TEXT: A BATTLETECH HISTORICAL SUPPLEMENT
  TM
  ERA DIGEST
  
  Project Development: Herbert A. Beas II
  BattleTech Line Developer: Herbert A. Beas II
   
  Assistant Line Developer: Ben H. Rome
  Primary Writing: Roland M. Boshnack
   
  Additional Writing: Herbert A. Beas II
  Editing: Herbert A. Beas II
  Production Staff:
   
  Art Direction: Brent Evans
   
  Cover Design and Layout: Ray Arrastia
   
  Original Illustrations: Steve Hartley and Chris Lewis
   
  Original Logos: Ray Arrastia
   
  Map: Øystein Tvedten
   
  Record Sheets: Ray Arrastia and Christopher Smith
  Factchecking/Playtesting: Joel Bancroft-Connors, Chris Callicoat, 
  Rich Cencarik, Bruce Ford, Joshua Franklin, William Gauthier, Chris 
  Hartford, Keith Hann, Johannes Heidler, Ken’ Horner, Daniel Isberner, 
  Edward Lott, Nick Marsala, Chris Marti, Mike “Cray74” Miller, Darrell 
  “FlailingDeath” Myers, Craig “No Last Name” Reed, Luke Robertson, 
  Andreas Rudolph, Jason Schmetzer, Christoffer “Bones” Trossen, 
  Øystein Tvedten, Elliotte “Wantec” Want III, Chris Wheeler, Patrick 
  Wynne, Mark Yingling
  Special Thanks: Huge thanks to John Haward and Joel Bancroft-
  Connors for bringing me into the Catalyst fold and to Randall and 
  Herb for letting me stay. Also, huge thanks to Laura for her continued 
  love and assistance.
  CREDITS
  ©2011 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Era Digest: Age of War, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech and ’Mech are 
  registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.  
  Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in Canada.
  STAR LEAGUE ERA 
  CLAN INVASION ERA
  JIHAD ERA
  SUCCESSION WARS ERA
  CIVIL WAR ERA
  DARK AGE ERA
  ®
  
  “He has a gun, doesn’t he? Shoot him!” The CO’s voice was as danger-
  ous as sharpened steel.
  “Black Six, this is Green Five. Orders received. Will comply. Over.”
  Sergeant Price was sweating openly now. He cursed his orders. He 
  cursed his commanders. He cursed the man with the rifle. But he swung 
  the turret to the left, elevated towards the window, and threw a 68-kilo-
  gram packet of death into the building. He didn’t even realize that he had 
  his eyes closed when he pulled the trigger.
   “Black Six, this is Green Five. Target obscured. Over.”
   “Excellent work, Sergeant. This goes for everybody: You see some-
  thing you don’t like; you shoot it. Understood?”
  A ragged chorus of assents filtered through Price’s earbuds, and he 
  realized that the channel had been company-wide the entire time. He felt 
  sick, but what could he do? He had his orders.
  The column continued to roll down the street. It was perhaps eight 
  more kilometers to the city proper, and its Cappie defenders, but the 
  tanks fired on a regular basis now. Anything that could conceivably be a 
  threat was met with fire: sometimes just a burst from an automatic rifle 
  or machine gun, but more often with a deafening blast from the main 
  guns. The once-pleasant avenue even became a war zone, with smoking 
  rubble to either side. Armored vehicles broke formation to crush civilian 
  cars beneath their broad tracks. Infantry fired from the top hatches of 
  their APCs, mowing down anyone who broke from cover. Bodies littered 
  the ground; none were in combat garb.
  Sergeant Price was still grappling with his inner demons when the tank 
  ahead of his exploded. Oddly, this calmed him. The horrors lay behind the 
  unit, and now they could be soldiers again. He twisted his controls, seek-
  ing a proper target. It didn’t take him long. The Capellan, a wedge-shaped 
  Korvin, was rolling forward, the tip of its deadly laser muzzle still glowing. 
  Price was calling his orders even as swung his own turret in line.
  “Driver, action right!” The private responded instantly, but Price was al-
  ready firing. The huge, rifled cannon on his Kestrel may have been obsolete 
  compared to the Korvin’s lightweight energy gun, but years of experience 
  paid off. The 150-mm armor-piercing round found the enemy’s turret rota-
  tion ring and cut through the lightly-armored area, exploding within. Hatch-
  es blew open and smoke poured out. Sergeant Price was hunting for another 
  target and barely noticed his radio operator cutting down the surviving Ca-
  pellans with his machine gun as they tried to evacuate the crippled wreck.
  Now that battle was engaged, the entire force settled into a solid 
  and impressive routine. The tanks blasted away their armored oppo-
  nents, breached barricades, and provided overwatch for the infantry. The 
  ground pounders, now on foot, shielded the tanks’ vulnerable sides and 
  cleared away Capellan infantry. The scale of the war just begun may have 
  been epic, but the Free Worlds League Militia was built around armored 
  cavalry and its centuries-old precepts. Even in the close quarters of a ma-
  jor city, they worked like a well-oiled machine.
  ON APPROACH TO TINTAVEL
  CAPELLAN CONFEDERATION
  23 FEBRUARY 2412
  “I don’t like it,” Sergeant Price said. “Sir, the definition of ‘enemy com-
  batant’ is just too vague.”
  “You don’t have to like it; you just have to do it. We have a war to win 
  here.”
  “Yes, sir,” Price said. “If you tell me that’s what I’m supposed to do, well, 
  that’s what I’ll do, but I can’t take responsibility if something goes wrong.”
  The Lieutenant ran a hand over his face and smiled ruefully. “I under-
  stand, Sergeant. These are the orders I was given myself, and I’m passing 
  them along to you. We’ve got a job to do. Let’s get it done.”
  *  *  *  *
  NEW MITLA, TINTAVEL
  CAPELLAN CONFEDERATION
  23 FEBRUARY 2412
  The insertion was only lightly contested, which was a blessing. Un-
  loading tanks from a DropShip could be a trial at the best of times, but 
  that only got worse under fire. Things moved quickly enough, though, 
  and soon the armored column—a mix of massive Kestrel MBTs and 
  lighter APCs, along with a train of supply trucks and their escorts—rolled 
  through the suburbs and into the city itself.
  Price was still concerned. There was just too much left to interpreta-
  tion in his orders. On the surface, they were simple: “Engage and destroy 
  all enemy combatants and targets of military significance.” Unfortunately, 
  that was all they said. The key terms—“enemy combatants,” “targets,” “mil-
  itary significance”—were left undefined. He’d tried to get some clarifica-
  tion from the officers above him, but to no avail. Now he just had to trust 
  that they knew what they were doing.
  “Contact left!” The cry came from his radio operator, on the other side 
  of the tank’s squat turret. Price squinted through his periscope-like sight. 
  Yes, he could see a figure standing in a window, a rifle held low. A closer 
  examination revealed civilian clothes, and the rifle an old bolt-action 
  hunting model. Just a worried citizen, then. He was just about to tell his 
  crew to ignore the contact when the radio crackled to life.
   “Green Five, why haven’t you engaged the enemy?” Price recognized 
  the voice of his company commander. He touched the micro-switch on 
  his helmet to open communications and spoke evenly and precisely.
  “Black Six, this is Green Five. Target is a civilian with light weaponry 
  and poses no danger to this force. Over.”
  Just 
  following orders
  1
  
  screaming for attention, but he fought it down as he scanned the target’s 
  many large windows. There, a bit of movement, Capellan field dress. The 
  sergeant fired the Kestrel’s main gun and the window vanished a split-
  second before the round exploded, showering the street in fragments 
  of glass and masonry. All around him, the other tanks of his company—
  even the infantry—swept the building with rounds.
  This is it, Price thought. Nowhere else to go. Follow my orders. Do my job. 
  Get it done. He fired again and again. A fire was raging inside the structure 
  now, but he didn’t—couldn’t—stop. He shot his tank’s ammo bins empty, 
  flinching when a pull of the trigger didn’t result in the familiar blast, flash, 
  and recoil. He sat for a moment there, hearing the fire from his company 
  slack off and stop. He breathed in deeply, let it out slowly, and leaned 
  back. It’s over.
  “Sergeant…we have another problem. A big one,” said Adams.
  “Go ahead, Corporal.”
  “Sergeant, look to your left, by the driveway.” Adams sounded near 
  tears. Price frowned, his unease returning in force, and swiveled the peri-
  scope around. He saw the sign quickly, but he just couldn’t make sense 
  of it. It took him another moment for the writing to come into focus. Sud-
  denly he understood what the corporal had been talking about, and the 
  realization left him whimpering and broken.
  The sign, not ten meters from his tank’s sponson and well within his 
  field of vision, read, “New Mitla Community Health Network – Prenatal 
  and Child Services Department.”
  Behind it, the rubble burned.
  The force rolled on and on. Behind them lay dozens of shattered tanks 
  and personnel carriers and before them the enemy was running. Col-
  lateral damage has lessened during the long engagement; the Cappies 
  seemed more willing to abandon a threatened structure than to see it 
  leveled around them. Sergeant Price didn’t mind. He preferred a stand-
  up fight.
  “Sergeant, we’ve got a problem.” That was his radio operator again.
  “Go ahead, Adams. What’s up?”
  “Sarge, I’ve got some Cappies running into that building on the left. 
  About a dozen troopers carrying some stuff between them. Could be 
  fleeing, could be setting up heavy weapons.”
  “Running into the building? I see the problem. I’m calling this one up; 
  hold tight.” Price switched over his comms to the company channel again. 
  “Black Six, this is Green Five. Come in, over.”
  “Green Five, this is Black Six. Go ahead, over.”
  “Black Six, we’ve got a potential ambush at my location. Please advise, 
  over.”
  “Goddamn, Sergeant, do I have to hold your hand? If you’ve got any 
  questions, engage!”
  “Sir, I…yes, understood. Out.” Sergeant Price shook his head and 
  clicked back over to intercom. “Looks like the old man wants us to take it 
  down. Adams, be ready on your fifty.”
  Price sighted on the building. Something in the back of his head was 
  2
  
  INTRODUCTION
  To some, the Age of War seems almost trite compared to the wars that followed it. At the time, it was the largest, longest, most costly period of 
  conflict in human history, but those superlatives have all long-since been eclipsed. Indeed, the “Second World War” of the mid-twentieth century killed 
  even more people, though it was only one-tenth as long. Of course, one shouldn’t discount the losses in territory, technology, and population seen in 
  the Reunification War, Amaris Civil War, the four Succession Wars, and the Jihad.
  It was an oddly paradoxical period when compared to later conflicts. Planets changed hands on a daily basis, yet every state founded new colonies 
  and pushed its borders outwards—and not always at the expense of its neighbors. The Ares Conventions transformed warfare into an intricate game 
  of maneuver, yet weapons of mass destruction were used in many brutal engagements. Factories and spaceships were targeted as a matter of course, 
  yet every state managed to expand its economy and implement new technologies—not the least of which were the giant war machines known as 
  BattleMechs.
  As the Inner Sphere rebuilds from the horrors of the Jihad, it would behoove us to remember the lessons of the past, so that—maybe, this time—we 
  can learn how to avoid such devastation in the future.
   
  —Demi-Precentor James Khauv
  Historian, Archival Division
  ComStar
  28 May 3085
  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
  Era Digest: Age of War is a stand-alone product that takes a deeper look at the glossed-over time when the proto-Successor and Periphery states 
  formed their distinct cultures and philosophies. While this book is primarily a sourcebook about an era and setting often glossed over in BattleTech lore, 
  it also contains rules both for playing within the Age of War and with early units in this pivotal point in history.
  The first section, The Age of War, is a summary of the events of the Age of War and the changes that humanity experienced during that time. This 
  section goes in depth about some of the turning points of the era, both for individual realms as well as the Inner Sphere as a whole.
  The Ares Conventions takes a look at the titular documents that so transformed warfare during the period in greater detail than ever seen before, 
  along with a comparison to the Clans’ system of zellbrigen.
  A More Civilized Slaughter is a mixture of sourcebook material and guide for players and gamemasters who wish to incorporate the extremes of 
  combat during the era – from barbaric to chivalrous – in their games.
  Finally, the Age of War Rules section describes four units that were important or indicative of the Age of War, including an early BattleMech as well 
  as some other notable units of that time. This section also includes Random Assignment Tables (RATs) to make it easy to quickly roll forces that fit well 
  in that era, and role-playing information for players wishing to experiment with the pre-Star League development setting.
  The book concludes with Record Sheets, a collection of record sheets for units found in this book.
  One final note for wary players: Each sourcebook section reflects the bias and writing style of the author. This should be taken into consideration 
  before declaring war on fellow players over interpretations of these sections.
  3
  
  to the ideals rooted in Terran democracy, such as with the Covenant of 
  New Avalon. However, except for what would become the Free Worlds 
  League, the stress of moving from fledgling colonies to multi-world alli-
  ances forced most to institute stronger, more centralized administrations. 
  The populace—often lacking the energy to expend on politics over the 
  greater effort to survive in a post-Terra reality—left governing to those 
  with money.
  Even before the Alliance’s withdrawal, several proto-states—notably 
  the Tamar Pact (an eventual founding member of the Lyran Common-
  wealth)—had begun to form for purposes of trade and mutual defense. 
  But after 2238, many more appeared: the Republic of Marik, Federation 
  of Oriente, Tikonov Grand Union, St. Ives Mercantile Association, Sian Su-
  premacy, Rim Worlds Republic, Taurian Concordat, Capellan Hegemony, 
  Federation of Skye, Alliance of Galedon, and many more. Over the de-
  cades to come, these small states expanded and merged, until by 2366 
  the five massive nations that would dominate the Inner Sphere for the 
  next seven hundred years had all formed.
  There had already been border clashes between these states, espe-
  cially between the Capellan Confederation and its neighbors, but matters 
  came to a head in 2398.
  A MATCH TO A POWDER KEG
  The Capellan state (first called the Hegemony, then the Commonality, 
  and finally the Confederation) had clashed with the Free Worlds League 
  for decades. Even though the nation had been nearly destroyed by Fed-
  erated Suns “peacekeepers”—an eventuality the Capellans escaped only 
  after using orbital bombardment to destroy their own capital city—its 
  attention remained focused on the steadily encroaching League. Finally, 
  in 2398, the Confederation declared war on the Free Worlds to recover 
  the Andurien systems, and everything went to hell.
  Over the next few years, every other major state in the Inner Sphere 
  went to war with its neighbors. The Draconis Combine assaulted the 
  Lyran Commonwealth, even as the latter prepared for its own conflict 
  against the Free Worlds League. The Federated Suns battled the Com-
  THE AGE OF WAR
  Students of history will find nothing surprising about the conflicts 
  that sprang up among the first nations to inhabit what would become 
  known as the Inner Sphere. While the Terran Alliance could afford to 
  mount exploratory expeditions to scout for habitable worlds, the small 
  proto-states left in the wake of the Alliance’s eventual withdrawal from 
  the interstellar community found it far more cost-effective to take what 
  they needed from already-inhabited neighbors. Some realms grew 
  through mutual defense pacts and trade treaties, while others swelled 
  through brutal conquest.
  Although the First Andurien War (2398) is generally seen as the start 
  point for the Age of War, the truth is that open warfare on the interstel-
  lar scale had already begun with the Outer Reaches Rebellion of 2236. It 
  continued, almost without pause, for the next three and a half centuries.
  EXPANSION AND 
  CONTRACTION
  The roots of the Age of War stretch back to the very beginning of 
  mankind’s settlement of extrasolar planets. The first, New Earth (Tau Ceti 
  IV), was founded in 2116. By 2235, the fourth Terran Alliance Grand Sur-
  vey found humans living on more than 600 worlds. (Even today, it is said, 
  the remains of an occasional lost Alliance-era colony may be discovered.) 
  While the former superpowers of the Alliance quickly seized the closest 
  and best of the new worlds, even the poorest of nations managed to ex-
  port great numbers of their citizens to worlds beyond. Colonists found 
  themselves freed from Terra’s overcrowding and resource depletion and 
  the extrasolar population increased explosively.
  As has ever been the pattern, the far-flung colonists chafed under the 
  taxes and control of a distant, disinterested authority, especially as com-
  munications lagged over interstellar distances. Too many colonial gover-
  nors, appointed by Terra, declared themselves absolute rulers, or were at 
  least viewed as such by an increasingly disgruntled populace. It was only 
  a matter of time before tensions erupted into open rebellion.
  In 2236, the Terran Alliance deployed its Colonial Marines to suppress 
  revolts in the outer reaches of human space, while simultaneously call-
  ing upon the still-loyal colonies to increase their shipments of food and 
  materials to Terra. These actions served only to fans the flames of public 
  dissent and more worlds rebelled.
  Within eighteen months, the so-called Outer Reaches Rebellion had 
  sent the marines packing, and sparked a wave of disillusionment on Terra 
  that brought the isolationist Liberal Party into power. Almost immediately, 
  the Alliance pulled its borders inward, constricting to a sphere of worlds 
  within a mere thirty light years of Terra. Hundreds of colony worlds—many 
  still loyal to the Alliance—were abandoned to their fates. Many failed, but 
  others thrived. While the Terran Alliance fell apart within its closed borders, 
  its now-independent children set out to improve their lot.
  THE BIRTH OF THE GREAT HOUSES
  Even those planets that had expected a fight for independence were 
  caught off-guard by Terra’s sudden isolationism. In the power vacuum, 
  they scrambled to set up new governments. Most attempted to adhere 
  The concept of neo-feudalism, first espoused by Edward 
  Schedrin, is an attempt to balance the needs of massive, margin-
  al working populations with those of their societies as a whole. 
  Through economic incentives, people are encouraged to remain 
  in one place, at one profession, for their entire lives. Initially it 
  lacked a hereditary noble class, but this came about later, as pow-
  erful families established political dynasties. After all, it’s a small 
  step from the tradition of legal rights of succession to establish-
  ing that all of your rulers have had the same last name over a 
  century or more.
  Neo-feudalism also encouraged the growth of enormous cor-
  porations. These businesses became political powers in their own 
  right. Indeed, it can be argued that they reintroduced the idea of 
  fealty in the new societies. Signing a non-competition contract is 
  not that different from swearing fealty to a liege lord.
  NEO-FEUDALISM
  4
  
