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BattleTech (MechWarrior) is a science-fiction board game,
wargame, and role playing
game (designed by FASA); which simulates warfare in
the future, a future with giant robots, (known
as BattleMechs), spaceships, fusion reactors, and lasers. Several computer games and
forum games have been based off the game, as well as a televised animation and numerous
books. After FASA's was wound down the rights to BattleTech shifted to WizKidsGames,
founded by one of the BattleTech creators, Jordan K Weissman. A new version of BattleTech, known as MechWarrior:Dark Age uses
the same clix system as Mage Knight was released in 2002. The original
BattleTech, now known by the moniker Classic Battletech, the older system having been licensed by WizKidsGames to Fanpro. Fanpro
continues to release rules updates and new Technical Readouts to Classic BattleTech.
BattleTech is also the name of a collectible card game based on this setting.
Warning: Plot details
follow.
Political Entities of BattleTech
BattleTech's universe is comprised of numerous interstellar human governments; these remnants of the effectively defunct Star League are fighting a
war over the Inner Sphere.
The Great Houses and Successor States
The five principle Great Houses of the Inner Sphere, and the names of each Successor State they rule:
- House Davion
- Federated Suns (Later, the
Federated Commonwealth
(FedCom))
- Reverted it's name back to the name Federated Suns after the FedCom Civil War
- House Kurita
- House Liao
- House Marik
- Free Worlds League
(FWL)
- Free Worlds League
fractured into it's independent duchies and states after the Word of Blake jihad
- House Steiner
- Lyran Alliance (Later, the
Federated Commonwealth
(FedCom))
- Reverted it's name back to Lyran Commonwealth after the FedCom Civil War
- ComStar is a relatively powerful group, which controls Terra. ComStar (which claims to be a neutral power) maintains a
monopoly over nearly all FTL HyperPulse Generators.
- Word of Blake a radical
splinter group of comstar created after the death of Primus Myndo Waterly. Conquered Terra in 3058
- Initiated a jihad in 3067 ending the classic battletech storyline and starting the mechwarrior: dark age storyline
- Rasalhague
Dominion
- Formerly the Free Rasalhague Republic (FRR) and Ghost Bear occupation zone
- St.Ives Compact
- Short lived independence from the Capellan Confederation, created after the 4th succession war, absorbed back into the
Confederation in 3062
- Terran Hegemony
- The first star spanning government, ended with the fall of the Star League
- Republic of
the Sphere
- Formed from the ashes of the Word of Blake jihad. Devlin Stone asked for and received all worlds with 120 light years of
Terra in his effort to once and for all end war. The collapse of the HPG grid in 3130 lead to the Dark Age and the splintering of
the Republic into several factions including:
- Banson's Raiders: Mercenary unit. Possibly might fold into House Liao.
- Dragon's Fury: Draconis Combine allied faction.
- Highlanders: Republic allied mercenary unit. Possibly might fold back into Republic military.
- Swordsworn: Federated Suns allied faction.
- Spirit Cats: Clan Nova Cat allied faction.
- Stormhammers: Lyran Commonwealth allied faction.
- Steel Wolves: Clan Wolf allied faction.
The Clans
Furthermore, invaders from beyond the Inner Sphere
have been added to the mix; the Clans, who seek to conquer the
Inner Sphere and capture Terra for their own.
- Clan Blood Spirit
- Clan Burrock
- Clan Cloud Cobra
- Clan Coyote
- Clan Diamond Shark
- Clan Fire Mandrill
- Clan Ghost Bear
- Clan Goliath Scorpion
- Clan Hell's Horse
- Clan Ice Hellion
- Clan Jade Falcon
- Clan Jade Wolf
- Clan Mongoose
- Clan Nova Cat
- Clan Sea Fox
- Clan Smoke Jaguar
- Clan Snow Raven
- Clan Star Adder
- Clan Steel Viper
- Clan Widowmaker
- Clan Wolf
- Clan Wolverine
- Clan Wolf-in-Exile (Splintered from Clan Wolf after the Refusal War)
- Clan Steel Wolves (Mechwarrior: Dark Age
clan)
The Clans, descendants of the Star League's army, were led from the Inner Sphere by general Aleksandr Kerensky. From 3049 to 3052 the Clan Invasion was an attempt
to conquer the Inner Sphere and retake Terra. The invasion was halted in the Battle of Tukayyid and a 15 year truce ensued. Following
the Word of Blake jihad, and the Clan Civil War and many other fracturous events, the clanners have in one way or another, made
an uneasy peace with their spheroid bretheren.
The Periphery States
Along the outer edges of the Innersphere reside independent collection of worlds, mostly colonized back in the days of the
Star League, these small states range from pirate kingdoms to merchant alliances.
- Marian Hegemony
- Magistracy of Canopus
- Taurian Concordat
- Rim Collection
- Rim Territories
- Circinus Federation (annihilated during the jihad)
- Lothian League
- Outworlds Alliance (conquered and renamed to Ravens Alliance)
- Niops Association
- Filtvelt Coalition
- Tortuga Dominions
- Mica Majority
- Randis IV
- Oberon Confederation, Greater Valkyrate, Elysian Fields (all conquered during the initial clan invasion)
Technology of BattleTech
- BattleTech:Technology
- BattleMechs
- Dropships
- HyperPulse Generators
- Jumpships
- OmniMechs
Variations of BattleTech
The forum game Shattered Sphere is a notable variant of the BattleTech universe.
Notable Battletech Artists, Designers, and Writers
- Jim Nelson
- Bryan Nystul
- Loren Coleman
- Michael Stackpole
- Randall Bills
- Franz Vohwinkel
- Herbert Beas III
- Chris Hartford
- Christoffer
Trossen
- Øystein Tvedten
- Chris Smith
- Robert Thurston
- Rick Raisley
- Thomas Gressman
- Blaine Pardoe
- Andreas Zuber
- Robert Charrette
- William H. Keith, Jr.
- Peter Smith
- Warner Doles
- Peter LaCasse
- Ardath Mayhar
See also: Battletech 3065 Online, MechWarrior, Multiplayer
BattleTech 3025, BattleTech:Characters
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