August 23, 2007

Mechwarrior Role-playing Resource: Assault on Ingress, A Mechwarrior: Dark Age Role-Playing Game Campaign

Here’s a good resource for Mechwarrior: Dark Age roleplayers – a free online campaign set in the Dark Age. They’ve combined the rules for Mechwarrior RPG 2nd edition with the tabletop rules of Mechwarrior: Dark Age. . .

Here’s a quick introduction from the campaign designer:

”Our campaign begins on the planet Ingress. Ingress has a rich history which is fleshed out nicely on the Comstar Site here, and is also briefly featured in the Chaos March sourcebook which I conveniently own. . . I have already run two long term campaigns using Mechwarrior 2nd edition and the classic Battletech rules, one set on Solaris VII and one set on Outreach, so I had no worries about how the game mechanics would play out. Rather, I was concerned about running a game set in the new timeline and using the new Dark Age rules from Wizkids. . . I do not own the 3rd edition of Mechwarrior but from what I know of it the rules would have been much more difficult to incorporate into the Wizkids tabletop game, so I stuck to the 2nd edition rules which I know quite well and have served me faithfully for years.”

From what I’ve seen, it looks like a well thought-out and detailed campaign setting for Mechwarrior roleplaying. And I love how it incorporates Mechwarrior table top miniatures into the action. Check it out!

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:44 AM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2007

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions: Clan Sea Fox

The Clan formerly known as Clan Diamond Shark, Sea Fox are kind of the Ferengi of the Mechwarrior ‘verse. They travel around, gypsy-style, and are all about trade and the art of deal-making, more merchants than Mechwarriors, in a very un-clanlike way.

Wizkids has made very few mech miniatures for Clan Sea Fox so far, but they still manage to win matches at tournaments. I imagine that has a lot more to do with the mercenary and unaffiliated mechs that get recruited for them than it does the actual Sea Fox mechs Wizkids has made. . . Either way, here’s a bit of history on Clan Sea Fox from the Wizkids website:

” The Sea Fox Clan has come a long way since its foundations, nearly four centuries ago. United under the principles of the Kerenskys, yet divided into roaming sub-Clans and a handful of clearinghouse enclaves, they swim the deep black seas of space, rarely knowing the luxury of unrefined air or the warmth of natural sunlight for more than a week or two. . . This has kept the Clan small, yet pure, and free to move about at will. Indeed, millions of Foxes know only the artificial confines of DropShip and JumpShip bulkheads as their true sanctuary. And yet they remain united by common bonds, and the common, never-ending goal to survive, to expand, to evolve, and to always come away with the upper hand in any deal.

Another sure sign of their success are their CargoShips and ArcShips. Not only do they move freely across every House and Clan OZ, but the time and financial stability needed to create these vessels is a testament to the Foxes prosperity. Following the word of Blake Jihad and the destruction of so many WarShips, the Foxes took note of the writing on the wall and began a massive revamping program that continues to this day. Taking their own WarShips—and salvaging discarded hulks where they can—the Foxes stripped away weapon systems, and armor, expanded the internal bays and quarters to accommodate freight and passengers, for long-term voyages. These dedicated CargoShips became roving, long-term habitats and mobile supply stations that formed the backbone of the new Khanates, while the more heavily-modified, ultra-massive ArcShips became societal points of congress and core governmental structures for the entire Clan.”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:51 AM | Comments (0)

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions – Clan Nova Cat

Here’s another high-quality backgrounder on a major Mechwarrior faction – Clan Nova Cat. Whether you use it for Mechwarrior role-playing, or just to give context to your Mechwarrior tabletop gaming, this is a good overview of “contemporary” Clan Nova Cat demographics, history and politics.

” The Nova Cat Clan endures, no mean feat for perhaps the most downtrodden of Kerensky’s children. Its existence has seen the death of the Wolverine and Smoke Jaguar Clans, the absorption of the Widowmaker and Burrock Clans, and the loss of contact with all others, save perhaps the occasional Sea Fox, Wolf (in-Exile), or even Ghost Bear trading expedition. And through it all, this Clan of honor and spirit continues to survive.