  WAR WITHOUT REASON
  Thanks to the Ares Conventions, the major interstellar campaigns—
  many of which had begun to slow down—flared to life anew. Nearly ev-
  ery border shifted back and forth as states went to war over every slight, 
  real or imagined.
  The Capellan Confederation was the first to start a new conflict in 
  2418 when, under its new Chancellor Arden Baxter, it assaulted the Tauri-
  an Concordat. As the Concordat had refused to sign the Ares Conventions 
  (ironically, out of distrust of the Capellans), Baxter showed the Periph-
  ery nation no mercy. Then, in 2423, he suddenly reversed direction and 
  offered his support to the “Thousand Worlds Coalition”, a defense pact 
  aimed at isolating the Free Worlds League. While the Taurians rejected 
  the treaty, relations did improve to wary neutrality.
  For the Federated Suns, this was a time of political turmoil more than 
  conflict, though they did lose several worlds to the expanding Terran He-
  gemony. Likewise, the Draconis Combine saw a total regime change as 
  the Von Rohrs family came to power even as they continued their actions 
  against the Lyran Commonwealth.
  The Free Worlds League barely slowed in its own wars against the Ly-
  ran Commonwealth and Capellan Confederation. It also saw some politi-
  cal turmoil as its Parliament tried in vain to limit the growing power of 
  the Captain-General.
  Of all the major Inner Sphere states, it was the Terran Hegemony that 
  was to make the greatest strides forward, though it was in technology 
  rather than territorial gains.
  THE NEW KNIGHTS
  In 2439, the Terran Hegemony introduced the MSK-5S Mackie, the 
  first BattleMech. While such giant walking machines had been used for 
  nearly a century in industrial applications, the Mackie offered a level of 
  rugged sophistication unimagined before it was developed. The Hege-
  mony kept its new development under the strictest security, looking for 
  the best time and place to reveal their existence. Meanwhile the state 
  devoted incredible resources toward building more ’Mech factories and 
  developing new models.
  In 2443, the Hegemony fielded a lance of ’Mechs against a Kuritan 
  armored company on Styx. The enormous Mackies, though primitive by 
  modern standards, easily handled the heavy Combine tanks. News of the 
  new war machines spread through the Inner Sphere like wildfire, and 
  soon every state set its sights on developing their own BattleMechs.
  In early 2455, a team of Lyran Commonwealth commandos raided 
  the Hegemony factories on Hesperus. This action, called Operation PRO-
  METHEUS, captured a great deal of technical data and schematics on Bat-
  tleMechs, enabling the Lyrans to produce their own in short order. Com-
  monwealth ’Mechs first saw action in 2459 on Loric, where one crushed 
  Captain-General Geralk Marik underfoot.
  Three of the other Great Houses received the secrets of BattleMechs 
  from the Lyrans, though in vastly different fashions. The Federated Suns 
  had discovered the success of Operation PROMETHEUS through their ex-
  cellent intelligence network, and negotiated a massive payment to the 
  Commonwealth in exchange for the technology. The Draconis Combine, 
  meanwhile, simply assaulted the Lyrans’ primary ’Mech factory on Coven-
  try and seized what they needed. The Free Worlds League, desperate to 
  field its own BattleMechs against the still-advancing Lyrans, conducted 
  an intricate espionage campaign that convinced a Commonwealth scien-
  tist to defect…only to see the Capellan Confederation pull the same trick 
  against them a few short years later.
  bine. The reformed Terran Hegemony fought to reclaim the worlds its 
  Alliance predecessors had once abandoned. The Capellans fought every-
  one around them. 
  Although it is true that not everyone was engaged in constant fight-
  ing against their neighbors during this era, between 2398 and until the 
  mid-2500s there was always a major war underway along some interstel-
  lar border.
  BARBARISM AND CHIVALRY
  In 2412, the Free Worlds League launched an attack on the Capellan 
  world of Tintavel. In one of the greatest tragedies of history, poorly word-
  ed orders and vague rules of engagement led to the death of thousands 
  of civilians as battles tore through the planet’s major cities. The conflict 
  continued to escalate until both sides employed nuclear and chemical 
  weapons to destroy one another. Over three hundred thousand people 
  were killed or injured—most of them non-combatants. Even after the na-
  tions’ leaders had personally called an end to the fighting, the damage 
  was done. Tintavel was abandoned within a few years.
  Aleisha Liao, the young Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation, 
  was appalled by the destruction and loss of life. A few months later she 
  sent out a personal call to the leaders of the other five major Inner Sphere 
  states and the four largest Periphery nations. In the city of New Olympia, 
  on the ironically chosen planet of Ares, she outlined her ideas to limit 
  collateral damage in warfare. This agreement—which all six major pow-
  ers, plus the Rim Worlds Republic and Kurita-dominated Principality of 
  Rasalhague, signed—became known as the Ares Conventions.
  Of course, the Conventions did not end warfare. Indeed, the fighting 
  only spread further. Signatories to the Conventions could have their cake 
  and eat it, too. As long as the “rules of war” were heeded, they could—
  and did—conduct audacious military campaigns with little risk. Combat 
  became a contest of maneuver…at least, when it suited the combatants. 
  With few ways to enforce these rules, a state that was truly serious about 
  defeating its opponents could still use total war tactics without censure, 
  often catching their opponents by surprise.
  This set the tone for the remainder of the Age of War: long periods of 
  near-bloodless conflict punctuated by horrific atrocities.
  It is well known that Aleisha Liao invited the leaders of the six 
  Inner Sphere and four largest “minor” powers to the Ares talks. 
  Most people, including earlier ComStar archivists, often assume 
  that the Outworlds Alliance and Magistracy of Canopus were 
  among those attendees. However, neither state existed at the 
  time of the accords.
  In truth, the last nations invited were the United Hindu Col-
  lective and Principality of Rasalhague. With his brother’s blessing, 
  Adam Kurita of the Principality signed the Conventions. The UHC 
  demurred, not out of bloodlust, but rather because they feared 
  that the treaty would “legitimize warfare”. As the Collective had 
  no interest in offensive operations and excellent relations with 
  its neighbors, they politely refused to recognize the agreement.
  THE OTHER DELEGATIONS
  5
  
  PRELUDES TO PEACE
  Ian Cameron, who became Director-General of the Terran Hegemony 
  in 2549, always dreamed of uniting humanity under one banner. While 
  his motivations were likely nowhere as pure as popular opinion be-
  lieves, he believed in an end to the conflicts that had plagued humanity 
  through the era. However, also he knew that few would trust the Hege-
  mony’s intentions, given that it had been just as active in the Age of War 
  as everyone else.
  His chance to improve the Hegemony’s image came quickly. In 2551, 
  Terrence Liao found himself thrust into the position of Chancellor. Des-
  perate to prove himself an able leader, he launched yet another invasion 
  of the Andurien systems. Ian Cameron quickly stepped in and offered to 
  negotiate an end to the Third Andurien War almost before it had begun.
  Albert Marik, then the Captain-General of the Free Worlds League, 
  was impressed by the Hegemony leader’s offer and agreed to confiden-
  tial three-party talks between his state, the Terrans, and the Confedera-
  tion. The summits lasted for nearly five years, during which, the Confed-
  eration and League traded desultory shots across their mutual border. 
  But the culmination was an astonishing free trade and non-aggression 
  pact between the nations. For the first time in three hundred years, half 
  the population of mankind found itself at peace.
  As Terrence Liao concentrated on rebuilding his battered Confedera-
  tion, Marik and Cameron continued to work on Ian’s dreams of a unified 
  “Star League”. The two men set their sights on the Lyran Commonwealth 
  next, the realm whose border they both shared. Through bribery, manip-
  ulation, and outright infiltration of Tracial Steiner’s advisors, they encour-
  aged the headstrong leader of the Commonwealth to sign the Tharkan 
  Accords.
  This left only the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine. Here, Marik 
  and Cameron had to tread lightly. The leaders of these states had each 
  come to power in difficult political positions and neither could risk the 
  ire of their populations by seeming to capitulate with ancient enemies. 
  Diplomatic overtures failed for nearly a decade, until Ian Cameron struck 
  upon a brilliant solution in 2567: he secretly offered the Hegemony’s 
  powerful military as an ally to the Suns if the Combine was to attack…
  and vice versa to the Kuritans. Alexander Davion signed the New Avalon 
  Accords that October, and Hehiro Kurita signed the similar Treaty of Vega 
  two years later.
  Another two years of negotiations between the six states ensued, and 
  they went better than anyone could have imagined. The Star League was 
  formally invested in 2571 under the aegis of now-First Lord Ian Cameron. 
  After nearly two centuries of conflict, the Age of War was over.
  As for the Periphery nations, the creation of the Star League would 
  lead to brutal war and eventual subjugation, but that conflict is beyond 
  the scope of this volume.
  With the genie out of the bottle, every state began producing as 
  many BattleMechs as they could. These machines proved uniquely suited 
  to the precepts of the Ares Conventions. A small force of ’Mechs could 
  conduct a battle of maneuver in a remarkably small area and with little 
  logistical support or much in the way of collateral damage. (Conversely, 
  the same force could also cause devastation far in excess of their absolute 
  numbers.) MechWarriors became the knights of their time, first in the me-
  dia spotlights, but not much later in literal truth—thanks in no small part 
  to the Terran Hegemony’s Peer List and later imitations.
  UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
  The introduction of BattleMechs seemingly drove the Inner Sphere 
  into a frenzy of conflict. Border worlds became hosts to ceaseless inva-
  sions and counter-invasions. A detailed analysis of the actions of this time 
  is nearly impossible, but it is safest to assume that from 2475 to about 
  2551, every state was at war with its neighbors.
  This was also a period of great political unrest among the ruling fami-
  lies. The Federated Suns suffered a fifteen-year, three-way civil war. The 
  Lyran Commonwealth also saw conflict between the Steiner family and 
  several powerful rivals, though this never erupted into general warfare. 
  The Draconis Combine only avoided such problems through the actions 
  of the remarkable Siriwan McAllister-Kurita, who is suspected of having 
  poisoned two dangerous Coordinators (and taking the position herself 
  no less than three times during her 136-year lifetime).
  Despite the Capellans’ harboring of the Varnay family fol-
  lowing the conclusion of the Davion Civil War, by 2546 relations 
  warmed greatly between the Confederation and the Federated 
  Suns. The signing of the Bell Accords, banning the use of atomic 
  weapons between the two states, led many to hope for even 
  more. In particular, Terril Davion was advanced as a potential heir 
  to the Suns and a husband to Chancellor Salicia Liao, a political 
  marriage that could have merged the two states centuries before 
  the Federated-Commonwealth Alliance.
  Unfortunately, Salicia found Terril to be physically repulsive, 
  and the young man—as the first, bastard child of Cassandra Davi-
  on and David Varnay—was never accepted into the Davion fam-
  ily tree. In 2565, the Confederation provided logistical support 
  for Roger Varnay’s abortive rebellion in the Suns, and relations 
  between the nations never recovered.
  THE CONFEDERATED SUNS?
  6
  
  2236 
  The Outer Reaches Rebellion leads to the deliberate shrinking of 
  Terran Alliance territory; many colonies are left abandoned
  2250 
  Rim Worlds Republic founded
  2271 
  Free Worlds League incorporated
  2315 
  (2 Jun) James McKenna seizes control of Terra
  2316 
  The Terran Alliance becomes the Terran Hegemony
  2317 
  Federated Suns founded
  2319 
  Draconis Combine founded
  2335 
  Taurian Concordat founded
  2341 
  Lyran Commonwealth incorporated
  2366 
  Capellan Confederation reformed
  2392 
  Castilian Principalities founded
  2398 
  Age of War begins with the First Andurien War
  2404 
  First Andurien War ends with a treaty, though the Confederation 
  and League continue to fight on other fronts
  2408 
  Katherine, the first ruling Steiner, becomes Archon of the Lyran 
  Commonwealth
  2412 
  (Jan) A League assault on the Capellan planet of Tintavel leads to 
  hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties
   
  (Jun) All six major states and two minor realms sign the Ares 
  Conventions
  2417 
  Outworlds Alliance founded
  2418-2422 The Rim War
  2421 
  The Von Rohrs family ousts the ruling Kurita line in the Draconis 
  Combine
  2439 
  The first BattleMech, the MSK-5S Mackie, is introduced by the Terran 
  Hegemony
  2443 
  BattleMechs first used in combat
  2452 
  A failed coup in the Capellan Confederation leads to the formation 
  of the Red Lancers
  2455 
  (07 Feb) A Lyran commando raid steals plans for BattleMechs from 
  Hesperus II
  2457 
  The Federated Suns negotiates for BattleMech technology from the 
  Lyran Commonwealth
  2459 
  Geralk Marik is killed in action on Loric, becoming the first national 
  leader to be killed by a BattleMech
  2461 
  A Draconis Combine raid on Coventry steals BattleMech plans
  2462 
  Free Worlds League gains BattleMech technology through 
  espionage
  2463 
  Lyran Commonwealth’s “Long March” Campaign against the 
  Draconis Combine begins
  2466 
  Capellan Confederation and Taurian Concordat gain BattleMech 
  technology through espionage.
  2468 
  Lyran Commonwealth’s “Long March” Campaign against the 
  Draconis Combine ends
  2469 
  Rim Worlds Republic acquires the BattleMech
  2475 
  The first BattleMech-vs.-BattleMech combat occurs on Nox
  2525-2540 Davion Civil War
  2528-2531 Second Andurien War
  2530 
  The Magistracy of Canopus forms
  2540 
  United Hindu Collective joins Federated Suns
  2551 
  Third Andurien War
  2556 
  Terran Hegemony, Capellan Confederation, and Free Worlds League 
  sign a secret trade and mutual defense pact, laying the foundation 
  for the Star League
  2558 
  Lyran Commonwealth joins the forming Star League
  2560 
  Draconis Combine establishes prison colony on Mica
  2567 
  (27 Oct) Federated Suns joins the Star League
  2569 
  (15 Aug) Draconis Combine joins the Star League
  2571 
  Age of War ends with the formal creation of the Star League
  2577-2597 Reunification War
  THE AGE OF WAR: A BRIEF TIMELINE
  7
  
