around the MRB? No thanks. Taking an uncertified job is a great way to wind up with a knife in your back.

Rebel: We just got betrayed on a Board-certified contract, Yang. How much worse could it get?

Yang: Plenty. What happened down there was an exception, Boss. With uncertified jobs, it’s the rule.

Remind me again why we don’t just skip town and head to a nicer corner of the Periphery?

Sumire: Because the banks and the JumpShip crews have an arrangement. Until we pay up, they’re gonna keep us on a short leash.

Rebel: Could we commander a JumpShip? Force the crew to jump us somewhere greener?

Sumire: I want to say yes, but honestly? We don’t have any marines trained for zero-G combat, and once you have a reputation for hijacking JumpShips, it’s really hard to hitch a ride.

Yang: That’s a good reason.

Look Darius… Meyer’s right. We need to start earning some real money, and we need to do it soon. It’s only a matter of time before something breaks down that I can’t fix with duct tape and good intentions.

Rebel: Desperate times, people. Darius, you know what you need to do.

Yang: Yeah, Boss… much as I hate to say it, I agree with you. We need to sidestep the MRB.

Guess I’d better get mentally prepared for that knife in the back, huh?

Rebel: Cheer up, Yang. If you expect your employer to backstab you, it’s always a pleasant surprise when they don’t.

Darius: It’s settled, then. I’ll start digging for contracts outside the MRB system.

Who knows? Maybe it’ll work out for the best. It isn’t like we’ve got all that much to lose.  In the meantime, we need to find another paying job, and our prospects in this system have completely dried up.

I’d recommend booking travel to a neighboring system and seeing what the Review Board has for us. With any luck, we’ll find enough work to keep going until something better rolls in.



For now, we’re trapped in the ass-end of the Reaches,  the banks and JumpShips basically forcing our debt-ridden unit to stay in a stretch of poor planets with limited prospects.

Darius: Our top priority right now needs to be finding work, so we can raise cash. None of the contracts here are very good; I picked out the only viable one I could find, and it helpfully includes our travel fees as part of the deal. Come by the Command Center when you’re ready to review it.

With that, we can look around our DropShip and talk to the Command Crew, review our MechWarriors, check our finances and rename and repaint the unit.



And there she is, our current dropship. She’s a modified Leopard that has had its two AeroSpace Fighter bays ripped out to carry two more mechs. I’m not going to show off every screen and explain everything here, so let’s hit the highlights (and spend more time talking to our command crew)

We can currently have up to 8 MechWarriors besides our self, but the quality of who we can hire is pretty lacking. The better pilots don’t want to sign with us because we’re relatively unknown.



Each MechWarrior you can hire has traits, which may come into play when an event happens. The ones we can hire only have a basic ‘this is where I came from’ background trait, while the one in the screenshot is also a Tinkerer and amateur MechTech.

For the procedurally generated MechWarriors, they also have no backstory, so they’re boring and no fun. We won’t be hiring them if we can help it.

Ur Cruinne is a crappy backwater, and its store shows it. There’s nothing beyond some wrecked Panther and Spider parts and a few basic weapon systems for sale, and none of them are worth considering.



Darius hangs out in the Command Center, where we can negotiate contracts for sweet, sweet salvage, C-Bills and improved reputation with various factions.

While we’re here, we’ll chat up Darius.

Darius: Always good to see you at Ops, Han. Can I do something for you?

Rebel: I want to know more about our debt situation.

Darius: Yeah, sure, that’s fair… and I’m glad you’re taking an interest. I’ve got time to get into the nuts and bolts of it if you do. What do you want to know?

Rebel: Remind me why we took out so many loans in the first place.

Darius: How much time have you got? I mean, we’ve been hit with a thousand expenses since we were forced to flee Coromodir… but I guess you’re mostly interested in the big-ticket items.

Well, first and foremost, there’s the Leopard. We still owe a lot of money on this ship, and losing her isn’t an option. Then you’ve got all the assorted fallout from our impromptu trip across the Frontier: JumpShip passage, docking fees, miscellaneous travel expenses. All paid for on credit… as if we had a choice.

There’s more that I could get into – the load we took out to set up Markham’s family, et cetera, et cetera – but that’d b e gilding the lily at this point.

The fact is, we’re in a lot of trouble with a lot of lenders. But hey, we’re mercenaries.. we live for trouble.

Rebel: Who are we in debt to, exactly? I want names.

Darius: How about I gave you the top three? First, you’ve got Blue Horizon. that’s the big commercial bank on Lyreton They’re the ones that own the lease on the ship. Then there’s the Indri Consortium… they’ve got people everywhere, but they’re based somewhere in Marik space. We borrowed form one of their “associates” to make the jump away from Coromodir on the day of the coup. Finally, you’ve got Lockown Lending. They’re a Frontier outfit from Hastur, and they’re about as crooked as they come. Now, I wouldn’t normally do business with an outfit like the Double-L, but we didn’t have a choice… they made a deal with Blue Horizon to buy half of our debt.

So that’s the big three: a commercial bank, a shadowy financial consortium, and a bunch of leg-breakers in cheap suits. And each of ‘em is dangerous in its own way.

Rebel: Any chance we can cash out with one of the three and get our debt payments down that way?

Darius: Maybe with the Consortium, but we’re basically treading water right now. Without a change in fortunes, we’re not gonna make any headway.

Rebel: Anyway, I figure I’d check how you were holding up after this morning’s friendly meeting.

Darius: Eh, I’m doing alright, but thanks for asking. It wasn’t as hot as some of our previous jobs.

Rebel: Before any of this started, you worked with the Arano Royal Guard. Tell me about it. I only got drafted in right before the coup, thanks to Mastiff. Before that, I was in the regular army.

Darius: It was more then just a deployment. It was a full campaign. High Lord Tamati gave us the job back in ’19. We were supposed to be assisting the Royal Guard to round up and eliminate a pirate clan on Fjaldr. Commander Markham thought it’d be easy money… turned out to be anything but.

We lost a dozen MechWarriors in the three months of the Fjaldr campaign. Had to hose ‘em out of their cockpits. Would’ve been more if it wasn’t for Sir Raju. He saved our people’s asses on more than one occasion… went out of his way to do it. And the thing is, he didn’t have to. We weren’t under his protection – we were the hired help.

A lot of people in Mastiff’s position would’ve used us as cannon fodder, but that wasn’t his way. He treated us as if we were his own.

He was a good man, Han. As good as they come.

Rebel: Yeah, he was. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. Tell me a bit about yourself, Darius. Where are you from?

Darius: I grew up on Nassau Heights… it’s one of the hab stations orbiting Artru. Thirty decks of economic stratification, with the corporate suits on the upper decks and everyone else crammed into the lower ones. My old man was a dockhand. We lived on Deck 28 – two levels up from the bottom, with the other station maintenance personnel.