Unlike many of the Clans that now dwell within the Inner Sphere, the Nova Cats claim no worlds unto themselves. Instead, their enclaves are scattered, their civilization surrounded by peoples who still live under the laws and the samurai codes of the Draconis Combine. Once, the Nova Cats were conquerors, but today their fate appears little different than that of the Azami, another unique culture absorbed into the bosom of the Dragon, permitted their own autonomy, but only at the sufferance of their Inner Sphere hosts. ”

Clan Nova Cat now exists within Kurita space, living on reservations under a “separate but equal” policy that would probably not be approved of by the U.S. Supreme Court. They lend their military might to the Draconic Combine, and in return are granted living space and semi-autonomy.

“ And this is how the Nova Cat survives today, still embracing the ways of the Clans, the rites of the Trials, the honor of the Bloodname, the reverence of the Kerenskys. Though their merchants now trade freely with those of the Combine and its neighbors, and though their Touman is but a fraction of its pre-Jihad strength, the Nova Cat survives. The Clan’s story is a testament to faith and spirit, the courage to take chances, and the will to never give up when destiny beckons.”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:38 AM | Comments (0)

A Short History of Mechwarrior ‘Verse From the reborn Star League Until “Today”

For those unversed in the “recent” history of the Mechwarrior universe, here’s a quick thumbnail history from Wizkids of what’s happened in Battletech-land since the arrival of the Clans:

3059 To better fight the Clans, the leaders of the Inner Sphere create a new Star League. Apparently united once again after centuries of warfare, the members of this fragile union attempt to end the Clan threat once and for all. The new Star League Defense Force targets the most aggressive Clan—Smoke Jaguar—for destruction, pushing them out of their Inner Sphere occupation zone and following them to their Clan homeworld, where they are utterly destroyed. Having proven their martial prowess to the Clans, the SLDF troops meet the Clans on their own capitol world of Strana Mechty and challenge them to a Trial of Refusal (a Clan ritual that uses a military engagement to repeal and/or abrogate a previous decision or action) against their very invasion of the Inner Sphere. The Clans lose.

3063
With the threat of the Clans diminished, the Houses of the Inner Sphere once again look to one another as ancient enmities flare anew. The Capellan Confederation conquers its errant Commonality, the St. Ives Compact, while allying with the two largest Periphery realms—the Magistracy of Canopus and Taurian Concordat, a turn of events that lead to the Confederation becoming notably strong for the first time in centuries. An errant Combine unit attacks Clan Ghost Bear, igniting a war between the Bears and the Draconis Combine. At the same time, the fabulously powerful Federated Commonwealth (FedCom) shatters under the weight of greed and aggression; a full-fledged civil war begins between the Lyran Alliance and Federated Suns across more then eight hundred worlds and a thousand light years.

3067
At the end of the FedCom Civil War, the various leaders of the Inner Sphere realize and admit that their new Star League was simply a political maneuver to be used against the Clans. They dissolve the League. Almost immediately the Word of Blake zealots—a reactionary splinter group from ComStar—unleash a jihad against the entire Inner Sphere.

3071-3081
Devlin Stone escapes from a Word of Blake Re-education Camp and slowly builds an army to push back against the Word of Blake. The battles are fierce, and Stone’s forces win victory after victory. With each new success more warriors flock to his banner, speeding victory and final triumph. The honor and respect accorded Stone among the general populace across the Inner Sphere is unprecedented.
With a new vision of how the Inner Sphere can rebuild itself—and a huge following of military and civilian personnel from every faction in the universe—Devlin Stone asks for and receives control over all worlds within a 120 light-year radius of Terra, whether by treaty or by force. Splinter groups within the Capellan Confederation reject the ceding of worlds to the Republic, and for several years engage in skirmishes aimed at retrieving ancestral planets. Peace otherwise begins its reign.