  THE UNITED HINDU 
  COLLECTIVE
  While many small nations formed in the twenty-third and twenty-
  fourth centuries, most either merged with or were conquered by their 
  more powerful neighbors. The United Hindu Collective, which existed 
  from the mid-2200s until 2540, is both illustrative of these tiny nations, 
  and unique in its own right for having survived so long next to an aggres-
  sive and expansionist neighbor.
  HISTORY
  Like most of the nations formed 
  during this period, the United Hin-
  du Collective (UHC) was a product 
  of the first Terran Exodus. Its parent 
  region of India had suffered greatly 
  during the unrest that marked the 
  fall of the Expansionist Party who 
  sponsored many colonization ef-
  forts. Some worlds were close to Terra, but the founders of the UHC were 
  justifiably wary of settling too close to the center of the Inner Sphere and 
  pushed outwards into previously unexplored space.
  These efforts paid off when three garden worlds were discovered by 
  the fleets far rimward of the Terran Alliance. These planets—Panpour, As 
  Samik, and Basantapur—formed the nucleus of a new interstellar nation, 
  and soon were home to impressive manufacturing and agricultural in-
  dustries. The Collective grew rapidly, boasting seventeen worlds by 2534.
  At first, the UHC maintained close ties with Terran India, but the needs 
  of its colonies, their growing economic strength, and tremendous commu-
  nications lag, led to a formal split in 2315, just before McKenna’s coup.
  The UHC did not participate in any meaningful fashion during the 
  Age of War, instead concentrating on improving its industrial base. It 
  did form a strong relationship with the 
  neighboring Federated Suns, however, 
  providing luxuries and manufactured 
  goods to what would become known as 
  the Suns’ Outback region in exchange for 
  beneficial trade agreements. This helped 
  discourage the nearby Taurian Concordat 
  from any undue adventurism.
  The UHC’s only major military action 
  occurred in 2535, towards the end of the 
  Davion Civil War. The Varnayists attempt-
  ed to pass through the region and raided 
  several worlds along the way. They were 
  intercepted by the Messengers of Shiva 
  on Jodipur (now Neukirchen) and de-
  feated in detail.
  After Alexander Davion secured the 
  throne of the Federated Suns, he sent a 
  diplomatic mission to the UHC to pro-
  pose closer ties between the two realms. 
  The Maharaja—an elected position, at 
  the time—put the proposal to a popular 
  vote. The Collective’s populace respond-
  ed enthusiastically, swayed by the promise of an even greater market for 
  their goods and services. In 2540, Alexander Davion and Maharaja Sadhvi 
  Garg signed the landmark Basantapur Treaty, incorporating the UHC as a 
  semi-autonomous member of the Suns. This had the hoped-for effect, as 
  the economy of the Federated Suns improved markedly after the merger.
  Political and economic ties continued to grow through the end of the 
  Age of War and the entire Star League period, and by the time of the First 
  Succession War the former Collective worlds were fully integrated into 
  the Suns.
  GOVERNMENT
  The United Hindu Collective was the last of the true federal democra-
  cies. It had a bicameral congress based on the Indian system it grew out 
  of. Its directly elected president was known as the Maharaja, a somewhat 
  ironic nod to the nation’s colonial period. Even today most worlds that 
  had belonged to the UHC feature democratic local governments, though 
  they also boast their fair share of nobles.
  DEMOGRAPHICS
  The UHC’s original charter demanded equality among its citizens in 
  an attempt to finally abolish the last vestiges of the old Indian castes. It 
  was predominately Hindu Indian in ethnic composition, though notable 
  percentages of Sikh, Christian, Muslim (after that religion’s acceptance 
  of interstellar travel), and Jain adherents were also present. Since the re-
  gion’s incorporation in the Federated Suns, its ethnic and religious diver-
  sity broadened a great deal, with some worlds going so far as to change 
  their names to reflect these shifts.
  MILITARY
  The Collective boasted a rather large army for 
  its size, with a full mechanized infantry regiment 
  on each member world. In 2480, a combined Bat-
  tleMech/aerospace fighter regiment was added 
  to the rolls, equipped mostly with obsolescent 
  Davion equipment. 
  This regiment, named 
  the Messengers of Shiva, 
  rotated through the UHC as a ready-re-
  sponse force, always ready to respond to 
  a threat. This paid off during the Varnay 
  incursion, where the Messagers’ older, but 
  expertly piloted machines humiliated the 
  more modern invaders.
  The United Hindu Collective’s navy 
  never fielded WarShips but did maintain 
  the nation’s entire JumpShip fleet. Several of 
  these vessels survived the centuries to fol-
  low in Federated Suns service, with one—
  the Rama Sita—participating in Operation 
  BULLDOG and travelling all the way to Hunt-
  ress with Prince Victor Steiner-Davion.
  Sanurcha
  Mavegh
  Dumassas
  Sartu
  Badlands
  Agliana
  Armington
  Birmensdorf
  Csomad
  Enchi
  Estuan
  Gambarare
  Jaboatao
  Malagrotta
  (FS/TC)
  Tatlawiksuk
  Tegaldanas
  Vackisujfalu
  Waipahu
  Belaire
  Chakachamna
  Kotzebue
  Semichi
  Caldwell
  Cohagen
  Montour
  Naka Pabni
  Pierce
  Songgang
  Tentativa
  Verdigreis
  Weippe
  Badlands Cluster
  50
  Jodipur
  Eustatius
  Hoonaar
  Great Gorge
  Cyrton
  As Samik
  Basantapur
  Panpour
  Fetsund
  Gurrnazovo
  June
  Olindo
  Niquinohomo
  Sparrevohn
  Anaheim
  Marodzi
  Alsek
  Colorado
  Kaiyuh
  Noatak
  Killarney
  Nizina
  Gulkana
  Chirikof
  Darwendale
  Ingenstrem
  Islamabad
  Susulatna
  United Hindu Collective
  (2540)
  Coreward
  Spinward
  Anti-spinward
  Rimward
  30 LIGHT YEARS
  120 LIGHT YEARS OR 26,8 PARSECS
  8
  
  A TIME OF WARS
  While the entire Age of War was a time of conflict, several specific 
  campaigns stand out among the rest.
  FIRST ANDURIEN WAR (2398-2404)
  Since its capture by the Free Worlds League in the late 2360s, skir-
  mishes had been fought over Andurien and its neighbor worlds for thirty 
  years, but it was the large Capellan counter-invasion in 2398 that kicked 
  off this conflict—and, with it, the Age of War itself.
  The campaign did not go well for the Confederation invaders. The 
  League had spent some time preparing defensive positions. The Capellans 
  only made the barest of gains before being thrown back time and again.
  Finally, Aleisha Liao sued for peace. Andurien would revert to League 
  control for ten years, after which a vote among the planet’s citizens 
  would decide its nationality. However, the Free Worlds League continued 
  hostilities on other planets, culminating in the Tintavel atrocities and the 
  signing of the Ares Conventions.
  RIM WAR (2418-2422)
  Aleisha Liao’s successor, Arden Baxter, believed in reintroducing 
  republican ideals to the Confederation. As part of his plan, he reduced 
  the size of the CCAF, even while conducting a campaign against “border 
  pirates” (i.e., the Taurian Concordat).
  There had been clashes between the two states for twenty years, 
  so Baxter’s actions were not unprecedented. However, the CCAF was 
  overtaxed by simultaneously launching a conflict in the middle of 
  demobilizations. Many experienced officers had retired, so the war‘s 
  conduct fell to inexperienced junior officers. These young officers soon 
  proved to have no grasp on how to prosecute a conflict. Their strategic 
  and tactical ineptitude was overshadowed only by their brutality. The 
  Concordat had not signed the Ares Conventions, so the CCAF felt free 
  to use weapons of mass destruction against their “barbaric” opponents.
  Baxter ended the war in 2422, claiming victory after the capture 
  of just two systems—all at the cost of untold casualties on both sides, 
  military and civilian.
  THE LONG MARCH (2463-2468)
  The Lyran Commonwealth suffered greatly at the hands of its neigh-
  bors throughout the Age of War. However, in a reversal of fortune, they 
  became the first state outside of the Terran Hegemony to field Battle-
  Mechs. After the Combine and League managed to steal the technology, 
  Archon Alistair Steiner raced to strike first, before his realm’s edge could 
  be lost.
  The campaign kicked off with an ambitious two-front offensive. 
  One would feint towards the world of St. John before veering deep into 
  Combine space. The second would simply batter the League to retake lost 
  planets.
  The Long March went well for the Commonwealth. The Combine 
  salient handily drew away Kuritan defenders, and managed to take its 
  every objective. The League front took its first two objectives without 
  much difficulty. Alula Borealis, however, proved far more resilient and was 
  still unconquered by 2467, when both arms of the campaign came to a 
  sudden halt. Alistair Steiner had been assassinated.
  DAVION CIVIL WAR (2525-2540)
  This war saw its roots in the selection of five regents for the young 
  Alexander Davion. Instead of balancing the political dreams of the co-
  regents, this compromise reign instead led them—primarily Davion’s two 
  aunts, Cassandra Varnay and Laura Davion—to amass personal armies 
  and plot against one another.
  Matters came to a head shortly before Alexander came of age. After 
  he went into hiding, his former regents started battling openly. Alexander 
  was forced to conduct guerrilla actions within his own realm. The young 
  First Prince persevered and even managed to enlist some of his former 
  enemies to fight for his banner.
  The conflict ended in 2540. Having defeated Laura Davion in 2533 
  and Varnay’s forces in a space battle over the planet of Meglan in 2537, 
  Alexander faced the last obstacle to his rule, General Dmitri Rostov, killing 
  the man in a ’Mech duel on the planet Robinson.
  SECOND ANDURIEN WAR (2528-2531)
  In 2528, the Capellan Confederation once again launched a massive 
  campaign to recapture this important planet. Kalvin “the Mad” Liao had 
  his sights set on winning the world and the daughter of its Duke. Worlds 
  were traded back and forth as the Chancellor descended further into 
  insanity. It took a member of the Red Lancers to end the carnage by 
  assassinating Kalvin, allowing Hegemony Director Deborah Cameron to 
  broker an accord.
  Mica Liao, who had been hidden on New Avalon under an assumed 
  name, wasted little time in signing the peace treaty, once again ceding 
  Andurien to the League.
  THIRD ANDURIEN WAR (2551-2556)
  Terrence Liao was desperate to prove himself in the eyes of his 
  subjects, his neighbors, and the Terran Hegemony. So he took the simple, 
  logical step of declaring war on the Free Worlds League.
  After five years fruitless years of war, the Hegemony stepped in 
  and the negotiations on Terra allowed Terrence to return with not only 
  Andurien finally won but also a secret agreement that would grow into 
  the Star League.
  9
  
  THE MARCH OF 
  TECHNOLOGY
  Despite being the most widespread conflict until the First Succes-
  sion War, the Age of War saw astonishing advances in every field of sci-
  ence and engineering. The era’s armies started with tanks and firearms 
  that would’ve been instantly familiar to even a pre-spaceflight soldier 
  and ended with giant, bipedal war machines that could level entire cities. 
  That so many of these armies fought with an eye on the Ares Conventions 
  helped a great deal; states were able to pour money into research and 
  additional manufacturing rather than having to constantly replace lost 
  materiel and men.
  The Terran Hegemony led these advances, thanks to its ownership 
  of Terra and the resource rich planets that surrounded humanity’s birth-
  place. Its most visible contribution was the BattleMech, but over the 170 
  years of this period, thousands of new inventions and techniques were 
  developed inside the Hegemony.
  COMBAT TECHNOLOGIES
  As previously noted, the biggest advance in the period was the de-
  velopment of the BattleMech, at first in “primitive” form but rapidly grow-
  ing to maturity (the last notable primitive ’Mech of the period, the DV-1S 
  Dervish, was introduced eighty years after the Mackie). Many of the chassis 
  that are still playing important roles on the modern battlefield were intro-
  duced during the Age of War, such as the Shadow Hawk.
  Combat vehicles also advanced a good deal, though they clearly took 
  a backseat to ’Mechs after the mid-2400s. The same hyper-dense, ablative 
  armor that gave ’Mechs their incredible durability would be used on ve-
  hicles, not to mention the massive and powerful weapons.
  While aerospace fighters, DropShips, and WarShips all existed before 
  the Age of War, they too went through changes. Ever-larger and more 
  capable models soon superseded McKenna’s early WarShips. They and 
  JumpShips also benefitted from smaller (compact) or cheaper (standard) 
  jump cores, which led to the strict segregation of the two classes seen to-
  day. DropShips, on the other hand, changed little except in role and arma-
  ment. Specialized service and launch bays on combat-oriented transports 
  gradually replaced huge, generic cargo compartments of yesteryear.
  The only branch that saw little improvement was the infantry, though 
  improved personal weapons such as vibroblades and man-portable PPCs 
  did give offer these conventional troops a bit more punch in battle.
  10
  
  MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES
  The hallmarks of medicine during this period included increased un-
  derstanding of disease and low-grade genetic therapy. The average lifes-
  pan and general health of humanity vastly improved even beyond the 
  standards set in the Terran Alliance, though this was seen more on the 
  rich worlds of the Hegemony than the outer states.
  Cybernetics also improved. Although most were utilitarian in nature, 
  many augmentations emerged that carried the same stigma as they do 
  today—only for different reasons. While many mechanical substitutes to-
  day evoke uncomfortable memories of the Word of Blake’s Manei Domini, 
  during the Age of War, such elective cybernetics were viewed as vulgar 
  and ostentatious displays of wealth. Unsurprisingly, these were more 
  common and less reviled in the Hegemony than in the other Great House 
  states or (especially) the Periphery.
  WHAT DIDN’T EXIST
  Yet for all of the amazing strides forward, some technologies taken for 
  granted today simply did not exist in the 2400s and 2500s. Hyperpulse 
  Generators (HPGs), for example, are especially notable for their absence 
  in this time. Information, news, entertainment, and military orders all had 
  to travel via JumpShip couriers. This helps to explain why the huge cam-
  paigns of this period tended to peter out quickly; commanders would of-
  ten have to launch reconnaissance missions to check on their own forces, 
  greatly restricting the pace and scope of interstellar operations.
  2439 
  Mackie (TH) introduced; first ‘Mech
  2443 
  Kyudo (TH) introduced
  2445 
  Banshee (TH) introduced
  2456 
  Orion (TH) introduced
  2458 
  Archer (TH) introduced
  2459 
  BattleAxe (FS) introduced
  2460 
  Helepolis (TH) introduced; AC/10 and PPC perfected
  2461 
  Griffin (TH) introduced
  2462 
  Ymir (LC) introduced
  2463 
  Commando (LC) introduced
  2464 
  Wasp (TH) introduced; Terran Hegemony develops prototype 
  Jump Jets
  2465 
  Griffin (TH) introduced
  2467 
  Shadow Hawk (TH) introduced
  2468 
  Crossbow (LC) and Gladiator (DC) introduced
  2470 
  Ostwar (TH) and Icarus (FW) introduced; Terran Hegemony 
  introduces “modern” technology in combat units (such as  
  BattleMechs), to include fusion engines, control systems and 
  standard-grade armor
  2471 
  Hector (FW) and Wolverine (TH) introduced; Terran Hegemony 
  perfects Jump jets 
  2472 
  Firebee (CC) introduced as WAM-A
  2474 
  Phoenix (RWR) introduced
  2475 
  Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns introduce “modern” 
  technology in combat units; Hammerhands (FS) and Trooper 
  (FW) introduced
  2476 
  CASE perfected
  2479 
  Stinger (TH) introduced
  2480 
  Longbow (FW) introduced
  2481 
  Toro (TC) introduced
  2487 
  Draconis Combine introduces “modern” technology in combat 
  units; Von Rohrs (DC) introduced; Terran Hegemony perfects 
  Endo steel 
  2490 
  Thorn (TH) introduced
  2491 
  Thunderbolt (CC) introduced
  2499 
  Guillotine (TH) and Locust (TH) introduced
  2500 
  Lyran Commonwealth perfects AC/20
  2501 
  Free Worlds League introduces “modern” technology in combat 
  units; Flea (FW) introduced
  2503 
  Rim Worlds Republic introduces “modern” technology in com-
  bat units
  2504 
  Koschei (CC) introduced
  2505 
  Rifleman (TH) introduced; Taurian Concordat introduces “mod-
  ern” technology in combat units
  2508 
  Victor (TH) introduced
  2510 
  Chameleon (TH) introduced
  2511 
  Ostroc (TH) introduced
  2515 
  Warhammer (TH) and Eisenfaust (LC) introduced
  2518 
  Icarus II (FW) introduced
  2520 
  Dervish (LC) and Phoenix (RWR) introduced
  2524 
  Capellan Confederation introduces “modern” technology in 
  combat units
  2525 
  Talos (TC) introduced
  2550 
  Firestarter (LC) introduced
  2561 
  Catapult (TH) introduced
  2564 
  Xanthos (CC) introduced
  2567 
  Double heat sinks perfected
  2568 
  Phoenix Hawk (TH) introduced
  2570 
  Galahad (TH) and Scorpion (TH) introduced
  2573 
  Alfar (LC) introduced
  BATTLEMECH TECH  
  TIMELINE (HIGHLIGHTS)
  11
  
