Trial of Possession

A Trial of Possession is one of the Six Trials of Combat, and allows Clans to perform regulated announced raids on each other over particular assets while minimizing the military losses wasted in unannounced raiding and eliminates collateral damage and danger to non-combatants. This Trial is needed to allow the Clans to compete for resources without quick unannounced raids, which will involve innocents and will damage surrounding assets and may even damage the prize that is fought over. Also the pre-battle bidding will reduce the amount of military force expended for the battle.

Most trials begin with a ritual challenge called a Batchall, where the challenger declares his/her name, the type of trial and other parameters depending on the type of trial. In a Trial of Possession the parameters will be the prize to be won. The prize can be anything from a piece of equipment (a 'Mech or a DropShip), a quantity of material, an installation, a piece of territory, an entire planet or even just genetic material. The challenged can demand something of equal value that they will get if they make a successful defense. The challenged may also decline to the terms at no loss of honor if he or she makes an immediate counter offer. Usually when a counter offer is made there is an increase to the winners pot. The challenged may also decline to the terms at no loss of honor if made by Inner Sphere forces believed to have made the challenge so as to dishonorably abuse the trials rituals. Unless bargained for the winner dose not make bondsman of the defeated because it is not open combat. In most trials, the challenger and the challenged then perform the batchall for the forces each will use in the battle. Each bid is less than the previous bid, causing both parties to keep undercutting each other until they reach the minimum amount of force. This is partly because to win with fewer forces is more glorious, but also minimizes the military waste created by the trial. In individual trials, such as a personal conflict between two warriors, there is no batchall. The warrior who is being challenged will then decide of the form of combat and if the fight will be augmented, meaning that two MechWarriors will fight in their 'Mechs, or un-augmented, meaning a person to person fight using no weapons. Additionally, other parameters May also be included when choosing the form of combat such as having radar, targeting/tracking systems turned off forcing both opponents to use the "Iron sights" while fighting augmented in battle mechs or in aerospace fighters, a true test of skill. The warrior who calls the challenge is then allowed to choose the location of the circle of equals after the form of combat has been chosen. The circle of equals is an area that the combat occurs in while peer warriors encircle the perimeter. The trial is always fought in a circle of equals. It is created at a destination that serves as a proxy for the location of the prize when said prize is an installation or a piece of territory. This proxy can even be on another planet. The circle of equals place is usually equivalent terrain to the location of the prize. It is always away from any assets that could become collateral damage and ensures no non-combatants are caught in the fighting. One example was when Phelan Ward, of Clan Wolf (a bondsman taken in battle, formerly known as Phelan Kell of the Kell Hounds) fought un-augmented against an elemental. He called for the challenge to take place in zero-g aboard a dropship in orbit. During the trial no warrior other than that of the challenger and his forces/equipment and challenged with his forces/equipment can enter the circle of equals or else the trial will becomes null and void and to do so will bring great dishonor to the warrior that entered the circle of equals. It will also dishonor the challenger and challenged if such an unthinkable act is committed. The circle is usually a circle or sphere that has a radius of about five to ten meters for melee combat, two to five kilometers for ‘Mech combat and about a hundred kilometers for aerospace combat. The circle of equals ensures no non-combatants are caught in the conflict, and in larger battles, there is no collateral damage to surrounding building and equipment. .

A classic example of a Trial of Possession is the one fought for Terra between the Clans and ComStar, with Tukayyid as the proxy.