Twelve hours a day, six days a week, my dad would load and unload cargo shuttles. Vacuum-sealed quillar and nutrient paste for people like us, and luxury goods for the suits upstairs. The old man must’ve unloaded a thousand cases of Cassildan eel roe – plump, succulent eggs the size of melon balls. Never got to taste any, though. Any one of those tins would’ve cost him a half a year’s wages.

Anyway, Han… I don’t wanna saddle you with my life story. Suffice to say that I got an eyeful of what I didn’t want to be on Nassau Heights, and I did what I had to do to change my circumstances. And by the age of sixteen, I struck out on my own. I left the station with a handful of skills, an enormous web of contacts, and a rucksack full of that expensive caviar. And once I made it off of Nassau Heights, I never, ever looked back.

Rebel: I know that stuff is expensive, but it seriously makes me almost gag to even smell it, much less taste it.

Darius: Really? I thought the one can I tried was pretty good stuff. I ended up selling the rest bit by bit to fund my way, though.

Rebel: Yuck. Well, thanks for the chat. I want to check up with Yang before Sumire gets us underway.

Darius: Talk to you later, Han.



The Barracks allows two things – upgrading our pilot’s skills and looking at their service record. The four MechWarriors of the Marauders actually have backgrounds, unlike the procedurally generated characters. The Kickstarter backer and Ronin characters also come with more fleshed out backgrounds.

You can increase each skill up to level 4 without having to commit to a tactical skill. My plan is for Glitch to spec for Multi-Target, Breeching Shot and Bulwark, sit in the biggest mechs available, and kill things from a distance.

Rebel and Behemoth will take Bulwark, Evasive Movement and Ace Pilot. While the first two might seem mutually exclusive, I plan to put them in heavy close-range ‘Mechs. Extra evasion when moving closer, or extra defense once in position and no longer moving aren’t bad things to have.

Dekker and Medusa will spec for Sensor Lock, Evasive Movement and Ace Pilot, allowing him to use a lighter mech to reserve until he moves last, get into position behind a target and rip it open, then rip into it again and move back into hiding at the start of the next round.

For now, Han picks up Piloting 3 and 4, Guts 4 and Tactics 3. This gives him an extra hit to play with.
Dekker picks up Tactics 5, giving him Sensor Lock (and something to do while he hides his squishy light mech ass.)
Medusa picks up Tactics 4 but doesn’t have enough banked XP to pick up 5 as well just yet.

Our current MechWarriors are:

Spoiler: Dossier, Miranda ‘Behemoth’ Aguilera (click to show/hide)

Attributes: Spacer, Military, Inner Sphere, Criminal, Brave, Lyran

Biography: Miranda Aguilera grew up in the Lyran Commonwealth. She was a tall kid who made a name for herself as ‘the girl you don’t mess with.’ At eighteen, she signed up with a small-time mercenary company to feed her growing wanderlust. Miranda went undefeated in her crew’s drinking games – and in the brawling that usually followed. When her fellow mercenaries turned to piracy, she was in. When they turned over a new leaf, she was out, and looking for a tougher crew.

Spoiler: Dossier, Amir ‘Dekker’ Kowalski (click to show/hide)

Attributes: Nobility, Officer, Spacer, MechWarrior, Capellan, Military, Command Experience, Inner Sphere

Biography: Amir Kowalski was brought up as a loyal scion of House Liao, and sent to a military academy as soon as he was of age. There, he did not disappoint his family name and graduated on time. After graduation, by family request, he was assigned as a naval lieutenant aboard a Capellan Confederation DropShip. He served without particular distinction and was eventually transferred to a MechWarrior unit, which suited his abilities much better. After another tour of duty, in which he developed the motto: ‘any battle you walk away from is a victory,’ he decided he wanted to pursue his own goals, and became a mercenary.

Spoiler: Dossier, Jessica ‘Glitch’ Chernovskaya (click to show/hide)

Attributes: Inner Sphere, Criminal, Brave, Federal

Biography: Jessica Chernovskaya had a peaceful and ordinary middle-class childhood in the heart of the Federated Suns. But even in the heart of civilization, you’re not safe from a glitch. It was a garbed bioscan that got Jessica committed to a maximum security prison and changed for life. After ten years, her case was re-opened, the evidence re-examined, and her name cleared, but it was far too late for the kid Glitch had been. She’d learned skills on the inside, and she applied them on the outside. Killing for money is surprisingly easy and lucrative, and elite killers can command high prices for their discretion and effectiveness.

Spoiler: Dossier, Mohammed ‘Medusa’ Benitz (click to show/hide)

Attributes: MechWarrior, Officer, Military, Technician, Aurigan, Periphery, Cautious

Biography: Mohammed Benitez was born on one of Mechdur’s lunar colonies and subsequently traveled with his prospector parents all over the system before moving to Katinka. There he attended a local technical school to augment the knowledge he’d picked up while growing up. He spent some time working as a tech on his parents’ IndustrialMechs. Eventually, craving more excitement, he hitched a ride on a mercenary DropShip, where he soon talked his way into a BattleMech cockpit. He’s never looked back.

The Mech Bay, unsurprisingly, holds our rides and our MechTech. We have six open bays, containing our five mechs – in addition to the lance we took out for the last mission, Medusa pilots our LCT-1V Locust.

We ask Yang to repair the damage the Vindicator and Spider suffered – it’ll cost 21,000 C-Bills in total and 5 and 4 days respectively, but we’ll have more then enough time to have everything in working shape before the next mission.

Yang: Heyya, Boss. Welcome to the Mech Bay – my own little piece of heaven right here on the ship. Something I can help you with?

Rebel: Heya, Yang. I’ve got a few concerns about our ride. I want an assessment of the Leopard. How much trouble are we in?

Yang: Dunno. I mean, we’re doing okay for the moment, but give it a few months, maybe a year… You know how it goes. Eventually, everything falls apart.

Maybe our drive system will give out. Maybe some debris will perforate the hull. Who knows? But on that day, we’re gonna need to be able to cover our repair costs. And if we can’t… well. That’ll be that.

Rebel: I’m sort of concerned about the ‘drifting helplessly in space’ aspect of those concerns.

Yang: That’s why we need the cash, Boss. I can fix just about anything if I have the spare parts for it, but we haven’t had the money to replace the spares I’ve been using. At some point, I’ll reach for something and it won’t be there.

Rebel: I understand. Hopefully Darius digs up some paying work for us – soon. But I’m curious – Tell me a little bit about yourself. How’d you wind up with this crew?

