Martial Olympiad

The Martial Olympiad was a series of mock combats held every four years from 2640 to 2736, designed to test fighting skills and recognize the best units within the Star League Defense Force.[1]

Description[edit]

The Martial Olympiad took place on the surface and in orbit above Mars, and later Outreach, and involved more than 100 "events" pitting regiments, divisions and spacecraft against each other. Precautions were made to prevent the loss of life, although deaths did occur, and while it was expensive to maintain the Olympiad was popular among troops as a way to display their skills and the public as a media event.[2]

At the proposal of modern SLDF commanding General Hohiro Kurita, the reborn Star League would respond by reviving the Martial Olympiad as a means of honing the skills and inter-House cooperation of its member states in response to the continued threat of the Clans. While initially hoping to hold the Olympiad on Outreach, after this was rejected by Wolf's Dragoons, ComStar offered to host the event on Tukayyid. In 3062 it was expected to be able to run the Olympiad on 3064[3], but in the end the event happened for three months in 3067 on the various locations that last saw combat during the Battle of Tukayyid, warriors from almost every nation and faction in the Inner Sphere, no matter their size or legitimacy, and even a number of the Clans themselves fought in mock combat to compete for the Championship, a shining example of cooperation despite the fact many of the factions were directly involved in conflicts against each other at the time. This unsettled state did effect the reborn and supposedly apolitical Olympiad, with political maneuvering and even off-field brawls between opposing factions, but was regarded by many as an example of hope for the future.[4] Such beliefs would be dashed when the second Star League collapsed later that very same year and the Word of Blake Jihad erupted.

Martial Olympiad Champions[edit]

Period 2640 - 2736[5]
Martial Olympiad Best Division Best Regiment Best WarShip
1st, Mars, 2640 316th Royal BattleMech Division (Rio Grande Div.) 90th Dragoon Regiment SLS Ark Royal
2nd, Mars, 2644 225th BattleMech Division (Battle of Moscow Div.) 228th Striker Regiment SLS Michigan
3rd, Mars, 2648 83rd BattleMech Division (Balan Div.) 90th Dragoon Regiment SLS Israel
4th, Mars, 2652 316th Royal BattleMech Division (Rio Grande Div.) 302nd Hussar Regiment SLS Ukraine
5th, Mars, 2656 50th Royal Infantry Division (Flame Keepers of Greece) 228th Striker Regiment SLS Richelieu
6th, Mars, 2660 225th BattleMech Division (Battle of Moscow Div.) 309th Heavy Assault Regiment SLS Hiryu
7th, Mars, 2664 13th Royal Infantry Division (Superstition Div.) 13th Royal French Demi-Brigade SLS Yorktown
8th, Mars, 2668 181st Royal Mechanized Infantry Division (King's Own Scots Rifles) 512th Striker Regiment SLS Iona
9th, Mars, 2672 316th Royal BattleMech Division (Rio Grande Div.) 90th Dragoon Regiment SLS Cyclone
10th, Mars, 2676 318th BattleMech Division (Swamp Fox Div.) 55th Royal Light Horse Regiment SLS Victory
11th, Mars, 2680 262nd BattleMech Division (Chief Joseph Div.) 302nd Hussar Regiment SLS Enterprise
12th, Mars, 2684 13th Royal Infantry Division (Superstition Div.) 55th Royal Light Horse Regiment SLS Whitewind
13th, Mars, 2688 262nd BattleMech Division (Chief Joseph Div.) 228th Striker Regiment SLS Bishop's Regret
14th, Mars, 2692 181st Royal Mechanized Infantry Division (King's Own Scots Rifles) 13th Royal French Demi-Brigade SLS Golden Hind
15th, Mars, 2696 318th BattleMech Division (Swamp Fox Div.) 29th Royal CAAN Marine Regiment SLS McKenna
16th, Mars, 2700 225th BattleMech Division (Battle of Moscow Div.) 29th Royal CAAN Marine Regiment SLS McKenna
17th, Outreach, 2704 349th Royal BattleMech Division (King Henry Div.) 51st Hussar Regiment SLS Nimitz
18th, Outreach, 2708 50th Royal Infantry Division (Flame Keepers of Greece) 299th Heavy Assault Regiment SLS Bismarck
19th, Outreach, 2712 318th BattleMech Division (Swamp Fox Div.) 305th Battle Regiment SLS Ymir
20th, Outreach, 2716 161st Mechanized Infantry Division 902nd Royal Hussar Regiment SLS Hindenburg
21st, Outreach 2720 81st BattleMech Division (Devils of Devil's Rock) 231st Light Horse Regiment SLS Kiev
22nd, Outreach 2724 349th Royal BattleMech Division (King Henry Div.) 302nd Hussar Regiment SLS Hindenburg
23rd, Outreach 2728 81st BattleMech Division (Devils of Devil's Rock) 51st Hussar Regiment SLS New Jersey
24th, Outreach 2732 161st Mechanized Infantry Division 309th Heavy Assault Regiment SLS Nelson
25th, Outreach 2736 179th BattleMech Division (New Home Div.) 320th Dragoon Regiment SLS White Cloud
Period 3067[4]
Martial Olympiad Best Regiment
Tukayyid, 3067 Red Lancers

References[edit]

  1. Field Manual: SLDF, p. 22
  2. The Star League, pp. 134–135: "The Martial Olympiad"
  3. Operation: Stiletto (scenario pack), p. 9 "THARKAD MAY HOLD 3064 MARTIAL OLYMPIAD"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 94: "Star League Defense Force - Martial Olympiad"
  5. The Star League, p. 135: "Martial Olympiad Champions list"

Bibliography[edit]