  THE HONORABLE (AND SAVAGE) WAR
  The other major legacy of the Age of War is the concept of limited 
  warfare. The Ares Conventions not only made conflict a viable and ac-
  ceptable tool of diplomacy, it also limited its impact on militaries and 
  their realms. As has happened so many times before, the tool meant to 
  limit war actually encouraged it.
  The most visible effect was the rise of the MechWarrior elite, many 
  of whom became literal nobility. BattleMechs were the perfect weapon 
  for this new kind of warfare: durable, impressively styled, versatile, and 
  crewed by only one soldier per unit. When coupled with the games of 
  maneuver so favored during the period, ’Mechs were actually quite inex-
  pensive and efficient to field.
  Not every conflict was fought according to the Conventions even dur-
  ing this period, however. The flip side of the “constant warfare” paradigm 
  was that populations soon became inured to great losses among their 
  countrymen—as long as it was far enough away. Few states experienced 
  massive grassroots “bring the soldiers home” campaigns, and those few 
  that occurred were often traced back to agents provocateur of internal or 
  external enemies.
  What the average citizen of the Inner Sphere does not realize, even 
  today, is that the Ares Conventions have been defunct since the end of 
  the Age of War. The Star League formally suspended the articles for the 
  Reunification War and most of the Successor Lords recanted the agree-
  ments in the opening days of the First Succession War.
  So, while people may grumble about violations of the Conventions, 
  no House Lord is bound by them. Still, limited warfare once again 
  became the norm during the Third Succession War (though this was 
  due more to manufacturing and transport depletion), and the defunct 
  Ares Conventions became a convenient guide to keep the impact of 
  conflict low.
  It is perhaps ironic that the two groups who still follow the Conven-
  tions to a great degree are the Clans and mercenaries. The Clans follow 
  them in spirit—if not to the letter—as their culture venerates honorable 
  combat and abhors infrastructural waste. Mercenaries often find it best 
  to follow the precepts closely, as many employers will be quick to break 
  contract with outfits that show too much willingness to fight barbarically.
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the creation of the Star League, the Age of War formally ended. 
  However, its legacies live on even today.
  THE DEATH OF DEMOCRACY
  As discussed previously, neo-feudalism quickly became the prevalent 
  political system across human space. While democracies and republics 
  continue even today on many worlds, and while most of the larger states 
  have some sort of parliament or senate, the days of direct action by citi-
  zens in government at the federal level ended during the Age of War.
  While many theories, from the prosaic to the paranoid, have been ad-
  vanced over the centuries to explain this shift, apathy and parochialism 
  are the most commonly cited reasons given by today’s scholars.
  Citizens of the various core worlds saw little of warfare during this 
  period and suffered little, so most felt little urge to participate in govern-
  ment. Those on border worlds just got used to changing currencies and 
  flags, as most conquering nations rarely bothered to institute any real 
  changes on their new populations. In either case, even if a world was lost 
  during one conflict, the constant ebb and flow of the period led many to 
  conclude that it would likely be retaken by another.
  The lords of the great interstellar realms have been careful to walk a 
  fine line with their citizens. Maintaining the status quo became one of 
  the cornerstones of neo-feudalism; people were encouraged to remain 
  in one place and at one career throughout their lives, thus limiting their 
  worldview to the here and now. Even at the height of the Star League, 
  the vast majority of people never left their homeworlds, and so few were 
  well-traveled enough to relate to the affairs on distant and alien worlds.
  It should also be noted that the last contact most of the Inner Sphere 
  had with interstellar democracy was when the Terran Alliance voted to 
  withdraw its borders. This act doomed several colony worlds to the slow 
  and agonizing death of starvation. The survivors of these catastrophes 
  spread their anger throughout the rest of the Sphere. The “tyranny of the 
  majority” thus sowed the seeds of its own downfall; even the citizens of 
  the Alliance, disillusioned by these events, set the stage for Admiral McK-
  enna’s coup.
  Once the Terran Hegemony introduced the Peer List, establishing a 
  new, hereditary nobility, the other realms soon followed suit. The few 
  families that had the vision and money to affect matters on an interplan-
  etary scale now had a direct route to power.
  12
  
  THE PREAMBLE
  We, the undersigned, on this 13th day of June, 2412, in accordance 
  with our commitment to preserving human life, do solemnly pledge to 
  prevent the loss of civilian life in war. Let this document testify to our 
  desire to end the senseless atrocities attendant upon human conflict and 
  our pledge to uphold the ideals contained within these Conventions, or 
  suffer the harshest consequences.
  [The Conventions were signed by Director-General Judith Cameron (Ter-
  ran Hegemony), Paul Davion (representing First Prince Edmund Davion of 
  the Federated Suns), Consul Heather Durant (Rim Worlds Republic), Adam 
  Kurita (for the Principality of Rasalhague), Coordinator Robert Kurita (Dra-
  conis Combine), Chancellor Aleisha Liao (Capellan Confederation), Captain-
  General Peter Marik (Free Worlds League), and Archon Katherine Steiner 
  (Lyran Commonwealth). Absent are the signatures of Admiral Sigur Fonn 
  (Regent to the Taurian Concordat) and Maharaja Naval Patel (United Hindu 
  Collective); the former distrusted the Capellan Confederation’s intentions 
  and the latter recognized the Ares Conventions as a legitimization of war-
  fare. – Ed.]
  THE ARES 
  CONVENTIONS
  No document has had quite so great an impact on the conduct of 
  warfare as the Ares Conventions. Although most people are familiar with 
  the six Articles of the agreement—given in full here—these form only 
  the introduction to and summary of the full document’s eighteen lengthy 
  appendices and two amendments. Notably absent were any actual pen-
  alties if a state violated the agreements. Aleisha Liao had dreamed that 
  other states would enact embargoes and coordinate military actions 
  against violators, but instead, most state leaders simply suspended the 
  Conventions at will. Civil wars were not mentioned at any point in the 
  document, either.
  As one reviews this material, keep in mind the distinction between 
  the “signatory states”—those that agreed to the Conventions—and 
  those outside of its purview.
  13
  
  Article V – Urban Warfare Restrictions
  No battle shall be waged in an urban area except under extreme cir-
  cumstances. If the military objective of an assault lies in a city center, at-
  tacking troops must ensure that any hostile action taken causes the least 
  possible amount of collateral damage. No attack may be made against 
  any civilian target, for any reason. Civilian targets shall be deemed to 
  include such life-supporting equipment as water and air purifiers, agri-
  cultural assets, or any other item that enables a planet’s population to 
  continue their existence.
  [Surprisingly, this article was not often violated during the Age of War. 
  Urban combat is extremely bloody for attacker and defender alike, so set-
  piece chess-like battles in a park or outside of the city limits were far more 
  common. Exceptions did occur, with depressingly predictable results, though 
  no engagement between signatory states ever resulted in the kind of civilian 
  deaths seen on Tintavel until the Amaris Coup. – Ed.]
  Article VI – Chemical and Biological Weapons
  Because chemical and biological agents kill human life indiscrimi-
  nately and often permanently damage the biosphere of any world suffer-
  ing such an attack, the use, further development, and production of such 
  agents is strictly prohibited.
  [While few states employed biological agents during the Age of War 
  (chemical weapons were deployed during the Rim War) every state contin-
  ued to secretly develop new strains and formulations. Some cynical histori-
  ans have suggested that it was the Terran Hegemony’s research in this field 
  that lead to their much-vaunted advances in medical technology.
  In more recent history, there has been some evidence that the horrific 
  “Curse of Galedon” was first developed in this period, before being (literally) 
  buried. – Ed.]
  THE APPENDICES
  The original treaty proposed by Aleisha Liao ran to eighty densely 
  packed pages. After months of negotiation, the expanded appendices 
  pushed the total to over 320 pages. As such, they are far too lengthy to 
  reproduce in full, and so are merely summarized here.
  Appendix A
  This section rigorously defined “combat forces.” It included strict defi-
  nitions of infantry, armor, artillery, cavalry, and so on. Aerospace forces 
  were also covered in some detail. As the BattleMech had not yet been 
  invented, ’Mech forces were covered instead by the Amendment of 2465.
  Like the Geneva Conventions of the twentieth century, for a person 
  to be considered as a combatant—and thus subject to the protections 
  of the treaty—he or she had to be in uniform when engaged in action. 
  The closing sections of this appendix then went to great lengths to give 
  allowances and exceptions to exactly what a “uniform” entailed and when 
  it should be worn.
  Appendix B
  This chapter went into detail on acceptable targets for military action. 
  Its first three sections covered mobile assets: military units and their sup-
  port and transportation. Later sections covered fixed defenses, transpor-
  tation hubs, depots, military bases and barracks, headquarters buildings, 
  and spaceports.
  THE ARTICLES
  Article I – Nuclear Arms
  The use of any nuclear device, or variant thereof, on a planetary sur-
  face, or against any commercial vessel, is prohibited. This prohibition 
  extends to tactical nuclear blasts against the aforementioned targets. 
  Controlled nuclear attacks in space against military targets are prohibited 
  unless they occur at a minimum distance of 75,000 kilometers from the 
  surface of any inhabited world in a star system.
  [Violations of this article between signatory states were uncommon, but 
  the Taurian Concordat suffered greatly from strategic nuclear strikes during 
  the Rim War. Tactical weapons were used most commonly between the Lyran 
  Commonwealth and Draconis Combine; their use was unusual enough be-
  tween the Capellan Confederation and Federated Suns to allow those states 
  to sign a further pact banning their use in 2546. – Ed.]
  Article II – Orbital Bombardment
  The use of orbital assets to bombard stationary targets (as defined in 
  Appendix B, Section 4) on a planetary surface, with the single exception 
  of a valid military objective whose destruction the attacker deems neces-
  sary to ensure the survival of his own troops, is prohibited. In no case may 
  any orbital attack take place in or near any heavily populated area, and 
  any orbital attack is subject to ex post facto review by a duly appointed 
  council from the signatory states.
  [“Ortillery” wasn’t employed much during the Age of War; it was often 
  far more effective as a threat than in actual use. Thus, this article was rarely 
  violated. – Ed.]
  Article III – Surrender
  To lessen the human cost of warfare, all combatants must accept the 
  surrender of any unit that offers it. A white flag adorned with a red “S” 
  will represent the universal surrender standard, so that any unit unable 
  to communicate by conventional methods may still surrender fairly. The 
  universal surrender guidelines in Appendix E outline the provisions for 
  the treatment of prisoners and fair compensation for the capturing forces 
  upon the release of war prisoners to their native realms.
  [The treatment of prisoners was subject to great variation. There are 
  recorded instances of entire units disappearing altogether after a losing 
  engagement, but this was very rare. The opportunity to ransom an already-
  defeated opponent was just too lucrative for most states, and so most sur-
  rendered units survived in good condition. – Ed.]
  Article IV – Safe Passage
  The governments and military commands of the undersigned agree to 
  recognize the aforementioned white flag as a symbol of truce. Any vessel, 
  or vehicle or person bearing such a truce flag shall be granted safe pas-
  sage through any place, insofar as the bearer breaks no laws pertaining to 
  that place, or initiates no hostile activity of any kind. Should the bearer of 
  a truce flag engage in hostile activity as defined in Appendix F, the truce 
  flag shall be deemed invalid, and any action taken against the individual or 
  individuals becomes the responsibility of those suffering said action. Ha-
  rassment of a truce flag bearer without provocation will be investigated by 
  a duly appointed board of inquiry from the signatory states.
  [The ancient red cross and red crescent were considered acceptable sub-
  stitutes for the red S, but only for medics and their vehicles. – Ed.]
  14
  
  Appendices C and D
  With military forces and targets so rigidly specified, the various lead-
  ers and diplomats then felt it necessary to precisely define civilian popu-
  lations and assets. Anybody that didn’t fit into either the military or civil-
  ian definitions was labeled a pirate.
  It didn’t take long for the number of “pirate” bands to increase dra-
  matically along contested borders. Such forces were used as the ultimate 
  in deniable assets and their employment lasted well into the Succession 
  Wars.
  Appendix E
  While Article III stated that this appendix merely “outlined … guide-
  lines” for the proper surrender and treatment of forces, it actually went 
  into some detail as to the proprieties of the situations. Surrenders had to 
  be accepted and provisions had to be made for the ethical housing and 
  care of individuals and forces that had given up the fight. Officers would 
  be granted their parole while enlisted men could only expect to be im-
  prisoned, though often in better surroundings than their own home bar-
  racks.
  Weapons and war machines would be confiscated but had to be re-
  turned in operable condition, though munitions could be kept. The cap-
  turing state was allowed to demand reparations for men and materiel, 
  but had to prove that prisoners had not been mistreated.
  Appendix E also covered the safe passage of humanitarians, non-
  combatants, and civilians through hostile territory.
  Appendices F, G, and H
  These three chapters defined the exact nature of military force in 
  ground combat (F), space actions (G), and special forces strikes (H). They 
  were also known as the “hostile action” appendices due to their repeated 
  use of the term. In all cases, they attempted to limit open conflict as much 
  as possible. Commanders were encouraged to resolve battles through 
  proxy. Some went so far as to challenge their opponents to sports match-
  es or simulation games, but one-on-one duels or small unit actions were 
  far more common.
  It should be noted that proxy battles were only a suggestion, not a 
  rule. By the Conventions, it was acceptable to use one’s entire force to 
  accomplish a military objective, as long as the campaign was otherwise 
  conducted according to the other Articles and Appendices.
  Appendices I through L
  Each of these sections discussed a different type of weapon of mass 
  destruction. Appendix I dealt with atomic arms, J with radiological (or 
  “dirty bombs”), K with chemical, and L with biological agents. The defi-
  nitions and restrictions were so strict that even comparatively innocu-
  ous chemicals such as tear gas could not be employed legally…at least 
  against a foreign power’s troops.
  Appendices M through O
  These three chapters covered various boards of inquiry and investiga-
  tive commissions to look into violations of the other agreements. Because 
  the Great Houses distrusted each other so vehemently, it often fell to the 
  Terran Hegemony to provide a “neutral” third party for such matters. The 
  Hegemony typically used these to further its own interests, directly cul-
  minating in the talks between themselves, the Capellan Confederation, 
  and the Free Worlds League that led to the creation of the Star League.
  Appendices P and Q
  These two appendices were filled with further definitions of many 
  terms used throughout the Conventions and a series of direct transla-
  tions into languages other than English. Appendix P concentrated on 
  translating concepts into Chinese and Japanese, while Appendix Q did 
  the same for French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Arabic, and Hindi. While 
  generally excellent throughout, the Hindi translations were quite poor, 
  using Sinhala characters rather than the proper Devanagari. This made 
  the section incomprehensible to most readers and may have been a fac-
  tor in the United Hindu Collective’s rejection of the Ares Conventions.
  Appendix R
  Seemingly added as an afterthought, this short and rather bland 
  section outlined the allowable uses of spies and other intelligence op-
  erations. However, once one sorts through the confusing language and 
  obfuscating phrasing, it’s clear that it only bans outright assassination. 
  In all other matters of espionage, it was business as usual for the Inner 
  Sphere powers.
  THE ADDENDUMS
  Only two additions were approved after the Ares Conventions were 
  signed into treaty. The first—the Addendum of 2465—was proposed by 
  the Terran Hegemony and added BattleMechs as an allowable combat 
  force type. The original signatory states all ratified this over the next few 
  years. The Director-Generals were patient; if a particular House Lord was 
  resistant to their overtures, then they would simply wait for another to 
  take power. As it turned out, the last holdout (the Draconis Combine) 
  signed the Addendum in 2472.
  The second Addendum was passed on the eve of the Reunification 
  War. It did not require ratification by the states, as they had already given 
  over this power to the Star League. It simply rescinded the Ares Conven-
  tions; they were never passed back into law.
  15
  
  WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
  Under the Ares Conventions, the use of weapons of mass destruction 
  (WMDs) was severely restricted to the point where only a few situations 
  could merit the use of such devices—and then only if all other options 
  have been exhausted. As a key issue in the Conventions, and a founda-
  tional concept in civilized warfare, the use of WMDs remains unthinkable 
  to most political and military leaders even today (Word of Blake forces 
  and terrorists notwithstanding).
  The Clan rules of battle also preserve this concept, going so far as to 
  completely ban the use of WMDs, regardless of circumstance. The one 
  Clan that used such devices—Clan Wolverine—was utterly destroyed by 
  its peers, and its very name became anathema among Kerensky’s chil-
  dren.
  TREATMENT OF CIVILIANS
  One place where the Ares Conventions and Clan law deviate notably 
  is in their consideration for non-combatants. While both agree that civil-
  ians should not be drawn into armed conflict, the attitudes behind this 
  are quite different.
  Under the Ares Conventions, civilians were considered to be pre-
  cious in their own right. They were to be allowed to live their lives as they 
  wished without ever having to worry about being killed by stray gunfire 
  or indiscriminate weapons of mass destruction. Even the technologies 
  that allowed them to live on marginal worlds were sacrosanct and could 
  not be targeted by military action.
  Under Kerensky’s system—though not precisely part of zellbrigen—
  civilians are a resource belonging to their Clan. That they should be left 
  unmolested is mainly out of a desire to not waste said resources unneces-
  sarily and to save the glory of their intact capture for the fighting elite. Ci-
  vilians could, however, be pressed into service as technicians or in other 
  non-combat roles as the warriors desired.
  These ideals blur quite a bit in reality. More restrictive states such as 
  the Draconis Combine and Capellan Confederation demand quite a bit 
  from their citizens, while some Clans practice a laissez-faire attitude to-
  wards their civilians. One Clan (Blood Spirit) even trains its lower castes 
  in basic combat techniques, a practice that may erode the distinction be-
  tween combatant and non-combatant forces.
  ORBITAL FIRE
  In another departure under the rules (albeit again with the same end 
  result) fire from orbiting spacecraft against non-military targets was spe-
  cifically restricted under the Ares Conventions. Among the Clans there 
  are no such rules, but their practice of bidding away aerospace assets in 
  most engagements means that orbital fire is rare.
  Twice, however, the differences between the Conventions and Clan 
  zellbrigen have been graphically illustrated when a Clan used WarShips 
  to bombard nominally civilian targets. During Operation REVIVAL the 
  Smoke Jaguars infamously leveled the city of Turtle Bay after its citizens 
  aided in the escape of Hohiro Kurita. Even after the destruction of that 
  Clan, Clan Snow Raven demolished much of the built-up regions of Gale-
  don in mistaken retribution for a terrorist attack on its fleet during the 
  early years of the Jihad—although they did so only after giving the in-
  habitants of those cities time to evacuate. Neither of these actions was 
  considered a violation of Clan honor.
  A MORE CIVILIZED 
  SLAUGHTER
  The Ares Conventions, while grand in scope and surprisingly well re-
  ceived and followed, obviously did not end “barbaric” warfare. It is a bitter 
  irony of history that the first state to break the Conventions was the Ca-
  pellan Confederation itself during its invasion of the Taurian Concordat. 
  However, for the most part, the signatory states fought by its rules, and 
  even in the aftermath of the “total war” Jihad we still consider the Con-
  ventions to be the epitome of proper combat.
  As for who best conforms to the Ares Conventions, many possibili-
  ties have been put forward by various pundits. Most commonly these are 
  the Federated Suns (because of the Six Liberties), the Draconis Combine 
  (for their belief in bushido), or mercenaries (out of simple pragmatism 
  and marketing of their services). In the end analysis, only one culture has 
  raised the practice of “proper combat” to an art form: the Clans.
  CHIVALRY
  The similarities between Aleisha Liao’s Conventions and Nicholas 
  Kerensky’s zellbrigen are striking. Though each derives from very 
  different goals—the Conventions’ hope to minimize or eliminate civilian 
  losses, versus zellbrigen’s hope to minimize military waste and maximize 
  personal honor—both foster a sense of chivalry in modern warfare. 
  While the systems do differ in some important ways, and some of what is 
  codified in one are mere suggestions or custom in the other, both show 
  similarities in producing concept that have become accepted norms in 
  honorable, idealized warfare.
  SAFE PASSAGE
  Article IV and Appendix E of the Ares Conventions concerned them-
  selves with not only guarantees that forces could pass unmolested as 
  long as they did not engage in combat, but also set aside rules disallow-
  ing the engagement of certain groups (humanitarian aid, medics, and 
  civilians) under any circumstances. These conditions are occasionally 
  recognized even today by Inner Sphere forces, and specifically codified 
  under Clan zellbrigen as safcon (safe conduct to a battlefield) and hegira 
  (uncontested, honorable withdrawal). 
  BIDDING AND DUELING
  Under the Ares Conventions, warfare became a game of maneuver, 
  conducted with advanced military technologies, but with the formal-
  ity of armed conflicts in the Eighteenth Century. With such formalities 
  in place, it was possible under the Ares Conventions to resolve conflict 
  with duels aimed at minimizing military losses and allowing the defeated 
  forces to retreat or surrender with their honor intact. Though this custom 
  was not always common in major engagements during the Age of War, 
  it was more commonplace between feuding nobles and is found even 
  today in many venues across the Inner Sphere.
  The Clan codes of zellbrigen raise the dueling concept to a whole new 
  level, often making it the focus of entire battles and strategic objectives, 
  with the pre-duel “bidding” process used to further ritualize the selection 
  of forces, the nature of the objectives, and the terms for victory and de-
  feat established before the forces meet in battle. 
  16
  
  A TASTE OF HELL: 2398 TO 2412
  As the Age of War opened, most states viewed tactical nuclear explo-
  sives and relatively mild chemical weapons (such as tear gas) as standard, 
  if unconventional, weapons. While few engagements saw their deploy-
  ment, when used properly, they were decisive force multipliers. The mere 
  threat of their deployment could force an enemy to stand down defenses 
  or end an invasion.
  In the very earliest years of the period, the use of nuclear arms was 
  restricted to the highest levels of command. It did not take long for this 
  to change. Hyperpulse generators did not exist, and so the commander 
  of a planetary invasion would have to rely on JumpShip couriers to re-
  lay any requests to his superiors. As the conflicts dragged on, more and 
  more of these commanders received advance clearance to deploy “any 
  and all weapons at their disposal” to eliminate enemy resistance. Those 
  who balked were cashiered.
  Even a single planet is an enormous area to fight a war upon, and 
  thus the allowances for using nuclear and other indiscriminate weapons 
  continued to flow down the chain of command. Initially these were used 
  sparingly, but as attrition and retirement removed the older, seasoned 
  officers, the younger men who replaced them—who had spent most, if 
  not all, of their adult lives knowing only a state of war—were much more 
  likely to unleash nuclear bombs, chemical warheads, orbital strikes, and 
  (eventually) biological agents.
  Matters grew progressively worse on every front. Entire regiments 
  vanished in atomic mushroom clouds and vast regions of eminently 
  habitable planets were laid barren from chemical attacks. Finally, a little 
  Capellan world named Tintavel saw hundreds of thousands of civilians 
  dead and injured from combined nuclear, chemical, and conventional 
  weapons.
  THE CONVENTIONAL CENTURY: 2413 TO 2524
  The use of WMDs and other tactics and weapons banned under the 
  Ares Conventions did drop off noticeably after 2412. With the important 
  exception of the Rim War, no state used such devices as a matter of stan-
  dard tactics or strategy for over a century.
  The Rim War was a major exception, however, and well illustrated 
  the failings of the Conventions. Because Arden Baxter had declared the 
  Taurian Concordat a pirate state, he was free to pursue his war against 
  the Periphery nation as he wished. The Concordat, which had refused to 
  sign the Ares Conventions out of distrust of its neighbors, found its para-
  noia vindicated as Baxter unleashed every weapon in his arsenal against 
  them. Biological and chemical agents—which were supposedly banned 
  entirely—were used with abandon, while nuclear weapons shattered 
  armies and critical infrastructure alike. The Concordat responded in kind, 
  and after several brutal years managed to hold the Capellan gains to just 
  two worlds, though these and several other planets would take centuries 
  to recover.
  The other state that found itself using nuclear weapons was the Ly-
  ran Commonwealth. The Free Worlds League and Draconis Combine 
  had been steadily chewing worlds away from their borders with the Ly-
  rans. The Combine’s soldiers have always prided themselves on martial 
  prowess and the League’s were well trained and motivated, while the 
  Commonwealth’s military had long been saddled with ineffectual com-
  manders. The Long March, a massive, two-pronged interstellar feint-and-
  encircle campaign, took both enemy states (and the rest of the Inner 
  Sphere) by surprise. At first the Commonwealth made great gains while 
  OTHER SYSTEMS AND CODES
  The modern form of the Draconis Combine’s bushido is closer to the 
  Ares Conventions than the post-Meiji precepts that the realm’s founders 
  venerated. It differs mainly in that it codifies personal as well as nation-
  al behavior, all in the name of preserving honor. A Kuritan warrior who 
  follows direct orders is not considered personally responsible for any 
  atrocities that may result. This is recognized by the Combine’s elite, which 
  typically leads to orders for horrors couched in deniable verbiage. The 
  Kentares Massacre, for example, was kicked off with a simple command 
  to “kill them all”. Bushido also allows a disgraced warrior to redeem him-
  self (and save his family’s honor) through suppuku (ritual suicide), a clause 
  that would’ve shocked and disgusted Aleisha Liao.
  The Free Worlds League’s Knights of the Inner Sphere followed an 
  even stricter guide to warfare, based on the chivalric codes of Terra’s me-
  dieval Europe. Even after suffering a nerve gas attack during a parade 
  that wiped out most of the command, and after being forced to wage a 
  guerilla war on their own capital, and even when goaded into action by 
  poor orders, the Knights fought with gallantry and honor. They did con-
  duct ambushes and supply raids against the Blakist occupiers, but always 
  gave their opponents a fighting chance to respond). Against the brutal 
  and fanatical Word of Blake this proved suicidal, but the Knights fought 
  the “good fight” for as long as they could and died on their feet, facing 
  their foes.
  One should also keep in mind the newest of the interstellar realms, 
  Devlin Stone’s nascent Republic of the Sphere. Under Victor Steiner-Da-
  vion’s guidance, rumors have emerged of a new system of “knights” and 
  “paladins.” It is very likely that these troops, in whatever form their final 
  organization takes, will be expected to adhere to some restrictive code 
  of conduct.
  …AND BARBARISM
  As has already been mentioned, it was Aleisha Liao’s own Capellan 
  Confederation that first ignored the rules she had worked so hard to im-
  pose, though under her successor Arden Baxter. His ill-conceived and 
  poorly run war against the Taurian Concordat saw the Confederation em-
  ploy numerous nuclear and chemical weapons against the tiny Periphery 
  state. The Taurians responded in kind, holding off the Capellans for sev-
  eral years and limiting their eventual gains to just a few blasted worlds.
  This action showed the ultimate weakness of the Ares Conventions: 
  there were no penalties for ignoring its provisions. The Great Lords could 
  husband their strength by abiding by the agreement and conducting 
  limited engagements, then switch over to total war tactics to conclude 
  difficult campaigns. They had little to fear beyond their opponents using 
  the same strategies, and yet warfare was still less expensive than in the 
  early years of the period. One commentator likened the style of combat 
  to a pair of boxers trading blows over eight rounds before exchanging 
  their gloves for shotguns and blasting away at each other (and into the 
  audience) for the ninth.
  This was nowhere as common as it could have been. For all its flaws, 
  the Ares Conventions did achieve the goal of limiting bloodshed in com-
  bat. The use of weapons of mass destruction, orbital bombardment, and 
  urban combat became the exceptions, not the rule, especially after 2412.
  17
  
  abiding by the Ares Conventions, but after the Combine thrust bogged 
  down, the Lyran commanders resorted to tactical nuclear strikes to com-
  plete their objectives. Strangely, these met with little outcry and were not 
  followed up with retributive strikes or any sort of political censure.
  The Ares Conventions proved to be toothless, but the Inner Sphere’s 
  leaders were too satisfied with the status quo to strike them down.
  WARS CIVIL AND ANDURIEN: 2525 TO 2550
  The Davion Civil War, despite its savagery, saw no use of unconven-
  tional weapons. Even though the three major factions had a great deal 
  of animosity towards each other, they were unwilling to resort to using 
  WMDs on their own worlds. Even the short, brutal campaign waged by 
  Alexander Davion against his former ally Nikolai Rostov was fought on 
  purely conventional terms. Similarly, both the Lyran Commonwealth and 
  Draconis Combine managed to avoid violating the precepts of the Con-
  ventions even as they suffered from internal crises during these years.
  The exception, once again, was the Capellan Confederation. Kalvin 
  “The Mad” Liao had his heart set on winning back the Andurien sys-
  tems and the hand of the Andurien Duke’s own daughter, and he was 
  not about to let an agreement brokered by one of his own ancestors 
  stand in the way. The Confederation used orbital strikes and nuclear fire 
  with abandon, almost always at Kalvin’s direct command. The further he 
  slipped into madness, the more horrors he unleashed, ignoring mass 
  resignations of his officers, the disappearance of his “beloved” during a 
  saturation bombing attack, and the suicide of his sister. Finally it took a 
  member of the Red Lancers, the regiment that had so famously sworn 
  personal fealty to the Chancellor, to end his reign through assassination. 
  Kalvin’s successor, Mica Liao, sued for peace as soon as she was installed 
  on the throne, but Andurien would bear the physical and mental scars of 
  total war for centuries.
  THE END TO AN AGE: 2551 TO 2571
  The last two decades of the Age of War saw little conflict in general, 
  aside from the relatively minor (and wholly conventional) Third Andurien 
  War. It seemed that mankind had finally tired of carnage. No WMDs were 
  deployed during those twenty years.
  The birth of the Star League at first appeared to be the light at the end 
  of the tunnel for humanity. No more would the six Great Houses batter 
  each other senseless over worlds and petty jealousies. Even as First Lord 
  Cameron prepared for the monumental Reunification War, few believed 
  that the slaughter seen in the early years of the Age of War could ever be 
  matched, let alone surpassed.
  Sadly, history was to prove them wrong.
  Not everyone agreed with the use of weapons of mass de-
  struction. Even in the early 2300s, before the Age of War began, 
  many decried their continued existence at all. There were several 
  popular movements, some of which stretched across state bor-
  ders (no mean feat before the invention of HPGs) that called for 
  an absolute ban on NBC weapons.
  The usual counter-arguments were that no state would de-
  ploy such weapons unless in the direst circumstances. In any 
  case, Terra had seen nuclear weapons used as early as the 1940s 
  (and chemical and biological attacks for centuries beforehand) 
  and had suffered no lasting harm.
  What the pro-WMD proponents failed to understand was 
  how truly unique Terra was among the worlds that mankind has 
  discovered. First, its ecosystem is extremely competitive. Many 
  native species have gone extinct during and since humanity’s 
  rise to dominance, but there was always another species ready to 
  step in and fill the ecological niches left vacant. This aggressive-
  ness served humans well as they traveled to the stars, as Terran 
  animals would often come to supplant creatures found on other 
  worlds. This was a double-edged sword, however, because if that 
  imported species itself goes extinct then an entire planet’s eco-
  system can be thrown into chaos and collapse.
  Second, Terra was humanity’s birthplace and mankind was 
  well adapted to life upon its surface. Even a major WMD attack or 
  natural disaster could be survived by merely moving a few dozen 
  kilometers or so away. Most of Terra’s land area remained habit-
  able by humans, and our technologies (from simple fires to fusion 
  power plants) opened up the rest. This, again, was an advantage 
  when colonizing a new planet, as people could adapt to the most 
  marginal of environments, given the proper tools. Unfortunately, 
  once those tools are removed and access to proper replacements 
  is lost, the settlers can expect only a lingering death by exposure 
  to the environments they can no longer control.
  Finally, Terra is diverse, both in native animal and plant life 
  and in the variety seen in the human genome itself. Even if an 
  entire ethnicity or species was destroyed by disease or disaster, 
  the rest of the world would continue on, often all the stronger for 
  the resistances gained and competition removed. Most colony 
  worlds, on the other hand, were made up of limited gene pools. 
  When every person on a planet is descended from just a hand-
  ful of initial settlers, the risk of annihilation from pathogens or 
  natural disasters greatly increases. Some promising colonies had 
  failed for just that reason, as native illnesses wiped out entire 
  settlements, either directly or through a lack of edible livestock 
  and crops. The deliberate use of biological attacks was even more 
  likely to render a world uninhabited as the survivors fled off-plan-
  et for their lives.
  All of these lessons were learned rapidly in the first decades 
  of the Age of War. It is one of the great tragedies of history that 
  some continue to press for the deployment of weapons of mass 
  destruction precisely because they can depopulate entire worlds.
  TERRA: A JUSTIFICATION  
  FOR ATROCITY
  18
  