Yang: That’s a long story, Boss. Shortest version I can give you? I signed on after I served my term in the Third Succession War, fighting for the Capellan Confederation. If you want to know more, you can ask whatever you want. Otherwise, let’s get back to talking shop.

Rebel: Where are you from, originally?

Yang: Bryant, in the Confederation. You may have heard our claim to fame: the Crowley Lizard Cow… No? Well, trust me, they’re delicious.

Anyway, as the story goes, Bryant was a really nice place once – a tourist spot, big with hikers and fishing enthusiasts. Pale blue skies, emerald-green seas, and a booming agricultural business. You know... the works. I never knew it that way, though. Stefan Amaris got to it a couple centuries before I was born, and, well… that was that.

As the story goes, Bryant used to have these enormous orbital mirrors – “Storm Inhibitors” they called ‘em. The Star League put them in place. When Amaris took the system in his civil war, he had his troops use ‘em for target practice. Without those mirrors, Bryant reverted to its natural state: a miserable little ball of windblown dirt, actively hostile to human life.

By the time I came along, the only places where people could live in relative safety were the planet’s poles. Of course, you can’t fit a planet’s entire population into a handful of cities at its poles – there isn’t enough space, no matter how far down you dig or how tall you build. A lot of people – mostly the poor – died in the early days. There’s still a lot of overcrowding in Bryant’s cities even now.

That’s my childhood home in a nutshell… way too many people jammed into a tiny, claustrophobic space, with nowhere to go but off-planet. I cleared out of there as fast as I could and never looked back. Gotta admit, though… I do miss the taste of Lizard Cow.

Rebel: Maybe we’ll run across some, even out here.

Yang: Ah, don’t get my hopes up. Even if we did, it’d cost as much as a spare actuator, and I’d rather have another one of those on hand.

Rebel: Tell me about your time in the military. Who’d you serve with?

Yang: The 2nd St. Ives Lancers, 1st Battalion, under Major Ling. We saw more action then most. The arm is a souvenir of my time in the service. I lost the original back in 3010, on St. Loris.

Y’know, when we first arrived at St. Loris, I loved the place. It’s an agricultural world… sort of a breadbasket for the neighboring systems. Green fields, rolling hills, you get the picture. We’d just walked out of hell on Kittery – the FedRats drove us out in ’05 with our tails between our legs. So it looked like paradise to us. I remember kicking back in the Mech Bay, my feet propped up on an engine block, sipping on a snifter of Ambergrist vermouth. Not a bad way to spend a sunny afternoon.

Anyway. Turned out, the Federated Suns weren’t done with us yet. We were barely a month into our deployment when they sent the Ceti Hussars to burn us out. I’m sure that there were sound strategic reasons for House Davion to want St. Loris, but it sure felt personal to me.

Long story short, one of their scouts managed to slip through our perimeter and hit my Mech Bay. I was tinkering around in a Centurion’s custom-made rumble seat at the time… being surrounded by all that armor is the only reason I made it out alive. Still, I didn’t make it out unscathed. I lost two of my favorite assistants and my own right arm, and I’ve got this ugly thing grafted onto me as a reminder.

…and yet, here I am, doing mercenary work for a living. Some people never learn, huh?

Rebel: At least we keep our support element away from the front line?

Yang: Which is a great comfort until the AeroSpace Fighters come calling, and Sumire starts maneuvering.

Rebel: Why’d you leave the Capellan Confederation? I would have thought with your injury you could have taken a medical retirement to a factory position somewhere.

Yang: After my tour of duty was up, you mean? I dunno, it was just… time for a change. Besides, the place wasn’t for me anymore. In a way, it never really was.

I learned a lot from my time in the service. Got a first-hand view of the elitist bullshit that saturates Capellan culture, how it rewards highborn idiots at the common people’s expense. Speaking as a thoroughly common man, that didn’t sit right with me. When my tour was over, I walked away and never looked back.

Rebel: You’ll never really get away from the aristocracy, Yang. Hell I was born a noble.

Yang: Yeah, but you’re a competent noble, and you aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty. At the end of the day, that’s all I really care about. I wonder how many times I watched talented engineers get passed over for promotion so some idiot with a title could advance? Too many to count.

Rebel: Yeah, that sort of nepotism is self-destructive. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you walked away. You’ve brought my ‘Mech back from the brink more than once.

Yang: Heh… way more than once, if memory serves. Still, I appreciate the kind words. And for what it’s worth, I’m happy to be here, with this crew. Going career military would’ve been an enormous mistake.

Rebel: Well, as I said, I’m glad you choose this way. Thanks for the chat, Yang. I need to check up with Sumire.

Yang: Catch you later, Boss.

Man, Yang is chatty once you get him going.



Our next stop is the Captain’s Quarters. It’s pretty spartan, but it’s where we can look at our finances and reputation and change the unit’s look.



The bank loan is about a quarter of our total costs, and a little more than half of our operating costs. MechWarriors command high salaries – twice the maintenance costs of the machines they currently ride in, and it only goes up as they become more skilled.



About the only faction not represented in our little slice of space is the Outworlds Alliance, which is located on the borders of the Draconis Combine and Federated Suns, and tends to keep to itself. That said, none of the factions or the MRB care very much about our little unit.



We do a little rebranding. A new name and a new coat of paint might not mean a lot, but maybe the break with the unit’s past will translate into a brighter future.



The Navigation room lets us talk to our Pilot, Sumire, and plot which system we want to travel to next.

Sumire: Hey, Commander. Sometime I can do for you?

Rebel: Hey, Sumire. Does the decision we made about uncertified contracts satisfy your concerns?

Sumire: My concerns won’t be satisfied until our creditors have been paid and the loan sharks are off our backs. But this is a step in the right direction, and that makes me happy. I’m not blind to the risk that uncertified contracts entail, by the way. I mean, I know that what we’re doing is dangerous. But it’s the best chance we’ve got to dig ourselves out of this hole.

Rebel: I agree with you, for what it’s worth. And it can’t be any worse then the last contract. Worst case, we run into that sort of betrayal, we can kill our former employers and loot them for our pay.

Sumire: A little bloodthirsty, but whatever works I suppose.

Rebel: I’m collecting stories about the crew. Tell me something about yourself.

Sumire: Well… I’m from a noble family, like you. We’re old money – made our fortune out in Rasalhague, then repatriated to the Taurian Concordat. That’s where I grew up. I’m not sure if this is the kind of stuff you were hoping to hear, but we can talk about whatever. I’m not shy.

Rebel: Where in the Concordat are you from?

Sumire: I grew up on New Vandenberg. It’s a nice enough place, I suppose. Do you like birds?

Rebel: Why do you ask?