3081-3129
Under the guidance of Devlin Stone, the Republic of The Sphere is born. The hatreds and contentions of centuries are subsumed into the greater good, as key elements of populations on a number of worlds are resettled in an attempt to end the factionalism of the past. Decades pass, and a new generation is indoctrinated into this new philosophy—a whole generation that knows only peace and is insulated from the rest of the Inner Sphere.

One of the prime tenets of the new society is the decommissioning of the majority of BattleMechs and a retooling of the wartime economy. People are motivated to turn in their BattleMechs and other machines of war through programs including financial and federal incentives including the receipt of Republic citizenship. As the Republic’s prosperity booms, the rest of the Great Houses follow suit until BattleMechs have become exceptionally rare except among the military or the propertied nobility. Given the limited demand, the ability to build their specialized fusion engines becomes limited as well.

3130
Devlin Stone announces his withdrawal from public life. He swears that he will return if ever the Republic, or the rest of the Inner Sphere, needs him—then he vanishes.

3132
Hyperpulse Generator Alpha Stations around the Republic and throughout the Inner Sphere suffer attack from without and sabotage from within, effectively ending interstellar communications for 80% of all populated worlds. No group takes responsibility; no clues point to a single perpetrator. Tensions heighten between political and social factions, each suspecting the others of responsibility for the communications breakdown. Fighting breaks out where social pressures reach critical mass. To compensate for the rarity of military-grade BattleMechs, many groups and governments mount IndustrialMechs with weaponry and use these machines in combat. A new battle for control begins, threatening the very existence of the Republic of the Sphere.

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:26 AM | Comments (0)

August 14, 2007

Mechwarrior Roleplaying Resource: Wizkids Mechwarrior Timeline

For those of you who are hazy on the backstory of Mechwarrior: Dark Age, Wizkids has posted up a comprehensive timeline from the Classic Battletech era (what we old-timers quaintly referred to merely as “Battletech”, sans “Classic.”) To give you a sense of the thing, here’s an excerpt from the early days of the Mechwarrior universe:

”2439 The Terran Hegemony unveils the BattleMech, irrevocably changing the face of war. Derived from mining IndustrialMechs, BattleMechs demonstrate exceptional mobility and adaptability to diverse environments as compared to conventional armored vehicles. Their ability to mount a full array of conventional and energy weapons along with the latest defensive armaments further enhances their battlefield capabilities. Within thirty years, the rest of the Houses have stolen Hegemony schematics to build their own. The BattleMech becomes the undisputed king of the Battlefield.

2571–2751

Ian Cameron, ruler of the Terran Hegemony, culminates decades of tireless efforts—including brilliant diplomacy and carrot-and-stick tactics—with the creation of the Star League, a political and military alliance between all of the Great Houses and the Hegemony. Star League armed forces immediately begin the twenty-two-year era of hostilities known as the Reunification War, bringing the recalcitrant Periphery realms into the Star League fold by force.

For the next two centuries, humanity experiences a golden age, an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity, where technology—both civilian and military—flourish. It also saw the creation of the greatest military army that humanity had ever seen. The League eventually falls to internal strife, with nearly every subsequent war being fought in an effort to re-establish the Star League.

2766–2785

In 2766, Stefan Amaris of the Rim Worlds Republic launches a coup, declaring himself First Lord of the Star League after murdering the entire Cameron family. General Aleksandr Kerensky, commander of the Star League Defense Forces, starts a thirteen-year war to unseat the usurper. Kerensky succeeds, but the rulers of the Great Houses cannot agree on a new leader. The Star League High Council is dissolved in 2781. ”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:47 AM | Comments (0)

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions – Comstar

If you think about it, the Mechwarrior universe is in many ways a reprise of the fall of the Roman Empire. It’s amazing how much Rome still haunts the Western imagination, even 16 centuries later. . . Basically, the Star League was the Roman Empire. The Successor States – the Free World’s League, Capellan Confederation, the Lyran Commonwealth, Draconis Combine and Federated Suns, are the minor, semi-barbaric states which followed the fall of Rome.

