James Cobb


James Cobb
James Cobb
Character Profile
Born 2999[1]
Died 3080
Affiliation Clan Hell's Horses
Rank Khan


James Cobb was a Clan Hell's Horses Trueborn Elemental warrior, officer, and later Khan of Clan Hell's Horses.

Personality[edit]

A dedicated Horseman, James Cobb was aggressive and willing to do anything for the sake of his Clan. In his later years as Khan, he was known to double-cross allies if doing so would benefit his Clan.[2] He possessed a near-genius mind, which he used help resolve Clan related problems from combat in his earlier years to Clan Hell's Horses affairs as Khan.[3]

Appearance[edit]

In his youth, he had blond hair, ice-blue eyes and a flawless muscular body.

History[edit]

Early Years[edit]

James Cobb rose among his fellow Clansman with driving determination and combat prowess. His steady rise among the Horses earned him the position as commander of the 11th Mechanized Cavalry Cluster and Mark of the Horse. Despite the Star Colonel's well-known Warden leanings and those of his Cluster, he was nominated by leading Crusader and Alpha Galaxy Commander Nobel DeLaurel to represent the Hell's Horses in the Placement Trials of Operation REVIVAL.[4][5]

Ascendance to the Khanship[edit]

On Niles in 3065, Cobb confronted Khan Malavai Fletcher in a Trial of Possession for the title as Khan. In a duel by swords, he was able to slay the mad Khan Fletcher.[6][7]

After attaining Khanship, Cobb focused on rebuilding his Clan's honor after many years of Malavai Fletcher’s abuse.[citation needed] He, with saKhan Tanya DeLaurel, purged the leadership of Horses of all Crusader aligned warriors who disgraced the Clan during the Wars of Possession.[8]

Hell's Horses Exodus & the Jihad[edit]

Invasion of the Clan Invasion's Occupation Zones[edit]

In the closing years of the 3060s, James Cobb began what has been termed accelerated movement of his Clan's touman to invade Clan Wolf's and part of Clan Jade Falcon's occupation zones in the Inner Sphere. In Clan space, the large amount of JumpShip activity was noted by Clan Ice Hellion's Watch. SaKhan Conner Rood noticed intelligence reports and at command of Khan Montose, met with Cobb on Nile in an attempt to form a partnership.[9]

In February of 3068, Khan Cobb began the process of his Clan's invasion and resettlement to the Inner Sphere. He negotiated with Clan Diamond Shark where they would deliver supplies and equipment to stock up the periphery world of Nouveaux Paris as their staging world. It would not be until April 3070, when the last of Clan Hell's Horses' convoys of its people departed the Kerensky Cluster and Clan space entirely. Cobb laid claim to former Clan Ghost Bear warrior Jake Kabrinski, whom his Watch had captured in an intelligence raid. He became Kabrinski's bondmaster and converted him from Bear to Horse. He then used the highly prized warrior as his emissary to the Bears to reassure them that his Horses no longer had a conflict with them anymore.[10]

He directed his touman to strike in Clan Wolf's periphery regions, where they captured a large quantity of the Crusading Wolves' Warden troops, who put up little resistance to their invasion in November, 3070.[11] These warriors were used as the core for a new Omega Galaxy. James Cobb pushed his troops into the Wolves' occupation zone, claiming worlds until the middle of 3071,[12] when his forces finally had to stop after having incurred considerable amount of damage and needing time to rest before moving on.[13]

Ice Hellion Incursion & End of the Invasion into Clan Wolf Space[edit]

At this April 3071, Clan Ice Hellion arrived in Inner Sphere space and invaded the Jade Falcon occupation zone. By November, the Khan decided to side with the Jade Falcons and fought against their former Ice Hellion allies. The conflict would benefit the Horses as Cobb’s forces took Hellion worlds and retained a number of worlds formerly belong to the Falcons as his own.[14] During this time, Clan Wolf had moved its frontline forces from its Succession State borders to create a line of death to prevent the Horses claiming more of their Occupation Zone. Shortly after, Cobb sent an envoy who negotiated a ceasefire of active combat between them.[15][16]