Sumire: Because New Vandenburg is crawling with them. It’s basically one big aviary. Sometime like two-thirds of the native fauna has feathers, flutters on the wind, and splatters its excrement across every available surface.

Naturally, the original colonists adopted the feathery little monsters into the culture, and those of us that came after were kind of… stuck with it. Statues, fountains, murals… you name it. Just a giant, feathery pile of screeching alien birds. If the system had a motto, it’d be “Squawk.”

Rebel: Heh. I get the picture.

Sumire: You sure? Because I could keep going. I hate birds, is what I’m saying. That may be an unpopular opinion for a pilot, but I’ll stand by it until the day I die.

Rebel: Speaking of pilots, Where’d you learn to pilot a Leopard, anyway?

Sumire: The Taurian Naval Institute, on New Vandenberg. Well, among other places – it’s a big campus. The low-gravity training station orbiting Lompoc was my second home for a time. TNI flight training isn’t normally open to civilians, but my parents had good credit back then, and they could name-drop Protector Calderon. That’ll get you pretty far in the Concordat… for a while, anyway.

The other cadets in my class weren’t especially happy sharing air with a civvy, but they couldn’t say much. I was nobility and they weren’t. Everyone sort of kept me at arm’s length, so I had plenty of time to concentrate on my studies.

I got my certification in both DropShip and JumpShip operations in four years. I even tried working on a commercial jump crew for a while, once upon a time. The people were fun, but it wasn’t for me. The ratio of flying to violent jump sickness skewed hard in the wrong direction.

Rebel: Ah, yeah. I get some serious nausea from the jumps, so I imagine if your whole career is making jumps roughly once a week…

Sumire: As I said, it wasn’t for me.

Rebel: What can you tell me about House Meyer?

Sumire: You’re looking at it. My parents are both gone – blood cancer and heart disease, respectively. Both treatable, but they were out of money at that point, so into the ground they went. Ditto my brother David, who ran off to serve in the Third Succession War and never came back.

Rebel: I’m sorry.

Sumire: The galaxy was at war for nearly two hundred years, Commander. People died. You don’t need to apologize for it… and truthfully, I was never really all that close to any of them.

David was thirteen years older than me, and had a foot out the door before I turned three. And my parents, well... they raised me by proxy, in the traditional noble fashion. There was no real bond there, even when I was young. None of this is to say that my folks were bad people. They weren’t! They were just… doing what they knew. Their upbringings had been outsourced, just like mine was.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got to say about my family. They’re gone, I’m here, the end. So… You got another question? Or should we get back to our duties.

Rebel: Just one more. Your family came from Rasalhague?

Sumire: It was a long time ago, but yeah. As my parents told it, we were landowners on Pomme De Terre… it’s an agricultural world, sort of the breadbasket of the Draconis Combine… and yes, I know that “Pomme De Terre” means “potato.” My ancestors came from the planet Potato. It took some time for me to accept that, but hey, here we are.

…Anyway. Moving on, House Meyer’s holdings were meager, but the value of that land was astronomical. For minor nobility, we were really very wealthy. And then the Third Succession War broke out, and the political rhetoric got ugly. House Meyer didn’t want a single part of what was happening, so my ancestors emptied their accounts and ran.

As a rule, House Kurita takes a really dim view on nobles who cut and run. Worlds like “traitor” and “defector” start getting thrown around. In the Combine, you really don’t want to be on the receiving end of allegations like that. I wouldn’t be standing here today if House Calderon hadn’t granted my ancestors asylum in the Concordat. In all likelihood, House Meyer would’ve been wiped out before I was even born.

Rebel: Yeah, my parents told the same story. We went to the Reach instead of the Concordat, but leaving, especially with a ‘Mech means that if I’m smart, I never even try to go back to the Combine. The Dragon has a long and unforgiving memory. Thanks for the talk, Sumire. Shall we get this show on the road?

Sumire: Alright, flight time!




We’re being hired to take on and wipe out a Marik lance that’s harassing the planetary government on Bellerophon. We agree on 54,250 C-Bills, an ability to choose 2 pieces of salvage, and another 8 pieces of salvage randomly chosen from whatever is left over. If we went all in on money, we’d get 170,500 C-Bills, but only two random pieces of salvage. The other direction would only pay 15,500 C-Bills, but only give two more random pieces of salvage then our chosen settings. I’m basically gambling that we’ll be able to loot something expensive. The mission difficulty of 1/2 skull means that we’re unlikely to face anything more then light mechs in shoddy condition… hopefully.

That’s it for this time. Next time, we deal with our final required mission, and we can start taking on some other work! Due to character limits, the glossary terms from this post will be folded into the next post.

[Hanzoku]

BattleTech likes to provide a lot of background and fluff information in highlighted words scattered throughout the game and dialogue. This post helps collate and present that information neatly. Depending on where you’re at, this post can contain extra spoilers for content you haven’t read yet.

Spoiler: Geography (click to show/hide)

Aurigan Reach – The Aurigan Reach is a specific group of about two dozen systems in the Rimward Periphery boarding the Taurian Concordat and the Capellan Confederation. The Reach is home to the Aurigan Coalition ruled by House Arano. Beyond the Reach are a large number of independent systems colloquially referred to as the Frontier.

Deep Periphery – The area of space just outside the Inner Sphere and the Periphery is known as the Deep Periphery. The exact borders of this region are vaguely defined. Though not as thoroughly colonized as the Periphery, the Deep Periphery is home to a number of interstellar states such as the Hanseatic League and the Chainelane Isles.

Inner Sphere – The Inner Sphere is the region of space within about 500 light years of Terra. This area is divided between the five Successor States to the former Star League. This region is the heart of human civilization and culture. Beyond the Inner Sphere is the Periphery.

Rimward Periphery – The Periphery is a region of space bordering and surrounding the Inner Sphere. The area directly opposite the galactic core is known as the Rimward Periphery. The Rimward Periphery is home to major states such as the magistracy of Canopus, the Taurian Concordat, and the Aurigan Coalition as well as a large number of independent worlds.

Spoiler: Planets and Systems (click to show/hide)

Cassilda – An aquatic world famed for its bountiful, deadly oceans. Cassilda’s human population is clustered on volcanic island chains along the equator, while the oceans are ruled by a vast array of predatory life forms. Cassildan seafood is sold as a delicacy throughout the Rimward Periphery.

Coromodir – Coromodir is the center of power of the Aurigan government. Its two habitable worlds are home to billions of people. At the heart of Coromodir VI is the vast Taurian fortress that serves as both capital and last bastion of defense. Both House Arano and House Espinosa consider Coromodir their ancestral home.