Comstar then, is the Catholic Church. Sure, they worship technology, but they are at heart a religious order. They even use Catholic terms such as “acolyte.” Much like the monks of medieval Europe, Comstar kept learning and knowledge alive during the Dark Ages of the Mechwarrior period. Much like the Catholic Church of old, Comstar is power-hungry and more than a little corrupt. Comstar is likewise given to bouts of fanaticism.

A passage from the writings of Blake point out the parallels:

All that saved mankind during its last so-called Dark Age were the churches and religions. These were havens for humanity’s learning and they stood alone as beacons in the darkness and foulness that humankind had become. . . . If ComStar is to survive into the future, it must look to these religions as a blueprint for surviving the wars that are unfolding around us. [Salvation 4:18–24]

To get a full history of Comstar inside the canonical Mechwarrior universe, check out this write-up over at Wizkids.

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions – The Magistracy of Canopus

Wizkids has a full write-up of this minor kingdom, complete with demographics, political information and a detailed accounting of their battlemech forces:

“Today, the Magistracy remains its own entity, militarily formidable, economically vital, and socially free. Its government, remaining under the steady rule of the Centrella line (though Ilsa Centrella is actually the eldest daughter of Sun-Tzu; a situation which has caused a small minority within the Magistracy to contend that Sun-Tzu has indeed forced a Capellan rulership onto Canopians), is still a matriarchy. House Centrella still rules, though an electoral system technically has the authority to choose a non-Centrella Magestrix when an incumbent dies. A multilayered court system still oversees the rights of Canopian citizens, and their needs are represented by both a popularly elected Central Committee, which forms a legislative review board, and the Crimson Council, which handles all affairs for the nobility—all without Capellan oversight. ”

The final paragraph of the article makes me think the Magistracy of Canopus might be a good candidate for an independent faction in Mechwarrior at some point. One thing missing thus far from the lineup of Mechwarrior factions is a good Periphery faction, after all:
“The Magistracy of Canopus, a Periphery realm dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure and entertainment, yet strong and determined enough to defend itself in time of crisis, is certainly nothing like the stereotypical image one gets when thinking about the fringe worlds of human space. Indeed, there are few today who could possibly argue that House Centrella and its longstanding Magistracy are any less a major power than any of the Great Houses today. ”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:36 AM | Comments (0)

August 13, 2007

One for the Jade Falcon fans

Here's a great site devoted to Clan Jade Falcon. It has everything: the demographics, the major figures and the history of Clan Jade Falcon. I've always been more of an Inner Sphere guy myself, but this is an impressive effort. There's a full listing of the Jade Falcon military disposition, with all of their deployments listed by unit. My favorite part is the Jade Falcon poetry collection. Robert Frost has nothing on the Clanners:

With Falcon sight we choose our foes, With Falcon wings we harry them. With Falcon claws we smite our foes, And with Falcon tenacity we win.

Posted by Discoshaman at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2007

Mechwarrior Role-Playing Campaigns

Treasuretables asks "What's your secret campaign crush?"

He says he doesn't like the Mechwarrior RPG rules (I never have either), but he'd love to use some other system to roleplay out the Mechwarrior universe.

Posted by Discoshaman at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2007

Inner Sphere history timeline

Here’s an old school Battletech timeline encompassing the basic history of the Mechwarrior universe from 2108-3066. One thing I had forgotten about the old Battletech storyline provided an interesting parallel to the Mechwarrior: Dark Age period of the Wizids game – the whole concept of industrial mechs was part of the old storyline. The original independent Battletech faction, the Free World’s League, actually developed the first battlemechs during their fight with the other Houses following the collapse of the Terran Hegemony. In response to the Ares Convention, they converted mining mechs to battlemechs:

”2349 - Mecha mining machines are converted to battle machines by the Free Worlds League in response to the Ares Conventions. When the mining machines were outfitted with armor and weapons they crushed conventional war forces. Only one to four such Mecha Battle Machines were needed, with specially trained pilots. As such they fell into line with the Ares Conventions and were allowed. The Free Worlds League begin conquering innumerable worlds until the other houses follow suit and construct their own Mecha Battle Machines. These machines become known as Mechs, and their pilots Mechwarriors.”

