Second Succession War (sourcebook)

This article is about the game sourcebook. For the historical conflict, see Second Succession War.

Second Succession War
Product information
Type	Sourcebook
Author	Chris Hartford
Development	Development Team Ray Arrastia Matthew Alexander (Assistant) John Haward (Assistant)
Primary writing	Chris Hartford
Pages	154
Cover Artwork	Marco Mazzoni (Cover) Ray Arrastia (Cover Design)
Illustrations	Artists Justin Adams Robert Atkinson Kevin McCann Aaron Miller Gerhard Mozsi Matthew Plog Ryan Portillo Anthony Scroggins David White Matthew Alexander (Maps) Ray Arrastia (Maps) Øystein Tvedten (Maps)
Publication information
Publisher	Catalyst Game Labs
Product code	CAT35236
First published	2017
MSRP	$34.99 (Print) $14.99 (PDF)
Content
Era	Succession Wars Dark Age era
Agency	Loremaster report to ilKhan Republic of the Sphere (original document)
Universe Date	ca. 3250 3150 (original document)
Series	Succession Wars
Preceded by	First Succession War (sourcebook)

Description

The Second Succession War is a historical-type sourcebook. It is notably framed as a document originally written by Republic of the Sphere Paladin Constance McGuire in 3150 but presented "nearly a century" later, i.e. shortly before the year 3250, to the ilKhan by one Loremaster Stephan Roshak as a primer for Inner Sphere history, going hand in hand with the similar in-universe backstory of the Technical Readout: Succession Wars document from 3250. The introductory story Intentions was also considered notable by many fans as it turns a long-held belief in the BattleTech universe on its head.

The main body of the book details the Second Succession War, in which all the major nations of the Inner Sphere would exhaust themselves in a second attempt by each of them to bring the former Star League under their respective control after only a brief moment of uneasy peace after the First Succession War. The book chronicles the course of the conflict and reveals ComStar's secret machinations in its attempt to steer the Inner Sphere into a technological downswing so that Jerome Blake's disciples could reestablish the Star League under their own rule.

The book includes rules for the creation of scenarios based on the events detailed in the book, profiles of national rulers during the war, and conversion rules for various forms of BattleTech gameplay such as Interstellar Operations's Abstract Combat System, Inner Sphere at War, and Strategic BattleForce. There is also a small Technical Readout section detailing units once featured in the original Technical Readout: 3025 and later Technical Readout: 3039, with new images for some Unseen designs.

From the back cover

“

WAR TO END ALL WARS By 2821, the "Great Succession War" has ground to a halt, the participants seeking desperate respite and to forge a new peace and hope for mankind. Yet not everyone shares this ideal and soon secret machinations undermine the peace efforts and propel the Inner Sphere into a new round of violence. Soon brother will be set against brother and madness will reign once more: The Second Succession War. The Second Succession War covers the aftermath of the titanic First Succession War and the Great Houses efforts to survive before the machinations of Conrad Toyama propel them into a new round of blood-letting. Detailing the efforts to build a peace while preparing for a new war, this volume showcases the causes and consequences of the Second Succession War, as well as the politics and stresses between and within the Great Houses.

”

Contents

• Intentions (short story)
• Introduction
• Crucible
  • Rise and Fall
  • Tribes
  • Apocalypse
  • Breathing Room
• The Second Succession War (2825 - 2863)
  • War Renewed (2825-2830)
    • The Commonwealth-Combine Front
    • The Combine-Suns Front
    • The Suns-Confederation Front
    • The Quiet Eagle
  • Tightening of the Screws (2830 - 2840)
    • The Dragon Strikes: Black Wind, Red Wind
    • Crossed Swords
    • The Eagle Swoops
    • In The Manner Of A Fantasy
  • The Four-Front War: Operation Cookie Jar and ComStar War (2837 - 2842)
  • The Politics of Succession (2835 - 2840)
  • The Advances And Reversals (2840 - 2850)
    • The Steiner-Kurita Front
    • The Davion-Kurita Front
    • The Confederation’s Travails: A Three-Sided War
    • Marik Resurgent
  • Running on Empty (2850 - 2860)
    • Regency And Revenge
    • The Sixth, Seventh, And Eighth Battles Of Hesperus
    • The Marathon Offensive
  • The Last Grasp (2860 - 2863)
  • A New Peace...and Everything After (2863-)
• Timeline of The Succession Succession War
• Legacy of Destruction
  • The Losers
    • War Resumed
• Personalities of the Second Succession War

• • Zabu Kurita
  • Yoguchi Kurita
  • Roweena Kurita
  • Miyogi Kurita
  • Ilsa Liao
  • Michael Davion
  • Peter Davion
  • Laurelli Liao
  • Dainmar Liao
  • Charles Marik
  • Gerald Marik II
  • Philippa Marik
  • Melissa Nin
  • Claudius Steiner
  • The Triumvirate
  • Elizabeth Steiner
  • Conrad Toyama
  • Raymond Karpov

• Second Succession War Deployment Table
• Rules Annex
  • Creating Second Succession War Scenario
  • Technical Readout
    • GRF-1S Griffin
    • TDR-5L/5LS Thunderbolt
    • BLR-1D BattleMaster
  • Inner Sphere at War (Expansion)
    • Converting ISW Combat Commands to Other Systems
    • Technology and Research (Inner Sphere At War)
    • Intelligence Operations (Inner Sphere At War)
    • Intelligence Operations Phase
    • Interstellar Communications (Inner Sphere at War)
      • Other Communication Methods
  • ISW Combat Command Conversion Tables

Notes

Errors

• In the first publication of the PDF, the end year is mislabeled as 2742 instead of 2842 in both the table of contents (p. 2) and in the header proper (p. 45).

Fan Submitted Mercenary Units

In March 2017, Catalyst Game Labs announced the opportunity for BattleTech fans to submit names for mercenary units for inclusion in the Second Succession War book. [1] In June 2017, they announced the following unit names had been selected [2]:

• Armored Combat Escalation Service (submitted by Adam G, Yannick Sherenco, & "General Hobbyist")
• Big Kev's Brigade (Alex Fauth)
• Boudica's Wrath (Michael Ciaravella)
• Cupric Byzantium (Mike Johnson)
• Cŵn Annwn (Thomas S. Wolf)
• Damage Inc. (Submitted by Ben Myers, David Najarian, & Dave Thompson)
• Lacadon Vengeance Legion (Eric Salzman)
• Levithian's Wake (Tyron Butson)
• Mary's Little LAMs (Lee Rosenberg)
• Murphy's Law (Gerhardt Reichenbach & Vincent Spencer)
• Oosik Irregulars (Tom Loughead, Matt Walker, Thomas Knipple, & Henry)
• Quinn's Quads (Troy Lee Cowell)
• Scrap Metal (Jared Saunders)
• Tamar Pikemen (Glenn Miller)
• The Abased (Lance Scarinci)
• The Isengrim (Marco Mazzoni)
• The RattFraggs (Lloyd Calvin)
• The Red Barons (John Mayernik)
• The Wylde Cards (Ayden Ryken)
• Xiao's Cassions ("genkimediko")