  ROLE-PLAYING 
  RULES
  The following rules for the Age of War cover role-playing campaigns 
  using the core rules primarily found in A Time of War. It should be cau-
  tioned, however, that the Age of War was a period of great changes in 
  the Inner Sphere and Periphery, changes that are beyond the brief rules 
  presented here to fully explore. These rules should thus be viewed as a 
  starting point for creating characters in the Age of War.
  CREATING CHARACTERS IN THE AGE OF WAR
  Although the core rules found in A Time of War may be used to play 
  characters in a broad range of eras, it is difficult to communicate the nu-
  ances of the various time periods of BattleTech history in just one rule-
  book. To reflect these subtle differences, the following rule modifications 
  apply to creating A Time of War characters during the Age of War, and 
  may be used for any characters created from roughly 2400 through 2570.
  AGE OF WAR RULES
  The Age of War (2398 to 2571) was a period of great expansion for hu-
  manity. Huge nations rose and pushed their borders ever outwards—initial-
  ly into uncharted space, then increasingly against their neighbors—while 
  technology advanced by leaps and bounds.
  The following special rules allow players to add the unique flavor of 
  the Age of War era to their BattleTech war games and role-playing cam-
  paigns. All of these rules are considered Advanced and optional; thus, 
  players and gamemasters should agree to their use before introducing 
  them to their campaigns. For the players’ convenience, the rules pre-
  sented in this section are divided into two broad sections, the first—
  Role-Playing Rules—addresses elements of gameplay more appropriate 
  to games played using the role-playing rules presented in A Time of War 
  (AToW). The second part—BattleTech Rules—covers changes to the Ran-
  dom Assignment Tables and new units appropriate for the tabletop war 
  game defined by Total Warfare (TW), and Tactical Operations (TO). Players 
  may use either of these rule sets individually (or both, concurrently) with 
  the modifications described here.
  AFFILIATION: PRINCIPALITY OF RASALHAGUE
  Modified Module: Free Rasalhague Republic (AToW, p. 57)
  During the Age of War the Principality of Rasalhague was under 
  the control of the Draconis Combine, and was governed by a War-
  lord appointed directly by the Coordinator. These Warlords ranged 
  from sympathetic to antagonistic towards their subjugated popu-
  lace, but many in the population yearned for a return to freedom.
  Modifications: The Ghost Bear Dominion sub-affiliation is un-
  available. The Clan War Expatriate sub-affiliation is renamed Rasal-
  hague Patriot, and replaces Compulsion/Hatred of Clans with Com-
  pulsion/Hatred of Draconis Combine. The note about Rasalhague 
  characters joining mercenary commands should be ignored. For 
  characters that have accepted the Combine’s control, use the Dra-
  conis Combine (New Samarkand District) sub-affiliation, replacing 
  Compulsion/Hatred of Clans with Compulsion/Hatred of Rasalh-
  ague Patriots.
  AFFILIATION: MAJOR PERIPHERY STATE (AGE OF WAR)
  Modified Module: Major Periphery State (AToW, p. 58)
  Several of the large states that exist on the fringes of the Inner 
  Sphere were either founded during or after the Age of War; one (the 
  Rim Worlds Republic) did not survive the Star League era.
  Modifications: The Circinus Federation and Marian Hegemony 
  sub-affiliations are unavailable. The Magistracy of Canopus sub-
  affiliation is only available after 2530 and the Outworlds Alliance 
  sub-affiliation is only available after 2417; the Taurian Concordat 
  was founded before the Age of War and is available to characters 
  throughout the period.
  New Sub-Affiliation: Rim Worlds Republic: (This sub-affilia-
  tion is available throughout the Age of War.) [Attributes]: INT (+100 
  XP), EDG (–50 XP); [Traits] Connections (+50 XP), Reputation (–50 
  XP); [Skills] Streetwise/Rim Worlds (+25 XP), Choose two: Interest/
  Any, Negotiation, Small Arms or Survival/Any (+15 XP each)
  Life Module Restrictions
  Characters living in the Age of War may not take any of the fol-
  lowing Life Modules:
  Stage 1: Trueborn Crèche.
  Stage 2: Clan Apprenticeship, Freeborn Sibko, Trueborn Sibko.
  Stage 3: Solaris Internship is unavailable. No character may 
  choose the HPG Technician or Pilot/Battle Armor fields. The Pilot/
  IndustrialMech and Technician/’Mech fields are available for civilian 
  schools at any time, as crude IndustrialMechs existed for some time 
  before BattleMechs did. The military fields of MechWarrior, and In-
  fantry/Anti-’Mech are only available after the character’s affiliation 
  develops BattleMechs; see the timeline on page XX.
  Stage 4: Clan Watch Operative, Clan Warrior Washout, Cloister 
  Training, ComStar/Word of Blake Service, Dark Caste, Goliath Scor-
  pion Seeker, Merchant (Diamond Shark Warrior-Merchant), Proto-
  Mech Pilot Training, Scientist Caste Service, Solaris Insider, Solaris 
  VII Games or Tour of Duty (Clan).
  AFFILIATIONS
  19
  
  Once availability is known, the player must then find the item’s price 
  (in C-bills) and multiply it by the value given in the Currency Conversion 
  Table (Age of War) for the appropriate affiliation. Then, apply the appro-
  priate price multiplier as shown on the Price Multipliers Table (Age of 
  War). This establishes the basic availability and cost of the item. Situa-
  tional conditions may still affect this base price, but these can be resolved 
  by the gamemaster as he sees fit.
  Affiliation Restrictions
  Many factions present during the Jihad era simply did not exist during 
  the Age of War. No characters from this period may have Clan (Invading 
  or Homeworld), ComStar, or Word of Blake affiliations. In addition, while 
  the minor Periphery powers did exist during the era, the actual Minor 
  Periphery and Deep Periphery affiliations from AToW p. 57-58 may not be 
  taken, as none of the realms they represent existed or had any contact 
  with the Inner Sphere during this era. Instead, use the Independent (Ge-
  neric) Affiliation from AToW p. 63 for any planet outside the influence of a 
  Great House or Periphery state.
  Characters hailing from the Terran Hegemony may use the Terran af-
  filiation (regardless of the exact system they hail from), and may choose 
  whatever sub-affiliations most appeal to their players.
  As the Clans would not be created for several hundred more years, 
  the only phenotype available is Baseline Human.
  Age of War Affiliations
  The Affiliations rules described below modify those featured in A Time 
  of War. Affiliations present in A Time of War that are not discussed here are 
  unaffected by the era of play and characters may be created from those 
  basic rules without undue modification. However, note that some sub-af-
  filiations include Compulsions directed towards factions that didn’t exist 
  during the period. These should be replaced with a logical, local enemy 
  appropriate to the period. These Affiliations rules apply primarily to the 
  use of the Life Modules form of character creation, but can also serve as a 
  guide for creating characters using the Points-only method.
  ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE AGE OF WAR
  ComStar did not exist during the Age of War, so there was no C-Bill 
  to act as a universal currency. Instead, the Terran Hegemony’s dollar was 
  used as the standard by which all other currencies were compared. The 
  Hegemony dollar was roughly equivalent to the later C-Bill, so the values 
  for goods, salaries, and services in A Time of War may be used with little 
  modification.
  Note that during the period the slang term “-Bill” was not used, so 
  characters should use the actual names for the various realms’ money 
  (AToW, p. 12-15, and below).
  Salary Adjustments
  In the Age of War, most professions received the same pay as given in 
  AToW, so no adjustments are needed.
  Purchasing Equipment in the Age of War
  When purchasing equipment in the Age of War, the first thing to verify 
  is that the item exists in the era. This can be accomplished by consulting 
  the Costs and Availability section in TechManual (see pp. 274-301, TM) or 
  by finding the item’s Availability Codes in A Time of War (see pp. 254-324, 
  AToW). An item with a Tech Base of “Clan” only, an extinction date before 
  2398, an introduction date after 2571 (identified for many items in Tech-
  Manual), or which has an availability code of X for the Star League era (the 
  second letter in the standard Equipment Availability ratings) indicates an 
  item that cannot be found in the Age of War. Players and gamemasters 
  should pay careful attention to precisely when an item was introduced 
  and its originating faction; many advances were made by the Terran He-
  gemony but most did not become available to the other states for some 
  decades—if at all—during this period.
  AFFILIATION
  CURRENCY
  EQUIVALENT C-BILL
  Terran Hegemony
  Terran Dollar
  1
  Capellan Confederation
  Yuan
  2.5
  Draconis Combine
  Ryu
  2.2
  Federated Suns
  Pound
  1.9
  Free Worlds League
  Eagle
  1.5
  Lyran Commonwealth
  Kroner
  1.3
  Magistracy of Canopus
  Canopian Dollar
  8.2
  Outworlds Alliance
  Escudo
  25
  Rim Worlds Republic
  Shekel
  3.7
  Taurian Concordat
  Bull
  100
  *For comparison only; in the Age of War era, ComStar—and thus the C-bill—did not exist.
  CURRENCY CONVERSION TABLE
  (AGE OF WAR)
  PRICE MULTIPLIERS (GOLDEN CENTURY)
  Item Classification
  Price Multiplier
  Melee and Archaic Weapons
  1
  Small Arms and Support Weapons
  0.9
  Heavy (Vehicular) Weapons
  1.10*
  Explosives
  1
  Personal Armor
  1.2
  Electronics
  1.05
  Power Packs and Rechargers
  1
  Miscellaneous Gear
  1
  Luxury Items (Entertainment and such)
  1.25†
  Health Care
  0.9
  Prosthetics
  1.5
  Drugs and Poisons
  1.1
  Personal vehicle, Civilian
  0.85
  Personal Vehicle, Paramilitary/Police
  1
  Personal Vehicle, Military
  1.1
  *For bleeding edge technology (such as double heat sinks), apply an additional +0.10 to the 
  Price Multiplier for characters in the Terran Hegemony; outside, apply an additional +0.75
  †Items identified as “Luxuries” are technically any not required for the character’s survival 
  or job duties. If in doubt, gamemaster determines what classifies as a luxury item.
  SALARY AND PRICE TABLE
  (GOLDEN CENTURY)
  20
  
  At the time of writing, not enough vehicle or aerospace fighter designs 
  dating to the Age of War have been published to allow for complete RATs. 
  For more variety, players may instead pick a unit from this book, the more 
  primitive designs in Technical Readouts 3039 or 3075, or a unit from the 
  “Primitive” volumes of the Experimental Tech Readout PDF-exclusive series.
  Each entry includes the dates the selected units were introduced, 
  along with their mass in tons. If a unit has a split date (for example, 
  2479/2525) then the first date indicates when the Primitive model was 
  first fielded (as found in the appropriate XTR: Primitives volume) and the 
  second when its Introductory- or Standard-rules version appeared (as 
  found in the unit’s main Technical Readout entry). If a random roll indi-
  cates a unit that is not available for the year the game is set in, then re-
  place it with the appropriate Combat or Support Vehicle (Tank) listed at 
  the bottom of the table.
  Statistics for most of these units may be found in Technical Readouts 
  3039, 3050 Upgrade, 3058 Upgrade, and 3075, Historical: Reunification War as 
  well as the Experimental Tech Readout: Primitives PDF-exclusives, and in this 
  book. For more detailed and accurate listings by faction, see the Technical 
  Readout for each unit or the Master Units List (MUL) once released.
  ADVANCED RULE: 
  DESIGN QUIRKS
  At the players’ option, the units featured in this Era Digest include op-
  tional Design Quirks, based on the rules found in Strategic Operations (see 
  pp. 193-199, SO). Design Quirks are an advanced game rule, with limited 
  game balance, and so they are not appropriate for tournament play. In-
  stead, these unique effects would be far better suited to role-playing or 
  campaign-based games, where greater in-universe depth is desired.
  An additional, all-new Design Quirk: Obsolete, is also introduced in 
  this product, with rules as shown below.
  NEGATIVE QUIRK: OBSOLETE (4 POINTS)
  Available to: All Units
  A unit with the Obsolete Quirk is completely out of production, and 
  parts for the same are extremely scarce. Examples of this include Land-Air 
  ’Mechs after 3050 and the ICR-1X Icarus BattleMech. Though still service-
  able—and maybe even effective—an obsolete unit is extremely difficult 
  to maintain after its parts sources go silent, forcing technicians to resort 
  to jury-rigging and hand-machining even the most basic structural parts 
  and electronics to keep it battle worthy.
  A unit with the Obsolete Quirk cannot have any variants in active pro-
  duction, and must note the year in which its production ceased as part of 
  the Quirk. After that, the unit will become increasingly hard to maintain, 
  and its resale price will drop (for anyone except antique collections, that 
  is). To reflect this, for every 15 years after production of an obsolete unit 
  ceased, any rolls to repair or replace equipment on the unit—or to even 
  locate said parts—will suffer a +1 target number increase (to a maximum 
  of +5). In addition, for every 20 years after production of an obsolete unit 
  ceased, the resale cost (but not the purchase cost) will decrease by 10 
  percent (to a minimum of 50 percent).
  A unit that somehow comes back into production after becom-
  ing obsolete automatically negates this Quirk 10 years after returning  
  to production.
  Note that an obsolete unit may still receive additional modifiers for 
  other Design Quirks such as Difficult to Maintain, Easy to Maintain, and 
  Non-Standard Parts. 
  BATTLETECH RULES
  The following rules for the Age of War cover role-playing campaigns 
  using the core rules primarily found in Total Warfare (TW) and Tactical Op-
  erations (TO). It should be cautioned, however, that the Age of War was 
  a time of great changes in the Inner Sphere, changes that are beyond 
  the brief rules presented here to fully explore. These rules should thus be 
  viewed as a starting point for creating campaigns in the Age of War era.
  CREATING SCENARIOS IN THE AGE OF WAR
  In general, the guidelines given for creating scenarios (starting on 
  p. 256, TW) may be used as-is with little modification (safe for the Age 
  of War Random Assignment Tables, below). However, for more “flavor-
  ful” games set in the Age of War, players may choose to instead conduct 
  the battle by one of two general themes: honorable combat, fought by 
  the rules of the Ares Conventions, or a brutal slugfest across an atomic-
  blasted wasteland.
  By the Conventions: For these games, mapsheets should only be 
  chosen (or rolled) from the Table 1: Flatlands or Table 2: Hill Terrain tables 
  found on p. 263, TW. This represents how forces adhering to the Ares 
  Conventions preferred battlefields far from settled areas. In addition, the 
  only “proper” scenario type is Standup Fight, though nearly any scenario 
  type or Track (from a Jihad Hot Spots or Turning Points volume, for exam-
  ple) may be used if any “dishonorable” conditions (such as Hidden Units 
  or orbital fire) are removed.
  If using the Maintenance, Salvage, Repair and Customization rules 
  found in Strategic Operations (starting on page 166), a –1 modifier should 
  be applied to all Repair roll target numbers, to further reflect the addi-
  tional care taken to avoid excess damage. Alternatively, the players can 
  choose to have the battle be fought with simulated munitions, in which 
  case only damage accrued through physical attacks, falling, building col-
  lapses, and the like will require repair. 
  Across the Ruins: Alternatively—especially in the pre-Ares years of 
  the Age of War (2398-2412) or in the more brutal campaigns since (such 
  as the Rim War), the players can choose to instead fight across a battle-
  field that has been scoured by weapons of mass destruction. In this case, 
  mapsheets may be rolled normally. If buildings are present on the map, 
  then they should be treated as already having been turned to rubble (un-
  less they are objectives in the scenario that specifically must be captured 
  or defended). A variety of the advanced Planetary Conditions found 
  starting on page 28 of TO are useful to this sort of scenario, with Light or 
  Heavy Smoke hanging over the entire battlefield, Electromagnetic Inter-
  ference, and Tainted and Toxic Atmospheres working well to simulate the 
  hellish environment found after massed nuclear strikes.
  Players may also use the more-detailed Weapons of Mass Destruction 
  rules found in Historical: Reunification War for these types of games. Note 
  that it’s unlikely that the forces involved in battles of this nature will be 
  following the Ares Conventions.
  AGE OF WAR RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TABLES
  The Random Assignment Tables (RATs) in this section should be used 
  instead of those provided within the Creating Scenarios rules (starting on 
  p. 256, TW) to provide for era-specific unit choices during the Age of War. 
  Likewise, they should replace the Assignment Tables starting on p. 130 in 
  A Time of War. The random BattleMech assignments in this book are de-
  signed specifically to determine the composition of any Age of War force. 
  21
  