Some more of the timeline:

• 2571 - Weary of constant war, the Terran Hegemony re-establishes itself and unites the Major Houses (Free Worlds League, Draconis Combine, Federated Suns, Capellan Confederation, and the Lyran Commonwealth), calling itself the Star League under the leadership of Lord Ian Cameron. Soon the Minor Houses are absorbed by the Star League. Technology peaks and humanity enters a golden age under the benevolent rule of the Star League.

• 2766 - First Lord Richard Cameron is murdered by Stefan Amaris, Richard's advisor. Stefan starts a coup to establish his own rule as First Lord, but is defeated by General Aleksandr Kerensky, commander of the Star League Defense Forces (S.L.D.F), but the rulers of the Major Houses cannot agree on a new leader.

• 2781 - Star League is dissolved.

• 2784 - Rather than watch the collapse of the Star League, General Aleksandr Kerensky takes over 80% of the S.L.D.F and leaves the Inner Sphere of the universe (the Inner Sphere was the most habitable planets in the universe which were occupied by the Houses). With him he takes the ideals of the Star League to set up his own rule in the Outer Rim. Some Minor Houses also leave with the S.L.D.F. This becomes known as the exodus.

• 2789 - With the Star League shattered, the Houses resume their previous terratories. War soon erupts between the houses. These wars last for over 200 years and ravage the supreme technology left behind by the Star League. These become known as the Succession Wars. As a result of the wars, the Lyran Commonwealth, Federated Suns and Free Worlds League become the biggest Houses. Note: this sets the scene for Battletech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception and Battletech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge.

• 3028 - The marriage of First Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns to Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner of the Lyran Commonwealth begins the unification of the two largest Houses in the Inner Sphere. The newborn alliance immediately launches the Fourth Succession War, conquering more worlds in two years than in all the wars of the previous two centuries. The Capellan Confederation suffers the most losses, especially near Terra as many worlds secede in the FedCom Civil War to form the Chaos March. After years of war, the borders of the Inner Sphere settle again as the Houses turn to rebuilding. Note: This sets the scene for Mechwarrior (the original).

• 3050 - Completely forgotten, the S.L.D.F return to the Inner Sphere. Now known as the Clans, they strike at the core of the Inner Sphere, assaulting the Federated Commonwealth, Free Rasalhague Republic and Draconis Combine. The Clans had forged an extremely hounorable warrior society in the Outer Rim, as well as developing even greater technology than the Star League, and they decimated the Inner Sphere with their superior fighting skills (largely due to genetically engineered warriors). The S.L.D.F had grown over the centuries and had divided their leadership. Now there existed twenty Clans, although not all participated in the invasion. The major Clans were Clan Wolf, Clan Jade Falcon, Clan Ghost Bear and Clan Smoke Jaguar, Clan Nova Cat, Clan Steel Viper and Clan Diamond Shark. Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon are by far the largest, and quickly pierce the Inner Sphere, conquering world after world. These two clans, however, soon come into terratorial conflict, and ignoring the Inner Sphere they turn upon one another. Meanwhile Clan Smoke Jaguar picks up the offensive and strikes at the Inner Sphere. Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon decimate each other and withdraw to the Outer Rim to recover while Clan Smoke Jaguar penetrates deeper, and the sleeping Clan Ghost Bear awakens to enter the Clan Invasion. Note: this sets the scene for Mechwarrior 2.

