Difference between revisions of "Factions"

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=== Succession Wars ===
 
=== Succession Wars ===
 
{{Main|Succession Wars (History)}}
 
{{Main|Succession Wars (History)}}
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After the collapse of the Star League and the [[Operation Exodus|exodus of the SLDF]], the five remaining Great Houses - after dividing the remaining Terran Hegemony among each other - began a series of brutal wars to claim the position of [[First Lord]]. The first two Succession Wars, apocalyptic conflicts encompassing the entire Inner Sphere, brought technological knowledge down to levels last seen on pre-spaceflight Terra, and only the establishment of ComStar on independant [[Terra]] prevented a total collapse of interstellar communication. The Third Succession War became an endless downward grind, led by neo-feudalistic Mechwarrior families and covertly helped along by the increasingly corrupt ComStar. It was only the Fourth Succession War that brought a fragile peace and a new status quo to the Inner Sphere - the victorious powers of the [[Federated Commonwealth]] (at the time merely an alliance between Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth) against the [[Concord of Kapteyn]] of Free Worlds League, Capellan Confederation, and Draconis Combine.<ref name=SS7>''Shattered Sphere'', pp. 7-8</ref>
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! colspan="4" | Factions during the Succession Wars
 
! colspan="4" | Factions during the Succession Wars

Revision as of 16:30, 3 March 2011

The Battletech universe is a diverse place, spanning more than a millenium of history and several thousand light years of space. From the nation states of the 20th century up to the Republic of the Sphere of the 32nd century, Battletech spans myriads of places and trillions of people. Interstellar, succession and civil wars, fragmentation and infighting gave birth to countless factions, of which most are noted below.

Regions of Space

Inner Sphere

The Inner Sphere is the heart of the Battletech Universe. Centered around Terra, it stretches across roughly 500 light years in all directions. The most consolidated of all interstellar regions, the Inner Sphere is dominated by five Great Houses: Davion, Liao, Marik, Steiner, and Kurita.

Periphery

Deep Periphery

Clan Space

Historical Factions

Early Spaceflight

Factions during the Early Spaceflight Era
Western Alliance Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere Terran Alliance

First Exodus

After the success of the Deimos Project, the era of the First Exodus was one of rapid expansion and colonisation - both sanctioned settlers and dissidents fleeing the increasingly repressive Terran Alliance had established 600 known colonies by 2235. The Outer Reaches Rebellion ended the First Exodus, as the Terran Alliance completely withdrew from its colonies. [1]

Factions during the First Exodus
Inner Sphere Deep Periphery
Terran Alliance Alfirk
Tikonov Union
Chesterton Trade League

Second Exodus

Due to the power vacuum of the Alliance's withdrawal, chaos and warfare broke out. Many colony worlds were no longer sustainable or subject to prolonged conflicts, their inhabitants again took to the stars, spreading even beyond the settlement boundary of the First Exodus. Meanwhile, the first true interstellar states formed, fought and absorbed each other until the Inner Sphere consolidated into an armed standoff between the six Great Houses.[2]

Factions during the Second Exodus
Inner Sphere (Major) Inner Sphere (Minor) Periphery Deep Periphery
Capellan Confederation Capellan Hegemony Illyrian Palatinate Alfirk
Draconis Combine Federation of Oriente Rim Worlds Republic
Federated Suns Federation of Skye Taurian Concordat
Free Worlds League Ingersol Concordium
Lyran Commonwealth Marik Republic
Terran Hegemony Muskegon Empire
Principality of Rasalhague
Protectorate of Donegal
Regulan Principality
Sarna Supremacy
St. Ives Mercantile League
Stewart Commonality
Tamar Pact
Terran Alliance
Tikonov Grand Union
United Hindu Collective

Age of War

The Age of War began in 2398, when the Houses Liao and Marik fought over Andurien. Initial savagery was eventually followed by the ratification of the Ares Convention, a set of guidelines which made war much less brutal, but also a near constant occurrence. Thanks to the Terran Hegemony's Strategy of Aggressive Peacemaking, the Age of War ended with the signation of the Star League treaties by the six Great Houses.[3]

Factions during the Age of War
Inner Sphere (Major) Periphery Deep Periphery
Capellan Confederation Illyrian Palatinate Alfirk
Draconis Combine Magistracy of Canopus JàrnFòlk
Federated Suns Outworlds Alliance Nueva Castile
Free Worlds League Rim Worlds Republic
Lyran Commonwealth Taurian Concordat
Terran Hegemony Tortuga Dominions