  2D6
  THAF (Light/Medium)
  THAF (Heavy/Assault)
  CCAF (Light/Medium) 
  CCAF (HEAVY/ASSAULT)
  2
  Chameleon (2510) [50]
  Guillotine (2499) [70]
  Wolverine (2471/2575) [55]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  3
  Thorn (2490) [20]
  Ostroc (2511) [60]
  Griffin (2461/2492) [55]
  Victor (2508) [80]
  4
  Griffin (2461/2492) [55]
  Thunderbolt (2491/2505) [65]
  Firebee (2472/2524) [35]
  Archer (2458/2474) [70]
  5
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  Scorpion (2570) [55]
  Emperor (2502) [90]
  6
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Orion (2456/2525) [75]
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Thunderbolt (2491/2505) [65]
  7
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  Firebee (2472/2524) [35]
  Koschei (2504/2579) [65]
  8
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Archer (2458/2474) [70]
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  9
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Ostroc (2511) [60]
  10
  Kyudo (2443/2625) [45]
  Bellerophon (2500) [60]
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Xanthos [100]
  11
  Phoenix Hawk (2568) [45]
  Victor (2508) [80]
  Wolverine (2471/2575) [55]
  Thunderbolt (2491/2505) [65]
  12
  Rifleman (2505/2770) [50/60]
  Helepolis (2460/2488) [75]
  Phoenix Hawk (2568) [45]
  Catapult (2561) [65]
  Tank
  Turhan
  Merkava
  Stoat
  Korvin (2430)
  2D6
  DCMS (Light/Medium)
  DCMS (Heavy/Assault)
  AFFS (Light/Medium)
  AFFS (HEAVY/ASSAULT)
  2
  Scorpion (2570) [55]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Archer (2458/2474) [70]
  3
  Gladiator (2468/2487) [55]
  Bellerophon (2500) [60]
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Banshee (2449/2475) [90]
  4
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Thunderbolt (2491/2505) [65]
  Wolverine (2471/2575) [55]
  Emperor (2502) [90]
  5
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Archer (2458/2474) [70]
  Dervish (2520/2573) [55]
  Victor (2508) [80]
  6
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Battleaxe (2459/2476) [70]
  7
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Von Rohrs/Hebis (2487) [65]
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Hammerhands (2475) [75]
  8
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Ostroc (2511) [60]
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  9
  Wolverine (2471/2575) [55]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Ostroc (2511) [60]
  10
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  Rifleman (2505/2770) [50/60]
  Battleaxe (2459/2476) [70]
  11
  Scorpion (2570) [55]
  Ostwar (2470) [65]
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  12
  Rifleman (2505/2770) [50/60]
  Victor (2508) [80]
  Phoenix Hawk (2568) [45]
  Hammerhands (2475) [75]
  Tank
  Sand Devil
  Merkava
  Stoat
  Estevez/Tiger
  2D6
  LCAF (Light/Medium)
  LCAF (Heavy/Assault)
  FWLM (Light/Medium) 
  FWLM (HEAVY/ASSAULT)
  2
  Firestarter (2550) [35]
  Banshee (2449/2475) [90]
  Dervish (2520/2573) [55]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  3
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Ymir (2476) [90]
  Rifleman (2505/2770) [50/60]
  Ostwar (2470) [65]
  4
  Dervish (2520/2573) [55]
  Archer (2458/2474) [70]
  Wolverine (2471/2575) [55]
  Emperor (2502) [90]
  5
  Griffin (2461/2492) [55]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  6
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Thunderbolt (2491/2505) [65]
  Icarus II (2518) [40]
  Longbow (2480) [85]
  7
  Commando (2466/2486) [25]
  Crossbow (2473) [60]
  Flea (2523) [20]
  Thunderbolt (2491/2505) [65]
  8
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Ymir (2476) [90]
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Ostroc (2511) [60]
  9
  Dervish (2520/2573) [55]
  Banshee (2449/2475) [90]
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  10
  Commando (2466/2486) [25]
  Emperor (2502) [90]
  Griffin (2461/2492) [55]
  Archer (2458/2474) [70]
  11
  Phoenix Hawk (2568) [45]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Orion (2456/2525) [75]
  12
  Griffin (2461/2492) [55]
  Bellerophon (2500) [60]
  Phoenix Hawk (2568) [45]
  Banshee (2449/2475) [90]
  Tank
  Stoat
  Marsden I
  Stoat
  Kestrel/Estevez
  2D6
  Minor Power (Light/Medium)
  Minor Power (Heavy/Assault)
  2
  Wolverine (2471/2575) [55]
  Banshee (2449/2475) [90]
  3
  Shadow Hawk (2457/2550) [55]
  Ostroc (2511) [60]
  4
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Ostwar (2470) [65]
  5
  Toro (2481/2548) [35]
  Banshee (2449/2475) [90]
  6
  Wasp (2454/2476) [20]
  Thunderbolt (2491/2505) [65]
  7
  Stinger (2479) [20]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  8
  Locust (2499) [20]
  Ostroc (2511) [60]
  9
  Phoenix (2520 [50]
  Archer (2458/2474) [70]
  10
  Locust (2499/2531) [20]
  Bellerophon (2500) [60]
  11
  Dervish (2520/2573) [55]
  Mackie (2439/2470) [100]
  12
  Griffin (2461/2492) [55]
  Warhammer (2515) [70]
  Tank
  Ignis
  Estevez
  RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TABLE (AGE OF WAR)
  22
  
  Capabilities
  The original Marsden’s layout mimicked that of tanks from as early 
  as the mid-1900s, centered around a single heavy gun for anti-armor 
  work, and a secondary machine gun to protect against infantry. These 
  two weapons were placed in a full turret, as has been the norm for the 
  last millennium. However, it was the Marsden’s large short-range missile 
  rack—and deep ammunition reserves for this launcher—that made this 
  tank unique for its time. The SRMs were mounted outside of the turret, 
  embedded in the tank’s forward glacis. A few salvos from this launcher 
  could shatter armor and cripple motive systems, allowing the accurate 
  autocannon to direct its deadly depleted-uranium payload deep into 
  the guts of enemy vehicles. The SRM rack could also be loaded with non-
  standard ammunition for special situations, and often the command tank 
  of an armored platoon would carry a full ton of smoke rockets to cover 
  the movement of its lancemates. It is a testament to the design’s sturdi-
  ness and simplicity that its more advanced replacement, the Marsden II, 
  merely improved on the vehicle’s armor and armament without actually 
  changing its mission profile.
  NEW UNITS
  The following units reflect a few of the new units that debuted during 
  the Age of War. 
  MARSDEN I MAIN BATTLE TANK
  Mass: 65 tons
  Movement Type: Tracked
  Power Plant: Arcturus Engines CM Elite
  Cruising Speed: 32 kph
  Maximum Speed: 54 kph
  Armor: AA Battleplate
  Armament:
   
  1 Arcturan Arms Longarm Series Autocannon
   
  1 Alpha Wave SRM 6 Launcher
   
  1 General A70 Model Machine Gun
  Manufacturer: Arcturan Arms
   
  Primary Factory: Arcturus
  Communications System: Arc-Signal 100
  Targeting and Tracking System: Scorpion Series AFC System
  Overview
  The first tank to bear the name of Marsden was the Lyran Common-
  wealth’s primary line combatant for nearly seven decades. It was not 
  the fastest, thickest armored, or the best armed platform of its day, but 
  this lack of superlatives only meant that it was a well-balanced armored 
  fighting vehicle. The Marsden I MBT debuted in 2396, shortly before the 
  start of the Age of War, and soldiered on until it was officially replaced by 
  the Marsden II in 2463. However, the original model remained in many 
  planetary militia garrisons and was quite capable of tangling with early 
  BattleMechs.
  The Marsden I’s last major deployment came during the Reunifica-
  tion War. The famous Tamar Tigers used a large number of these older 
  tanks for convoy and perimeter security, freeing up their BattleMechs 
  and newer armored vehicles for offensive operations. As a result, it was 
  these Tigers elements that first faced an en-
  raged Archon Viola Steiner and her company 
  of the Fourth Royal Guards during the fateful 
  “Day of Rage” in 2492. Though the tankers 
  fought well, they were no match for the mod-
  ern ’Mechs piloted by the berserking Archon 
  and her retinue. Of the 117 soldiers that fell to 
  their own leader, many were Marsden I crew-
  men. Despite Steiner’s regret over her actions, 
  she had proven that the old tank was finally 
  obsolete, and following the Reunification War 
  the remaining examples were decommis-
  sioned.
  23
  
  ESTEVEZ MBT
  Mass: 80 tons
  Movement Type: Tracked
  Power Plant: NM/750 Combat Diesel 
  Cruising Speed: 32 kph
  Maximum Speed: 54 kph
  Armor: Nova-IV Hyper-Composite with Diamond Flex
  Armament:
   
  1 Avalon Slugger Heavy Rifle
   
  2 PC-50 Machine Guns
   
  2 Vehicular Grenade Launchers
  Manufacturer: Novais Motors
   
  Primary Factory: New Avalon
  Communications System: Valiant Echo Mk. II
  Targeting and Tracking System: Thermoscan Optics FCS
  Overview
  The Estevez main battle tank, named for a popular New Avalon mi-
  litia officer, was one of the first non-Terran designs to see extensive de-
  ployment. Indeed, it predated its parent state—the Federated Suns—by 
  some years. Introduced in the early 2300s, the vehicle wowed military 
  reviewers with its size, speed, weapon load, and thick, dual-layered armor 
  system that afforded protection few contemporaries could match. Dur-
  ing the sporadic conflicts of the pre-Age of War period, the Estevez es-
  tablished a fearsome reputation. Its sheer bulk and massive-bore cannon 
  exemplified “tank shock”, and many of its opponents it broke and ran; to 
  do otherwise was considered suicide. Some military historians have gone 
  so far as to say that the Estevez was the foundation that the Federated 
  Suns was built upon rather than the “Six Liberties”.
  The Free Worlds League produced its own, licensed version of the 
  Estevez, which they dubbed the Kestrel MBT; it was identical in combat 
  capabilities.
  Capabilities
  Sadly, as impressive as the Estevez was in 2310, the vehicle was a di-
  nosaur by the time it saw large-scale combat in the Age of War. While its 
  fuel-thirsty engine could push the enormous vehicle to speeds compara-
  ble to the smaller tanks fielded by the Suns’ opponents, its main gun was 
  ineffectual against the advanced armors coming into their own during 
  the period. Its huge ammo load proved to be more of a liability than an 
  asset; while its main gun could barely defeat enemy armor after repeated 
  shots, the seven-ton magazine buried within was just a bomb waiting 
  for a penetrating hit. Twin machine guns and a pair of defensive smoke 
  grenade dischargers gave the Estevez some added protection against 
  infantry and enemy fire, but its outmoded fire control system made it 
  more difficult for the vehicle to score hits against more advanced targets. 
  Though its armor remained competitive, this often just meant that most 
  Estevezes were quickly disabled by motive damage and bypassed.
  The Marsden I did not see many variants in its service history; the vast 
  majority of its modifications were relatively minor upgrades of communi-
  cations or targeting systems. A handful were converted into engineering 
  vehicles or combat bridgelayers by Arcturus Arms, but their own Büffel 
  series support vehicles proved to be superior in that regard.
  Several other major states fielded tanks inspired by the Marsden I 
  (and later the Marsden II) during the Age of War. The names and com-
  ponent makes were different, but they were similar enough to be almost 
  identical on the battlefield.
  Type: Marsden I MBT
  Technology Base: Inner Sphere
  Movement Type: Tracked (Medium)
  Equipment Rating: C/C-X-X/E
  Mass: 65 tons
  Battle Value: 500
  Equipment 
  Mass
  Chassis: 
   
  17
  Engine/Controls:  
   
  22
   
  Type: 
  ICE 
   
  Cruise MP:  
  3
   
  Flank MP:  
  5
  Heat Sinks:  
  0 
  0
  Fuel:  
  450 km 
  1
  Turret: 
   
  1
  Armor Factor (BAR 7):  
  134 
  7.5
   
   
  Internal 
  Armor
   
   
  Structure 
  Value
   
  Front 
  7 
  30
   
  R/L Side 
  7 
  26/26
   
  Rear 
  7 
  25
   
  Turret 
  7 
  27
  Weapons and Ammo 
  Location 
  Tonnage
  AC/5 
  Turret 
  8
  Ammo (AC) 20 
  Body 
  1
  Machine Gun 
  Turret 
  .5
  Ammo (MG) 100 
  Body 
  .5
  SRM-6 
  Front 
  3
  Ammo (SRM) 30 
  Body 
  2
  Advanced Fire Control 
  Body 
  1.5
  Crew: 9 (2 officer, 2 enlisted/non-rated, 5 gunners)
  Cargo:
   
  None
  Notes: Features Armored Chassis modification and the following Design 
  Quirks: Obsolete/2470 (4 points), Easy to Maintain (1 point).
  24
  
  Type: Estevez MBT
  Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
  Movement Type: Tracked (Medium)
  Equipment Rating: C/D-X-X/E
  Tonnage: 80
  Battle Value: 647
  Equipment 
  Mass
  Chassis: 
   
  21
  Engine/Controls:  
   
  27.5
   
  Type: 
  ICE 
   
  Cruise MP:  
  3
   
  Flank MP:  
  5
  Heat Sinks:  
  0 
  0
  Fuel:  
  500 km 
  1.5
  Turret: 
   
  1
  Armor Factor (BAR 8):  
  164 
  10.5
   
   
  Internal 
  Armor
   
   
  Structure 
  Value
   
  Front 
  8 
  35
   
  R/L Side 
  8 
  32/32
   
  Rear 
  8 
  30
   
  Turret 
  8 
  35
  Weapons and Ammo 
  Location 
  Tonnage
  Heavy Rifle 
  Turret 
  8
  Ammo (Rifle) 42 
  Body 
  7
  2 Machine Guns 
  Turret 
  1
  Ammo (MG) 200 
  Body 
  1
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher Right 
  .5
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher 
  Left 
  .5
  Basic Fire Control 
  Body 
  .5
  Crew: 9 (2 officer, 2 enlisted/non-rated, 5 gunners)
  Cargo:
   