For the whole overview of Mechwarrior history, hop over to
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Mechwarrior

Posted by Discoshaman at 04:30 AM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2007

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions: Comstar in the Contemporary Era

Here’s a Wizkids overview of Comstar, that former bunch of hermetic techno-worshippers who had the market cornered on both technology and creepy pseudo-religious ideology. . .

Another article focused on the backstory of Comstar, but this piece looks at Comstar in the context of the Age of Destruction. In the latest incarnation of Mechwarror, Comstar isn’t nearly as freaky as before; this ain’t your father’s Comstar. Instead, they’ve gone mainstream. While they still have their robes and mumbo-jumbo, they’ve combined it with a savvy business sense and a hand-in-glove relationship with the political powers that be. Instead of something like the Medieval Catholic Church, they’re more like the Anglicans now. . . Napoleon once asked how many regiments the Pope had. The same question could now be asked about Comstar, now that the Jihad has destroyed almost all of their Mechwarrior forces:

”In the end, ComStar remained, but a changed ComStar. Its mask of carefully cultivated neutrality and spiritual enlightenment had been burned away by what amounted to a civil war. Its army had been virtually destroyed, its survivors transferred under the banner of Devlin Stone and his nascent Republic of the Sphere. Faith in ComStar as the guardian of communication and technology had been all but destroyed, yet there was no one else with the means to rebuild what had nearly been shattered during the Jihad.

For decades, the men and women of ComStar rebuilt. More secular than ever, they nonetheless retained ties to their mystical past, wearing the robes of monks and using the titles first enacted by Conrad Toyama as a symbol of the old ComStar. Yet the Order no longer had the fanatic mysticism of its past. No longer did technicians pray to make their machines work. No longer did every profound utterance become the quote of a sainted Jerome Blake. Most importantly, no longer would the Com Guards field an army of BattleMechs piloted by fanatical devotees. . .

In the end, ComStar became, as now, a partner to the Inner Sphere, its compounds including a standing garrison of troops from its host nations, or mercenaries approved to operate within said nations. These token military forces today are as much a legitimate protection force as they are a sign of the Order’s new covenant with mankind. In entrusting the protection of its valuable facilities, ComStar thus ensures its partners—its customers—of its intention, its new spiritual dedication, to never again rise up as a military power, to never again be able to bring war to the Inner Sphere on such a scale as the Jihad.”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:48 AM | Comments (0)

August 08, 2007

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions: The Lyran Commonwealth

If Davion is Gryffindor, then House Steiner is the Ravenclaw of the Mechwarrior world; they aren’t the marquee “good guys”, but they’re on that side of things. If Davion is chicken, Steiner is pork – “the other white meat.” I guess that’s why I like them – they’re good guys, but not the same Mechwarrior faction so many others like. (Yes, I realize that Steiner and Davion aren’t so nice in the Age of Destruction, some of my Classic Battletech biases are showing here.)
Anyway, I like the Lyrans. I like the paint schemes Wizkids has put on their mechs, I like their storyline, and I like the mechs and vehicles available for their faction. The verstin-whatchamacalit King Crab is a sweet mech for urban-based Mechwarrior battles. The Steiner Raptor II has great range and speed, evade special abilities and a decent heat dial. The Steiner sylph infantry is perfect for tying up enemy units. . .

But enough about that. For those interested in the current history of House Steiner, here’s the Wizkids official entry on the Lyran Commonwealth:

http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior/courier/pda.asp?a=38304

It makes for bleak reading. While never particularly successful militarily, the Lyrans had always been strong economically, and substituted economic leverage in place of mechwarriors. Post-jihad, Steiner has a shortage not only of mechs, but of money as well. Central authority has been greatly weakened, and the trade so vital to Lyran power has been shattered (and increasingly supplanted by Clan Sea Fox.) Here’s an excerpt from the Wizkids article:

” Without a doubt, the Jihad was the worst single event in the history of the Inner Sphere. For the Lyran Alliance, barely coming to grips with the final, terrible costs of the FedCom Civil War, its impact was doubly felt for the sheer volume of economic and industrial devastation it wrought. The loss of Tharkad, the bombing of Donegal, the bombardment of Skye—all these events sent central authority spinning wildly out of control. With the loss of the HPG network, chaos reigned across the realm and the battered remains of the Lyran armed forces, stripped of their command structure, could barely coordinate even the simplest operations in opposition to the fanatics.