Fjaldr – Fjaldr was originally a Capellan colony world, lost in the Succession Wars. It is a bleak ice planet, swept constantly by howling winds and blowing snow. The original colony was largely underground, built in the sides of deep kilometer-wide shafts that breach the ice that envelops this world. Fjaldr survives on its rich mineral resources and its position as a well-connected hub world near the Inner Sphere.

Kittery – Previously under Capellan control, 3005 this inhospitable jungle world was conquered by the Federated Suns. A resistance movement kept the world a war zone for many years. In the 3020s, House Liao returned and waged war for a more permanent liberation. So far it has succeeded only in creating lasting enmity between the defending 1st Kittery Borderers and the invading forces of the St. Ives Armored Cavalry.

Lyreton – A system in the Aurigan Frontier, Lyreton was formerly a Capellan garrison world, last after the Second Succession War. The population of Lyreton is spread across three tropical moons of the system’s large gas giant. Each moon is independent, and civil conflict between the moons makes the system a tense and dangerous place.

St. Loris – St. Loris is an important agricultural center in the Capellan Confederation. In 3010, a notable battle took place between the 2nd St. Ives Lancers and two regiments of the elite Ceti Hussars of the Federated Suns. Much of the planet’s vital wheat crop was destroyed.

Solaris VII – Solaris VII is famous for its BattleMech gladiatorial fights. Known as the Solaris Games, these fights are broadcast throughout the Inner Sphere and the Periphery, where fans eagerly follow the careers of their favorite MechWarriors.

Spoiler: Polities (click to show/hide)

Aurigan Coalition – The Aurigan Coalition is an interstellar state in the Aurigan Reach area of the Rimward Periphery bordering both Capellan and Taurian space. Growing out of a trade partnership in the mid-29th century, the Aurigan Coalition was formally established in 2910 by High Lady Keona Arano. In the past hundred years, the coalition has grown from four systems to a total of 23.

Capellan Confederation – The Capellan Confederation is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located rimward of Terra. Ruled by House Liao, the Confederation is the smallest and newest of the Successor States and often the loser of conflicts against the other powers of the Inner Sphere. It is an authoritarian police state, with philosophical origins in a text known as the Korvin Doctrine, which argues for total subservience of the individual to the state. Citizens of the Confederation must earn their position and the benefits of citizenship through service to their community. The current ruler of the Confederation is Chancellor Maximillian Liao, a shrewd planner and master manipulator.

Draconis Combine – The Draconis Combine is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located coreward and spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Kurita, the Combine has always been aggressively expansionist – the head of the Combine was the first of the Council Lords to declare himself the new ruler of the collapsing Star League. Regularly in conflicts along its borders with all its neighbors, the Combine is a highly structured, militaristic society, with rulership in the hands of the Coordination, the commander-in-chief of the Draconis Military. The Combine’s culture is heavily influenced by the Japanese roots of the ruling family-despite the minority status of those with Japanese ancestry-as this cultural heritage is imposed from above by the predominately Japanese ruling class. The current leader of the Combine is Coordinator Takashi Kurita.

Federated Suns – The Federated Suns is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located rimward and spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Davion, the Federation is the most powerful of the five, and the people of the Federation pride themselves on their self-proclaimed role as defenders of justice and liberty. The Federation is quite capable of ruthless, decisive action, though, and its idealism readily gives way to pragmatism when called for. The current ruler of the Federation, Prince Hanse Davion, is an experienced and unconventional military commander. The Federation’s alliance with the Lyran Commonwealth effectively ended the Third Succession War.

Free Worlds League – The Free Worlds League is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located rimward and anti-spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Marik, the League was, with the Capellan Confederation, one of the original signatories of the treaties that would eventually form the Star League. After the fall of the Star League, the Free Worlds League granted broad control over its economy and government to the command of its military, the Captain-General. The League is known for being a powerful mercantile state, but the Succession Wars have nearly destroyed its economy. The current ruler of the League is Captain-General Jonos Marik.

Lyran Commonwealth – The Lyran Commonwealth is one of the five Successor States of the Star League, located coreward and anti-spinward of Terra. Ruled by House Steiner, the Commonwealth is the wealthiest of the five, with an entrenched and powerful noble class. The focus on pedigree and prestige among the nobility has often resulted in less-than-brilliant officers being elevated to high command, to the detriment of the Commonwealth’s military strength. Much of the Commonwealth’s success comes from the vast resources located within its borders. The current ruler of the Commonwealth is Archon Katrina Steiner, notable for her peace proposal that, in allying the Commonwealth with the Federated Suns, effectively ended the Third Succession War.

Magistracy of Canopus – The Magistracy of Canopus is a large Periphery state, located rimward and anti-spinward of Terra, just beyond the Free Worlds League. Founded explicitly as a matriarchy, the Magistracy is ruled by a Magestrix, a position open only to women, and usually held by a member of the founding Centrella family. Independent since the fall of the Star League, the Magistracy has remained mostly untouched by the Succession Wars, except by the overall collapse of trade and travel. The Magistracy is famed for its social and cultural freedom, with no consensual behavior forbidden by law or custom. The current ruler of the Magistracy is the Magestrix Kyalla Centrella, who harbors a deep grudge against the Inner Sphere, and the Free Worlds League in particular.

Principality of Rasalhague – A minor interstellar state conquered 700 years ago by the Draconis Combine. Now officially known as the Rasalhague Military District.

Star League – From 2570  to 2780, the Star League was an interstellar council formed from the Terran Hegemony, the five Great Houses of the Inner Sphere, and the Territorial States of the Periphery. The stability and prosperity of the Star League led to the flourishing of civilization and technology.

The Star League ended in civil war when the leader of the Rim World Republic, Stefan Amaris murdered the First Lord in a bid to usurp his position.

Taurian Concordat – The Taurian Concordat is one of the largest Periphery states, located rimward of Terra, beyond the Federated Suns. Founded and ruled by House Calderon, the Concordat prides itself on its independence, freedom, and stability. The Concordat is wealthy, well educated, and well armed for a Periphery state. The Taurians defend their independence fiercely against Inner Sphere aggression, particularly by the Federated Suns; they perceive House Davion’s reputation as a protector of liberties as an unwarranted and even hypocritical, and they have a long history of conflict with the much larger Successor State. The current ruler of the Concordat is Protector Thomas Calderon.

Spoiler: Important Organizations (click to show/hide)

Mercenary Review Board – Founded in 2789, the Mercenary Review Board (MRB) serves as an impartial broker of mercenary contracts. The MRB is overseen by ComStar, a communications giant that is famous for its neutrality.

An essential component of modern military culture, the MRB ensures an even playing field between mercenary companies and their employers, and it is quick to arbitrate any breach of contract.