  None
  Notes: Features Armored Chassis modification, and the following Design 
  Quirks: Obsolete/2400 (4 points), Gas Hog (1 point).
  Only once did the Estevez face BattleMechs, during a deep raid on 
  Robinson. Luckily for the tank crewmen, the Kuritan commander was a 
  firm believer in the Ares Conventions. Upon being informed of the forces 
  facing him, he suggested that the combat be fought using simulated mu-
  nitions. Even with this concession, the Combine ’Mechs ran roughshod 
  over the Estevez MBTs and won their objective easily. Afterwards, it was 
  calculated that, had the battle used live rounds, even a regiment of the 
  tanks would not have been enough to defeat the Kuritan heavy ’Mech 
  battalion.
  After the Estevez was pulled from front-line service, quite a few had 
  new turrets installed mounting a pair of light-class autocannon. With 
  these new guns and a full three tons of ammunition shared between 
  them, the Estevez (Anti-Aircraft) model ironically saw an increase in its 
  firepower against modern armor. Still, this was not enough to save the 
  tank from the scrap yard; by the 2400s, the Federated Suns had aban-
  doned the Estevez in favor of the far superior Tiger.
  25
  
  Rapid advances in BattleMech technologies and the spread of Hege-
  mony-designed machines after about 2520 finally doomed the Hector. 
  Unable to compete with the next-generation ’Mechs, the remaining Hec-
  tors were stripped and relegated to the scrapheap even before the Age of 
  War ended. No combat-capable examples remain today.
  Capabilities
  By today’s standards, the Hector is particularly lackluster, though this 
  can be directly attributed to its primitive components. In retrospect, a 
  seventy-ton ’Mech capable of hitting speeds of sixty-four kph is not un-
  reasonable (indeed some modern designs are even faster) but the mass 
  taken up by its early fusion reactor hobbled every other aspect of the 
  ’Mech. Its armor was inferior to most tanks and it only carried a pair of 
  heavy lasers as its primary armament. A unique arrangement of leg-
  mounted machine guns, intended to deal with attacking infantry, offered 
  protection against anti-’Mech swarm attacks that the League’s enemies 
  had developed, but the decision to give each gun its own ammo bin was 
  less than optimal. Many otherwise pristine Hectors were crippled by leg 
  explosions caused by savvy infantry who knew how to strike these bins, 
  leading to the sole variant of the model. The Hector also suffered from 
  heat buildup, as its cooling system could not handle the load of its pri-
  mary weapons.
  HOR-1B HECTOR
  Mass: 70 tons
  Chassis: Corean Chassis Class 70X
  Power Plant: Pitban 340
  Cruising Speed: 43 kph
  Maximum Speed: 64 kph
  Jump Jets: None
   
  Jump Capacity: None
  Armor: StarSlab/2
  Armament:
   
  2 I.W.W. Large Lasers
   
  2 SperryBrowning Machine Guns
  Manufacturer: Corean Enterprises
   
  Primary Factory: Stewart
  Communications System: Irian Hi-Freq
  Targeting and Tracking System: Dynatec 400
  Overview
  The Hector was the second original BattleMech developed by the Free 
  Worlds League, following closely on the heels of the Icarus. It was a sim-
  ple design, built for ease of mass-production. This allowed the League to 
  field substantial numbers of the ’Mech very quickly and was soon regard-
  ed as the workhorse of the nation. While it struggled against the huge 
  Mackies of the Lyran Commonwealth, the Hector was moderately capable 
  against lighter opponents.
  Despite its numbers, it must be pointed out that the FWLM remained 
  unenthusiastic about the Hector. They just did not have anything better 
  at the time, especially after the debacle of the diminutive Trooper proj-
  ect. Even the final Flea, despite mounting startling firepower for its mass, 
  could only supplement the Hector, not replace it. The other contempo-
  rary League machine, the massive Longbow, was meant only for missile 
  support. So the Hector soldiered on, neither good enough to turn battles 
  alone, nor bad enough to replace entirely. 
  26
  
  FR-1 FIREBIRD
  Mass: 45 tons
  Chassis: Mujika Aerospace Type 4
  Power Plant: Rawlings 165-F
  Armor: Mujika AeroPlate
  Armament:
   
  1 Imperator-D Autocannon
   
  2 Zeus LRM 10 Launchers 
  Manufacturer: Mujika Aerospace Technologies
   
  Primary Factory: Capella
  Communications System: Endicott Type 20
  Targeting and Tracking System: Dwyerson Mark IX
  Overview
  Fighter aircraft capable of both atmospheric and deep space opera-
  tions are far older than BattleMechs. Some very early examples of the 
  class can even be found in records dating back to the Second Soviet 
  Civil War. Aerospace fighters did undergo a renaissance in design in the 
  early years of the Age of War, but given the rapid evolution of technol-
  ogy, combined with the typically long development of aircraft, few states 
  bothered with transitory designs. Quite a few projects were abandoned, 
  unfinished in favor of more advanced craft once combat fusion engines 
  and ’Mech-grade armors had been perfected.
  Therefore, it was difficult to find a representative fighter that would 
  exemplify the brief period between archaic and modern aerospace de-
  signs. At least, it was difficult until records from the Capellan Confedera-
  tion were examined and the fascinating Firebird came to light.
  Capabilities
  The Firebird is a perfect example of why so many nations chose not 
  to field transitory fighter designs. Underpowered by even late-Age of 
  War standards, its atmospheric performance was sluggish. A deep fuel 
  reserve did allow this fighter to build up a good velocity in space, but this 
  rarely helped in most combat engagements. The thin armor did not help 
  much, either. While its nose was acceptably protected against weapons 
  of the period—good for at least one or two hits—the ungainly Firebird 
  took most fire to its much weaker rear quarters as it plodded over the 
  battlefield.
  Recognizing these limitations, the Firebird’s designers gave it a po-
  tent ranged punch. A pair of mid-sized, long-range missile racks and a 
  light autocannon allowed the craft to strike from well beyond many foes’ 
  reach. After performing a slashing attack or two, Firebird pilots would 
  typically hit their afterburners and attempt to either return to base or 
  find another angle to attack from. It was, however, at these points that 
  the craft was at its most vulnerable. In one notable engagement, a pair 
  of Firebirds was set upon by a single Bullfrog V/STOL conventional fighter 
  (roughly analogous to the later Angel Light Strike Fighter). Despite the 
  two aerospace fighters massing nearly ten times as much as their lone 
  attacker, and mounting far heavier weaponry, they simply could not 
  maneuver well enough to get the tiny jet into their sights. Both Firebirds 
  were lost; since then, few aerospace fighters have lacked at least token 
  rear-firing weapons.
  The Hector was not badly matched against other machines of the pe-
  riod. It was faster than most of its heavy or assault-class counterparts, 
  providing a slight edge in battlefield maneuverability, and could keep 
  pace with many ’Mechs that were smaller than it. With a careful pilot at 
  the controls, the twin large lasers provided decent sustained firepower 
  for the time. After the HOR-1C was introduced, trading the machine guns 
  for small lasers, it also showed great endurance in combat. The 1C’s lack 
  of ammunition-based weapons made it one of the earliest “flashbulb” 
  BattleMechs in existence.
  Type: Hector
  Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Primitive)
  Tonnage: 70
  Battle Value: 949
  Equipment 
   
   
  Mass
  Internal Structure: 
   
   
  7
  Engine:  
  340 Primitive 
   
  27
   
  Walking MP:  
  4
   
  Running MP:  
  6
   
  Jumping MP:  
  0
  Heat Sinks:  
  13 
   
  3
  Gyro: 
   
   
  4
  Cockpit (Primitive): 
   
   
  5
  Armor Factor (Primitive):  
  128 
   
  12
   
   
  Internal 
  Armor
   
   
  Structure 
  Value
   
  Head 
  3 
  8
   
  Center Torso 
  22 
  20
   
  Center Torso (rear) 
   
  10
   
  R/L Torso 
  15 
  13
   
  R/L Torso (rear) 
   
  7
   
  R/L Arm 
  11 
  10
   
  R/L Leg 
  15 
  15
  Weapons and Ammo Location 
  Critical 
  Tonnage
  Large Laser 
  RA 
  2 
  5
  Machine Gun 
  RL 
  1 
  .5
  Ammo (MG) 100 
  RL 
  1 
  .5
  Machine Gun 
  LL 
  1 
  .5
  Ammo (MG) 100 
  LL 
  1 
  .5
  Large Laser 
  LA 
  2 
  5
  Notes: Features the following Design Quirks: Obsolete/2420 (4 points), 
  Bad Reputation (1 point), Exposed Actuators (1 point)
  27
  
  The Firebird did not survive long once aerospace technologies ma-
  tured. Obsolescent from its birth, after a mere twenty years this fighter was 
  hopelessly obsolete. The Capellan Confederation scrapped the last of its 
  Firebirds by 2420. A handful were captured by the Taurian Concordat dur-
  ing the Rim War, but even the young Periphery nation found little use for 
  the under-powered, poorly-protected craft and withdrew them from ser-
  vice by 2436. No functional examples exist today.
  Type: Firebird
  Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Primitive)
  Tonnage: 45
  Battle Value: 403
  Equipment 
   
  Mass
  Engine:  
  165 Primitive 
  14.5
   
  Safe Thrust:  
  5
   
  Maximum Thrust:  
  8
  Structural Integrity: 
  5
  Heat Sinks:  
  10 
  0
  Fuel:  
  240 
  3
  Cockpit (Primitive): 
   
  5
  Armor Factor (Primitive):  
  37 
  3.5
   
   
  Armor
   
   
  Value
   
  Nose 
  12
   
  Wings 
  9/9
   
  Aft 
  7
  Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage 
  Heat 
  SRV 
  MRV 
  LRV 
  ERV
  AC/2 
  Nose 
  6 
  1 
  2 
  2 
  2 
  —
  Ammo (AC) 45 
  Nose 
  1
  LRM 10 
  RW 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  —
  Ammo (LRM) 12 
  RW 
  1
  LRM 10 
  LW 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  —
  Ammo (LRM) 12 
  LW 
  1
  Notes: Features the following Design Quirks: Obsolete/2420 (4 points), Atmospheric Flight 
  Instability (2 points)
  28
  
  Marsden I MBT 
  3
  5
  Tracked
  I.C.E.
  65
  Inner Sphere
  Era: 
  Star League
  500
  BAR: 7
  2011
  2011
  (30)
  (26)
  (26)
  (25)
  (27)
  1
  Advanced Fire Control
  BD
    [E]
  1
  SRM 6
  FR
  2/Msl 
  [M,C]
  3
  6
  9
  1
  AC/5
  T
  5 
  [DB,S]
  3
  6
  12
  18
  1
  Machine Gun
  T
  2 
  [DB,AI]
  1
  2
  3
  Chassis Modifications: Armored Chassis
  Ammo: (Machine Gun) 100, (SRM 6) 30, (AC/5) 20
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO O O
  O O O O O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO O O OO
  O
  O
  O
  OO O O O
  
  Estevez AA 
  3
  5
  Tracked
  I.C.E.
  80
  (Experimental)
  Inner Sphere
  Era: 
  Star League
  571
  BAR: 8
  2011
  2011
  (35)
  (32)
  (32)
  (30)
  (35)
  1
  Basic Fire Control
  BD
    [E]
  1
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher
  RS
  0 
  [DB,S,OS]
  1
  1
  1
  1
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher
  LS
  0 
  [DB,S,OS]
  1
  1
  1
  2
  AC/2
  T
  2 
  [DB,S]
  4
  8
  16
  24
  1
  Machine Gun
  T
  2 
  [DB,AI]
  1
  2
  3
  Chassis Modifications: Armored Chassis
  Ammo: (AC/2) 135, (Machine Gun) 100
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  OOO OO
  OO OO OOO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO OO OOO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO OO OO
  1 
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher 
  RS 
  * 
  — — 
  — 
  1
   
   
   
  [AE, OS]
  1 
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher 
  LS 
  * 
  — — 
  — 
  1
   
   
   
  [AE, OS]
  
  Estevez MBT 
  3
  5
  Tracked
  I.C.E.
  80
  (Experimental)
  Inner Sphere
  Era: 
  Star League
  647
  BAR: 8
  2011
  2011
  (35)
  (32)
  (32)
  (30)
  (35)
  1
  Basic Fire Control
  BD
    [E]
  1
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher
  RS
  0 
  [DB,S,OS]
  1
  1
  1
  1
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher
  LS
  0 
  [DB,S,OS]
  1
  1
  1
  1
  Heavy Rifle
  T
  9 
  [DB,S]
  2
  6
  12
  18
  2
  Machine Gun
  T
  2 
  [DB,AI]
  1
  2
  3
  Chassis Modifications: Armored Chassis
  Ammo: (Machine Gun) 200, (Heavy Rifle) 42
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  OOO OO
  OO OO OOO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO OO OOO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO OO OO
  1 
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher 
  RS 
  * 
  — — 
  — 
  1
   
   
   
  [AE, OS]
  1 
  Vehicular Grenade Launcher 
  LS 
  * 
  — — 
  — 
  1
   
   
   
  [AE, OS]
  
  Hector HOR-1B
  4
  6
  0
  70
  (Primitive)
  (Experimental)
  949
  Era: 
  Star League
  Inner Sphere
  2011
  (8)
  (13)
  (13)
  (20)
  (10)
  (10)
  (15)
  (15)
  (7)
  (10)
  (7)
  (15)
  (15)
  (11)
  (11)
  (22)
  (15)
  (15)
  1
  Large Laser
  RA
  8
  8 [DE]
  5
  10
  15
  1
  Large Laser
  LA
  8
  8 [DE]
  5
  10
  15
  1
  Machine Gun
  RL
  0
  2 
  [DB,AI]
  1
  2
  3
  1
  Machine Gun
  LL
  0
  2 
  [DB,AI]
  1
  2
  3
  Shoulder
  Upper Arm Actuator
  Lower Arm Actuator
  Large Laser
  Large Laser
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Shoulder
  Upper Arm Actuator
  Lower Arm Actuator
  Large Laser
  Large Laser
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Gyro
  Gyro
  Gyro
  Gyro
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Life Support
  Sensors
  Primitive Cockpit
  Roll Again
  Sensors
  Life Support
  Hip
  Upper Leg Actuator
  Lower Leg Actuator
  Foot Actuator
  Machine Gun
  Ammo (Machine Gun) 100
  Hip
  Upper Leg Actuator
  Lower Leg Actuator
  Foot Actuator
  Machine Gun
  Ammo (Machine Gun) 100
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O O O
  O O O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO
  OOO
  OOO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OOO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OOO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  13 (13)
  Single
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  
  Hector HOR-1C
  4
  6
  0
  70
  (Primitive)
  (Experimental)
  993
  Era: 
  Star League
  Inner Sphere
  2011
  (8)
  (13)
  (13)
  (20)
  (10)
  (10)
  (15)
  (15)
  (7)
  (10)
  (7)
  (15)
  (15)
  (11)
  (11)
  (22)
  (15)
  (15)
  1
  Large Laser
  RA
  8
  8 [DE]
  5
  10
  15
  1
  Large Laser
  LA
  8
  8 [DE]
  5
  10
  15
  1
  Small Laser
  RL
  1
  3 [DE]
  1
  2
  3
  1
  Small Laser
  LL
  1
  3 [DE]
  1
  2
  3
  Shoulder
  Upper Arm Actuator
  Lower Arm Actuator
  Large Laser
  Large Laser
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Shoulder
  Upper Arm Actuator
  Lower Arm Actuator
  Large Laser
  Large Laser
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Gyro
  Gyro
  Gyro
  Gyro
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Primitive Fusion Engine
  Heat Sink
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Roll Again
  Life Support
  Sensors
  Primitive Cockpit
  Roll Again
  Sensors
  Life Support
  Hip
  Upper Leg Actuator
  Lower Leg Actuator
  Foot Actuator
  Small Laser
  Roll Again
  Hip
  Upper Leg Actuator
  Lower Leg Actuator
  Foot Actuator
  Small Laser
  Roll Again
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O O O
  O O O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO
  OOO
  OOO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OOO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OOO
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  14 (14)
  Single
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  
  Firebird FR-1
  5
  8
  45
  (Primitive)
  Inner Sphere
  Year: 
  0
  403
  2011
  2 (12)
  1 (9)
  1 (9)
  1 (7)
  5
  1
  AC/2 [DB,S]
  N
  1
  2
  2
  2
  1
  LRM 10 [M,C,S]
  LW
  4
  6
  6
  6
  1
  LRM 10 [M,C,S]
  RW
  4
  6
  6
  6
  Ammo: (AC/2) 45, (LRM 10) 24
  Fuel: 240 Points
  10 (10)
  Single
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  OO
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/BattleTech [multi]/Sourcebooks/Era Digest/Era Digest - Age of War.pdf