Interstellar trade, the backbone of Lyran economy and infrastructure, collapsed completely as fleets of JumpShips were attacked or pressed into military service. This sent whole worlds—even entire sectors—into an economic depression the likes of which had not been seen since the First Succession War or the early days of the nation’s formation. Meanwhile, the most industrial worlds of the Skye region, closest to Terra, faced the brunt of the Jihad, and—for the first time in history—Hesperus II actually fell to a foreign power. By the time interstellar communications came back on-line and the people could see what had become of their nation, the Lyran Alliance had been ravaged.”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)

Mechwarrior Interactive Map

My kiddos LOVE this thing. Every kid loves maps, but this is a lot more fun than most. An interactive map to the entirety of the Mechwarrior universe, it features both a star map of the entire Inner Sphere and Periphery, as well as clickable close-ups of all the individual planets in the Mechwarrior ‘verse. Each planet comes with a short write up detailing its environment, economy, and what battlemech units are stationed there. A good resource for anyone role-playing Mechwarrior. . .

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:30 AM | Comments (0)

August 06, 2007

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions: the Dog Days of Clan Nova Cat

The Nova Cats were among the most effective of the invading Clans, but the outcome of war with the Inner Sphere was humiliating for Clan Nova Cat. Not only were they militarily defeated and forced into a humbling peace by the events at Tukayyid, but over time they were left without any planets of their own. Instead, they live in semi-autonomy, guests of the Draconic Combine.

Worse were the effects of the Blakist jihad, which sent forth regiments of battlemechs rampaging through Clan Nova Cat space. Irreplacable clan mechwarriors and mechs were destroyed in the onslaught, further reducing the mech forces of Clan Nova Cat vis-à-vis the remainder of the Inner Sphere. These are truly dog days for the Nova Cat.

Here’s a bit of the canonical history as written by Wizkids:

” In truth, the Nova Cats’ fortunes both rose and fell with the invasion of the Inner Sphere. Though they were defeated at Tukayyid, forced for years to fend off the Smoke Jaguars, eternal enemies who shared an occupation zone with them, they would play a vital role in the Inner Sphere’s effort to end the Clan Wars. From there, (once more guided by visions) they would join with the Inner Sphere forces and their new Star League, to help smash the Jaguars and end the Invasion for all time. . . Though war would continue to dog them even there, with the brief Ghost Bear–Combine War of the early 3060s, the Nova Cats had at last found some kind of home, and a future of promised prosperity. . . To many Nova Cats, there was no way to go but up; a spirit of hope—or at least hopeful determination—had begun to glow anew.
And then came the Jihad.

Touched off, ironically enough, by the shattering of their own vision, the Word of Blake, ComStar’s reactionary splinter faction, engulfed the Inner Sphere in a holy war of nuclear weapons, neutron bombs, biochemical weapons, orbital strikes, and fanatical, rampaging armies of BattleMechs. Their assault spared no one, not even those who saw their own visions of peace and prosperity shattered with the death of the new Star League. The Nova Cats, every bit as stunned by the breakdown of the League they had sacrificed so much to join and preserve, were all but lost when Blakist assault forces struck at their enclaves on Itabiana. . . The war would take a heavy toll on the Cats, however; all but shattering the remains of their military forces, while Blakist counterstrikes nearly laid waste to the Combine worlds they called home. Yet, through it all, the Cats fought on.”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:49 AM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2007