Spoiler: Major and Minor Houses (click to show/hide)

House Arano – ‘FORESIGHT AND VISION.’ The hereditary rulers of the Aurigan Coalition, currently led by Lady Kamea Arano. The Arano house sigil is a great cormorant on a field of red. The ancestral seat of House Arano is Coromodir VI.

From the early days of the Rimward Trade Partnership and the founding of the Aurigan Coalition in 2910 through the current day, House Arano has led the systems of the Aurigan Reach.

House Calderon – House Calderon is the dynastic ruling house of Taurus, the Taurian Homeworlds, and the Taurian Concordat. The line is descended from Samantha Calderon, who founded the first colony on Taurus in 2253. Members of House Calderon are considered fair, egalitarian, and pragmatic in their decisions.

House Centrella – House Centrella is the ruling dynasty of the Magistracy of Canopus. Captain Kossandra Centrella of the Free Worlds League Military founded the Magistracy in 2530 when she became disillusioned with her superiors and the patriarchal structures of the Inner Sphere. The family enjoys immense popularity among Canopian citizens.

House Davion – ‘BY FREEDOM’S SWORD.’ From their capital world of New Avalon, the Davion family led the Federated Suns to become one of the largest and most militarily powerful states in the Inner Sphere. The Federated Suns’ motto ‘By Freedom’s Sword’ illustrates their self-image as a nation: the champion of freedom, democracy, and human rights, although the reality is not so clear-cut. In addition to being a military power, the Federated Suns is home to the New Avalon Institute of Science: the premier research and development center of the 31st century.

House Espinosa – “FOREVER VIGILANT.” A Founding House of the Aurigan Coalition, currently ruled by Director Santiago Espinosa. The Espinosa house sigil is an ibex on a field of thorns. The ancestral seat of House Espinosa is Coromdir V.

House Espinosa staged a military coup on Lady Kamea Arano’s coronation day, toppling the old Aurigan Coalition and replacing it with a new authoritarian government: the Aurigan Directorate.

House Kurita – ‘HONOR THE DRAGON.’ House Kurita has dominated the Draconis Combine since its founding in 2319 by Shiro Kurita, who imbued the state with its strong Japanese culture. Personal honor and a self-reliance bordering on xenophobia are hallmarks of Kuritan policy. Embracing ‘the way of the warrior,’ the Draconis Combine has had a long history of antagonism with and aggression against its neighbors.

House Liao – ‘ONE VISION.’ The Capellan Confederation is the smallest of the Successor States, and was the last to form, created on Capella by neighboring states in 2366. House Liao gave the Confederation its Han Chinese character and ensured the survival of the realm through strong (if frequently erratic) rule. Popularly disparaged as a totalitarian police state, many Capellan citizens enjoy a high dress of personal freedom and willingly serve the State in return for the generous services it provides.

House Marik – ‘WE STAND UNITED.’ The Free Worlds League, the oldest of all Successor States, has long been ruled by House Marik. The League is an open, multicultural state, consisting of many great and small realms loosely joined together. Politically fragile and frequently riven with instability; House Marik has relied heavily on free trade and technological advancement to keep pace with its rivals.

House Steiner – ‘INDOMITABLE WILL.’ With many resource-rich worlds, shrewd business acumen and a strong industrial base, the Lyran Commonwealth, under the stewardship of proudly Germanic House Steiner, prospered even during the worst of times: in spite of the destruction of the Succession Wars, overall industrial output and average standard of living exceeded that of any other Successor State. This vast wealth helped the Lyran state weather any military reversals – especially self-inflicted ones – by quickly replacing their materiel losses.

Spoiler: Major Events (click to show/hide)

Succession Wars (General) – The Succession Wars were a series of wide-ranging conflicts between the Successor States of the Inner Sphere that lasted from 2786 to the current year of 3025. During these wars, the Great Houses mobilized vast numbers of BattleMechs to destroy each other and claim territory, with the ultimate goal of ruling the Inner Sphere.

A notable consequence of these conflicts was the significant loss of advanced technology from the prior Star League era.

First Succession War – A brutal conflict that ravaged the Inner Sphere from 2786 to 2821 when Minoru Kurita declared himself the new First Lord of the Star League. Leaders of the other Great Houses followed suit, becoming known as Successor Lords. The First Succession War is notable for the devastating effect it had on the Inner Sphere’s infrastructure and technology base. Much of what was lost has not been regained in the intervening centuries.

Third Succession War – The Third Succession War began in 2866, when Coordinator Miyogi Kurita responded aggressively to rumors of the Draconis Combine’s weakness, but the fighting spread to the entire Inner Sphere. Because the Successor States’ military capabilities had been dramatically reduced in the previous two Succession Wars, this conflict proceeded at a slower pace and with less intensity than the earlier wars.

Treaties signed in 3020 and 3022 limited the fighting, and by 3025 the Third Succession War has effectively ended.

Spoiler: Important Characters (click to show/hide)

Alexandr Kerensky – Born 2700, disappeared 2784.

As Regent and Protector of the Star League and Commanding General of the Star League Defense Force, Kerensky was the highest-ranking military officer of the Inner Sphere. Following his successful conclusion of the Amaris Civil War, Kerensky withdrew from the Inner Sphere with 80% of the SLDF’s personnel and assets, never to be seen again. This action left the Inner Sphere defenseless and precipitated the First Succession War.

Kamea Arano – Brave, idealistic, and determined, the Lady Kamea Arano is the daughter of the late High Lord Tamati Arano II. Due to inherit the throne of the Aurigan Coalition.

Raju “Mastiff” Montgomery – A battle-scarred MechWarrior with nearly 40 years of combat experience. In addition to mercenary work, Mastiff has served as Master-at-Arms for a number of noble Houses, training their scions in the arts of war. The Ladies Kamea Arano and Victoria Espinosa have both benefitted from his training.

Stefan Amaris, the Usurper – Born 2717, died 2779.

As President of the Rim Worlds Republic, Stefan Amaris expanded the Republican army and placed Republican agents in key positions throughout the Star League. He fostered a close relationship with Richard Cameron while the First Lord was in his minority. When Cameron came to age, Amaris guided him towards policies that would move Aleksandr Kerensky’s SLDF away from Terra and place Republican forces there instead.

With these preparations in place, Stefan Amaris murdered Richard Cameron on December 27, 2766, and declared himself First Lord, beginning the Amaris Civil War.

Kerensky razed the Rim Worlds Republic and returned to Terra to defeat Amaris’s forces and capture him. Stefan Amaris was executed by firing squad in 2779. His remains were donated to the medical school of the University of New Samarkand.

Stefan Amaris is literally BattleTech’s Hitler, and is easily the most reviled figure in history until at least the Word of Blake’s Jihad in another 50 years, when the Master might manage to match him.