Handling Horses affairs in the Jihad[edit]

In 3074, Khan Cobb learned that the New Belt Pirates of Star's End had hidden a functional shipyard among their asteroid holdings. He dispatched his Beta Galaxy to take possession of the prized facility and end the Belt Pirates' raiding.[17]

By 3077, Cobb's plan of claiming a sizable part of the Inner Sphere for his Clan had been successful, but problems had cropped up. His people continued to arrive from Clan space, but he had difficulty settling his civilian castes. Citizenry of the Clan worlds he had conquered were waging guerrilla war against their worlds' occupation. Cobb was forced to continue to rely on the Diamond Sharks for supplies, since his Clan's new territories had only limited production capacities.[18]

He has sent out envoys to meet with local Clans, such as Clan Wolf in Exile in an attempt to bolster his Clan's defenses.

Death[edit]

In 3080, James Cobb died peacefully in his sleep. He was succeeded by Jake Kabrinski.[19]

Legacy[edit]

Under his leadership as Khan, James Cobb resurrected his Clan's traditional Warden political philosophy. He also reestablished his Clan's honor which was tainted by the victories and actions Khan Fletcher and his fellow Crusaders had incurred during their period of leadership. He relocated his Clan to the Inner Sphere and achieved revenge against the Wolves for their manipulation of his Clan during Fletcher's reign. James was also responsible of achieving peace with Clan Ghost Bear, ending a century-long rivalry between the two Clans.

Rules[edit]

Game Rules[edit]

When using the AToW special rules found in Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, Khan James Cobb grants +2 modifier to negotiations, mathematics, organization, and tactics checks.[20]

References[edit]

  1. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 139: Birth
  2. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 140: Khan's trait being aggressive and noted willing to betray an ally for the sake of the Clan is noted
  3. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 258: Khan James Cobb - Special Rules sections notes that he has a near-genius mind
  4. Operational Turning Points: REVIVAL Trials, p. 20
  5. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 63: James Cobb - Brief info on his earlier years prior attaining Khanship
  6. Test of Vengeance - James Cobb fights Trial for Khanship after the Horse Bloodname Counsel votes that Malavai was unfit to rule
  7. Field Manual: Updates, p. 44: letter to ovKhan notes Cobb's ascendance Khanship two years after the letter/report is sent
  8. Field Manual: Updates, p. 44: Hell's Horses touman - Khan Cobb purges upper ranks of Malavai's fellow crusaders
  9. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 105: Ice Hellion's Watch Report - Hellion's intelligence report on Horse notes Horses preparation for their invasion of the Wolves Occupation Zone
  10. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, Jake Kabrinski - Khan Cobb takes rein of Jake Kabrinski and uses him to broker peace between the now Warden Horses and his former Clansmen
  11. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 25: Timeline of the Jihad - Horses return to the inner sphere and the invasion noted in November 14-28th of 3070
  12. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 21: Hell's Horses Advance - Cobb's noted in a News article in the invasion proceeding as of February 3071
  13. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 139: Forcible Relocation - Actions of Cobb during the early years leading to the Jihad and their invasion of Wolf space
  14. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 28–31: Operation: Ice Storm - Khan Cobb turned his forces against his "allies" from the Kerensky Cluster and helps the Falcons
  15. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 49: Horses turn on Hellion allies as Wolves counterattack - Wolves counterattack Hell's Horses, but not before turning on Hellions
  16. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 139: Forcible Relocation - Wolves reinforcement block the way for Horses from moving further into their Occupation Zone. Shortly later end their invasion
  17. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 144: Star's End - Khan Cobb has Beta Galaxy capture New Belt Pirates' shipyards
  18. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 139: New Beginnings - Cobb's handling of new realities of his Clan's Occupation Zone
  19. The Wars of Reaving, p. 175: "Clan Hell's Horses"
  20. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 259: Rules Annex/Khan James Cobb - James Cobb Rules Annex abilities

Bibliography[edit]