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions – Draconis Combine

One of the original “bad guy” factions or Battletech’s Inner Sphere, Kurita was always the toughest opponent of the Steiner-Davion “good guys.” A military dictatorship based on a Japanese cultural foundation, the Draconic Combine was ruthless and ingenious. Kurita also had the most hardcore special ops/intelligence service in the Mechwarrior universe – the ISF. Here’s an excerpt from a Wizkids article which lays out the early history of the Mechwarrior faction many of us love to hate – House Kurita:

”The Draconis Combine was officially “born” in 2319 after a long, brutal military campaign by its founder, Lord Shiro Kurita, First Citizen of New Samarkand and Director of the Galedon Alliance. The founder of the Kurita dynasty, however, did more than single-handedly establish an empire. He also imparted his will and his beliefs onto this new realm, a spirit that lives on even now, eight centuries later. More than any other nation, the Draconis Combine reflects the culture and personality of its Coordinator and ruling family, House Kurita. . .

The rise of House Kurita and the creation of the Draconis Combine can actually be traced all the way back to the 2236 Outer Reaches Rebellion against the Terran Alliance, long before Shiro Kurita’s birth in 2270. The two-year Rebellion ended with the collapse of the Alliance government and the near-total isolation of its former colonies. All cohesion between the far-flung worlds of the Inner Sphere shattered, as every world suddenly found itself unsupported and left to its own devices. Filling the void and maintaining a semblance of trade were numerous mercantile alliances. The most powerful of these in the Galedon region was the Ozawa Mercantile Association, a loose – but pervasive – trading coalition united under the Ozawa family of Terra’s Japan. The OMA enjoyed unrivaled dominion in the “northeast” quadrant of human-occupied space, controlling all trade among the struggling colonies.

Motivated purely by profit, though certainly unafraid to use their influence to extract favors from local governments, the Association focused less on consolidating control and more on expanding their influence and stifling competition. The excessive arrogance of the Association’s merchants, however, and the flouting of their wealth in the faces of those who barely managed to eke out an existence, led to widespread bitterness among the peoples and governments of the region. Into this age of simmering resentment came Shiro Kurita. ”

To read the full article, pop over to Wizkids and check it out.

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:40 AM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2007

Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions: Whatever happened to House Marik?

House Marik is the favorite Classic Battletech faction of my third son. He really, really wants Wizkids to start making Marik mechs and vehicles. Until then, he just pretends that Republic of the Sphere mechs (a faction we all hate) are actually House Marik. He’s been curious what exactly happened to Marik, why they went belly up.

The official Wizkids back story for the fall of the Free Worlds League is posted here:

http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior/courier/pda.asp?a=38504
As the reborn Star League was falling apart, the Free Worlds League was actually admired by the other factions of the Inner Sphere, because it seemed a beacon of stability and good government among the turmoil of constant war. Instead, the Mechwarrior and aerospace forces of House Marik had been heavily infiltrated by Word of Blake zealots. So it was that House Marik was the first to receive the hammerfall of the jihad. Many of Marik’s Mechwarrior units defected, and his government was decapitated very early on by the surprise assault of the jihadists:

“Word of Blake agents infiltrated all levels of the Free Worlds League, having been permitted to do so by a decade and a half of misplaced trust. They subverted countless League military units and WarShips, adding them to the Blakists’ impressive arsenal. Thomas Marik—or rather, the man who all believed to be Thomas Marik—was so appalled by these actions that he attempted to turn on the Blakists, only to bring the wrath of the Jihad upon his own realm. When the zealots and their allies assaulted Atreus in 3068, the attack was their most decisive yet, for it did more than wipe out the governmental heart of the League, along with its most sterling example of a noble military (in the form of the First Knights of the Inner Sphere). It also immediately shattered all faith in House Marik. . .

And so fell the solidarity of House Marik and the unity it once brought to the Free Worlds League. Over the years that followed, miniature wars, against each other and their neighbors—Lyran, Capellan, Periphery, and Republic—would characterize this turbulent region of space where once a mighty economic and political power had stood.”

Posted by Discoshaman at 07:50 AM | Comments (0)