High Lord Tamati Arano II – Born 2970, died 3022.

Tamati Arano II was a High Lord of the Aurigan Coalition. He succeeded his father, High Lord Tamati Arano I, in 2988.

Tamati is remembered throughout the Reach as a king and benevolent ruler. His key accomplishments include a military campaign against pirate activity on Fjadr, the expansion of social welfare on Coromdir VI, and the Coalition-funded renovation of the Espinosa Refit Yards. Tamati and his wife, Lady Sara Arano, were tragically killed in a JumpShip accident in 3022. They are survived by their daughter, Lady Kamea Arano.

Protector Thomas Calderon – Born 2984. Thomas Calderon succeeded his mother Zarantha Calderon as Protector of the Taurian Concordat in 3017. House Calderon leaders are known for their pragmatism and sound judgement; Thomas is no exception.

Spoiler: Technology (click to show/hide)

BattleMech – Commonly abbreviated as ‘Mech.

BattleMechs are enormous armored fighting vehicles, often humanoid in design, that can weight up to 100 tons. They are considered the most powerful and deadly surface units a military force can field. BattleMechs are classified as light (20-35 tons), medium (40-55 tons), heavy (60-75 tons), or assault (80+ tons). Because of their incredible power requirements, many ‘Mechs generate ferocious amounts of waste heat, making BattleMech cockpits swelteringly hot and sometimes threatening to cause a complete system shutdown.

Blood Chit – ComStar-issued identification carried by MechWarriors in the field.

The 31st-century equivalent of a set of dog tags, and for the same reason – if your corpse is otherwise unidentifiable, they can figure out who they’re hosing out of the cockpit.

JumpShip – JumpShips are spacegoing vessels capable of faster-than-light travel, using massive Kearny-Fuchida drives to instantaneously ‘jump’ from one planetary system to another. Typical civilian JumpShip designs dedicate 95% of their mass to the K-F drive and a solar energy collection system to power it, leaving little room for conventional engines. Consequently, these ships are only seen at jump points beyond each star’s gravitational proximity limit.

Commercial interstellar travel involves riding a DropShip from the planet to the jump point, docking the DropShip to a JumpShip for transit to a new system, and then riding the DropShip back down to the destination planet.

Rumble Seat – An optional secondary passenger seat that can be built into the control area of a BattleMech. Rumble seats are positioned away from all control systems and ejection equipment, those who ride in them have no control over the ‘Mech itself, and are utterly at the mercy of the MechWarrior in the cockpit.
 

Spoiler: Food and Drink (click to show/hide)

Ambergrist vermouth – Ambergrist vermouth is red and usually found in tiny bottles in port shops. Getting larger bottles takes connections. Getting a crate of it, well…

Crowley Lizard Cow – An edible reptile indigenous to the planet Bryant. The meat of the Crowley Lizard Cow is considered a delicacy, and it is one of Bryant’s few planetary exports.

Quillar – A bio-engineered crop that serves as the staple foodstuff of the Inner Sphere. Quillar looks like an ordinary grain, but grows to twice the size of Terran corn, and can be textured and flavored to mimic a wide variety of fruits, grains, and vegetables.

Spoiler: Miscellaneous Terms (click to show/hide)

C-Bill – The standard galactic unit of currency, named for ComStar. One C-Bill is valued at one millisecond of HPG transmission time.

FedRats – A person living in, or whose national origin is, the Federated Suns. Considered derogatory.

MechWarrior – Someone who pilots a BattleMech is called a MechWarrior. They typically serve in the armies of the Successor States or in mercenary units. During the Succession Wars, many MechWarriors owned their own ‘Mechs and passed them down through the generations as family heirlooms.

Gunnery – Gunnery determines the chance to hit with ranged weapons. Higher skill is an effective counter to Evasion and environmental effects that hamper targeting.

Guts – Guts improves the maximum health of MechWarriors. It also reduces the penalty from weapon recoil and increases the threshold of Heat that triggers Overheated.

Piloting – Piloting increases Melee hit chance and base Sprint distance. It also improves the threshold of stability that triggers UNSTEADY and increases the maximum level of Evasion possible from movement.

Tactics -  Tactics increases the effectiveness of Called Shot opportunities. It also reduces the penalty for indirect fire and improves the minimum range of weaponry.

Spoiler: Military Formations (click to show/hide)

2nd St. Ives Lancers – A well-connected and well-financed regiment, the Lancers operated along the Capellan Confederation’s rimward quarter, fending off pirates and conducting raids into the Free Worlds League. In 3025, its three battalions are allocated to the defense of St. Ives, Maladar, and St. Loris.

Ceti Hussars – Created by the Federated Suns in an effort to replicate the light horse-style regiment of the Star League era, the combination of ‘Mechs and mounted infantry was ideal for conducting swift raids. The Hussars also encouraged personnel to dine together regardless of rank or branch of service, prompting a high reenlistment rate.

Star League Defense Force – The Star League Defense Force (SLDF) was the largest military force in human history, with over 100 million soldiers serving in 486 divisions at its peak. The SLDF suffered horrific losses opposing Stefan Amaris in the Amaris Civil War.

Spoiler: BattleMechs (click to show/hide)

Blackjack BJ-1 – A medium fire support and anti-insurgency mech designed in the waning days of the Star League. By all accounts it is a good, reliable ‘Mech, but it received bad press when initially deployed. Charges that its armor was brittle and tended to fall off, and that its footpads were too narrow and made it susceptible to falling. While unsubstantiated, the damage was done, and the design never entered general usage with the SLDF, instead being quickly relegated to militia units in the Terran Hegemony or sold off to the Successor States. Its only plant was destroyed in 2796.

The Capellan Confederation and Federated Suns had  bought the majority of Blackjacks, though the Federated Suns largely relegated it to militia rules. Techs quickly discovered the spurious nature of the claims about the Blackjack’s lack of reliability, but it wasn’t until 3022 that its reputation was redeemed.  A militia lance consisting of Blackjacks held off a Kuritan attack on Xhosa VII, destroying waves of light mechs as they attempted to take the militia’s position by sheer weight of numbers.

Han Zoku’s possession of the ‘Mech from his Kuritan origin is slightly odd, though it’s possible an ancestor captured it as battlefield salvage from fighting along the Kuritan-Davion border.

Centurion CN9-A – Designed in 2801 to complement the Trebuchet fire support ‘Mech, it has a heavy and varied arsenal to battle enemies at a variety of ranges, and its tough enough to survive considerable punishment. It’s most associated with the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns, and is best known for making slow, steady advances, though its also a capable raider.

The design suffered from chronic issues with the heavy autocannon’s loading systems, only made worse when in 2845, the production lines for the ‘Mech on the planet Ramen II were destroyed. Production of spare parts continued at secondary plants for the next 150 years, but by the dawn of the 31st century, the AFFS were considering phasing out the design in favor of the Enforcer. In response, Corean built a brand-new Centurion production facility on the Federated Suns capital planet of New Avalon in 3012, including a redesign of the problematic systems.

One difference between the stock design and the one presented in game is that the game version carries both medium lasers mounted forward, due to the lack of rear firing arcs in the game.

Kintaro KTO-18 – The Kintaro was originally designed to deliver Narc missile beacons for missile-heavy lances. The Narc acts as a missile magnet, and the ‘Mech tagged with it will attract every SRM and LRM fired in its general direction like iron filings to a magnet.

Unfortunately, the last Narc missile beacon factory was destroyed in 2792, and with its reason for existence removed, the Narc launcher was switched out for another SRM-6 rack. This turned the Kintaro into a deadly short range brawler, carrying two medium lasers and three SRM-6 racks for short range work. It carries a single LRM-5 as a nod to long range support, but its only meant to see use as the Kintaro moves into combat range.

Locust LCT-1S – One of the most common ‘Mech designs in existence, the Locust has been in continuous production since it was first introduced in 2499. It’s exclusively designed for reconnaissance and quick strike missions, using its speed to outrun most enemies.

Unlike other designs, the number of companies producing the Locust increased during the Succession Wars, from 8 to 12 plants, ensuring that the ‘Mech is readily available to everyone.

The LCT-1S is a Lyran variant on the base design. It carries a medium laser in the center torso, and two SRM-2 in its arms, giving it heavier punch than the standard variant, but at the cost of a ton of its already limited armor.

Locust LCT-1V – The LCT-1V is the stock version of the Locust, and carries a medium laser in the center torso, and two machine guns in its stubby little arms. Moderately better armored than the other variants in the game, though that really doesn’t say a lot on a ‘Mech this light.

Panther PNT-9R – A light fire support mech that’s most iconic of the Draconis Combine, being one of their most common light mech designs along with the Jenner. The original PNT-8Z model was revised in 2759 when its main weapon, a Tronel Large Laser was replaced with a Lord’s Light PPC. The model we faced in Episode 4, despite being called a PNT-9R, is equipped with a large laser, not a PPC. It’s either actually an 8Z, or a custom refit that replaced a damaged PPC with a Large Laser.

Cicada CDA-2A – Introduced in 2740 as a competitor to the successful Locust design, the HartfordCo Industries company made a mech just as fast as the Locust, slightly better armed, and twice as heavy, giving it an edge in physical confrontations.  Like many designs, the Cicada’s only production lines were destroyed during the Succession Wars, and it is danger of going extinct.

A medium mech at the light end of the range, it’s main philosophy of ‘go fast!’ tends to run into issues when any of its bigger Medium cousins gets it in range.

Commando COM-2D – A Lyran design first produced in 2463, the Commando is one of the first ‘Mechs ever designed for reconnaissance. When later ‘Mech designs surpassed it in the scouting role due to possession jump jets, the Commando was redesigned as a short-range striker. It mounts a medium laser, an SRM-4 and an SRM-6 to give it a deadly short-range punch.

Shadow Hawk SHD-2H – Developed during the Golden Age of the Star League, the Shadow Hawk is a powerful fusion of maneuverability and firepower. It has a mix of long-range and short-range weapons, good maneuverability thanks to its jump jets, and excellent endurance. The -2H model is equipped with an AC/5, LRM-5, SRM-2 and medium laser.

The one we face in Episode 4 is actually a SHD-2D version, a Davion refit that adds a second SRM-2 launcher in the center torso, adds another ton of SRM missiles, and a medium laser in the left arm. It does this by stripping 5 tons of armor off of the design, turning the Shadow Hawk into a fragile ambusher that gets its ass handed to it in any sort of stand-up fight.

Spider SDR-5V – Designed as a light reconnaissance and attack mech for use by the SLDF’s Special Operations forces, it has similar speed to the Locust and better jumping distance then just about any mech. It was built with top-of-the-line reliable parts, sophisticated electronics, and an energy weapon payload which allowed for extended operations without resupply.

Like other designs, the Spider was in danger of going extinct, to the point where offensive operations were conducted to secure supplies of spare parts for this design. Wolf’s Dragoons were notable having four Spiders scattered across their five regiments when they were first encountered in 3005.

Some time in the early 3000s, the Free Worlds League managed to secure the schematics for the Spider from somewhere, and the company Nimakachi Fusion Products Limited took over production of the design, mainly producing them in the FWL and the Draconis Combine.

Vindicator VND-1R – One of the most well known Capellan Confederation BattleMechs of the Succession Wars, the Vindicator is a workhorse jack of all trades. Almost all of its components are produced on the world of Capella, making it cheap, easy to mass produce and quick to repair.

It’s a slower medium mech with a max speed on par with most heavy mechs, but it does mount jump jets. For a medium mech its heavily armored and well-armed, carrying a PPC, medium laser, small laser and LRM-5 launcher.

Wolverine WVR-6R – The Wolverine is a 55-ton fast strike BattleMech, meant to handle missions requiring speed and firepower, but which are too hazardous for lighter recon ‘Mechs. Originally a Davion design, it was created as a competitor to the Terran Hegemony’s Shadow Hawk and Griffin designs.

Ironically, the Wolverine was so well designed that the Hegemony, normally the technology leader in  the Inner Sphere would base their upgrades to the Shadow Hawk and Griffin on the Wolverine’s design.

The Wolverine has a small but potent weapons array consisting of an AC/5, SRM-6 and medium laser, giving it decent firepower at longer ranges and a good close-range punch.

Spoiler: Vehicles (click to show/hide)

Galleon Light Tank – First produced in 2692, the Galleon is a fast but fragile light tank, equipped with a medium laser and two small lasers. It is most often encountered in the Draconis Combine and the Free World League but can be found everywhere.

It has the honor of being the only Unseen vehicle for a time, the original Galleon artwork having been ruled as too close to its parent in Crusher Joe, though that decision was reversed in 2014.

Scorpion Light Tank – First produced in 2807, the Scorpion is a ubiquitous product of the Quikscell Company. It’s best known for being easy to repair, available in large numbers, and cheap. It’s simply equipped with an AC/5 and a coaxial machine gun.

Striker Light Tank – A relatively new low-cost light fire support tank hailing from the Federated Suns, the Striker was first produced in 3006 and is quickly becoming a mainstay of the AFFS. It is equipped with an LRM-10 with twelve shots and an SRM-6 with 30 shots, both weapons located in its turret for maximum flexibility.