Star League Era

Formally unifying the Member States of the Inner Sphere in 2751 and officially subjugating the Territorial States of the Periphery in 2597, the Star League Era was one of overt peace and hidden wars. Later called a Golden Age by many, the Star League allowed for peace, prosperty, and significant technology progress. Weakened by a string of bad rulers, hidden wars, and unrest in the Territorial States, the Star League eventually collapsed after the Amaris Civil War.[4]

Factions during the Star League Era
Inner Sphere Periphery Deep Periphery
Capellan Confederation Circinus Federation Alfirk
Draconis Combine Illyrian Palatinate JàrnFòlk
Federated Suns Magistracy of Canopus Nueva Castile
Free Worlds League Outworlds Alliance
Lyran Commonwealth Rim Worlds Republic
Star League Taurian Concordat
Terran Hegemony Tortuga Dominions

Golden Century

After the fall of the Star League, Operation Exodus of the Star League Defense Forces led them into the Kerensky cluster, where they settled down. After falling into civil war and a second Operation Exodus, the remaining loyalist SLDF forces reorganised themselves into the Clans and retook the war-stricken worlds. The Golden Century was the following period filled with unprecedented growth, technological progress, and a maturation of each Clan's individual self identity. [5]

Factions during the Golden Century
Crusader Clans Warden Clans Abolished Clans
Clan Blood Spirit Clan Cloud Cobra Clan Burrock
Clan Fire Mandrill Clan Coyote Clan Mongoose
Clan Hell's Horses Clan Ghost Bear Clan Widowmaker
Clan Ice Hellion Clan Goliath Scorpion Clan Wolverine
Clan Jade Falcon Clan Nova Cat
Clan Smoke Jaguar Clan Sea Fox
Clan Star Adder Clan Snow Raven
Clan Steel Viper
Clan Wolf

Succession Wars

After the collapse of the Star League and the exodus of the SLDF, the five remaining Great Houses - after dividing the remaining Terran Hegemony among each other - began a series of brutal wars to claim the position of First Lord. The first two Succession Wars, apocalyptic conflicts encompassing the entire Inner Sphere, brought technological knowledge down to levels last seen on pre-spaceflight Terra, and only the establishment of ComStar on independant Terra prevented a total collapse of interstellar communication. The Third Succession War became an endless downward grind, led by neo-feudalistic Mechwarrior families and covertly helped along by the increasingly corrupt ComStar. It was only the Fourth Succession War that brought a fragile peace and a new status quo to the Inner Sphere - the victorious powers of the Federated Commonwealth (at the time merely an alliance between Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth) against the Concord of Kapteyn of Free Worlds League, Capellan Confederation, and Draconis Combine.[6]

Factions during the Succession Wars
Inner Sphere (Major) Inner Sphere (Minor) Periphery Deep Periphery
Capellan Confederation Duchy of Andurien Circinus Federation Alfirk
ComStar Free Rasalhague Republic Elysian Fields Chainelane Isles
Draconis Combine St. Ives Compact Greater Valkyrate JàrnFòlk
Federated Suns Tikonov Free Republic Illyrian Palatinate Hanseatic League
Free Worlds League Lothian League Nueva Castile
Lyran Commonwealth Magistracy of Canopus Umayyad Caliphate
Marian Hegemony
Oberon Confederation
Rim Collection
Taurian Concordat

Clan Invasion

After almost 3 centuries in exile, the Clans returned to the Inner Sphere in a coordinated drive towards Terra until losing a trial on the planet Tukayyid, agreeing to a 15 year long truce. With the Clan threat temporarily eliminated, the Great Houses went back to fighting each other - the barely established Federated Commonwealth broke apart again, the Word of Blake led an Exodus out of ComStar, and an entire region of space descended into anarchy. When the hastily established Second Star League managed to destroy Clan Smoke Jaguar during the Refusal War, the Clan invasion was finally over, but the problems in the Inner Sphere were only beginning to escalate.[7]

Factions during the Clan Invasion
Inner Sphere (Major) Inner Sphere (Minor) Periphery Deep Periphery Invading Clans
Capellan Confederation Arc-Royal Defense Cordon Circinus Federation Alfirk Clan Diamond Shark
ComStar Clan Wolf-in-Exile Illyrian Palatinate Chainelane Isles Clan Ghost Bear
Draconis Combine Duchy of Small Lothian League Hanseatic League Clan Jade Falcon
Federated Commonwealth Free Rasalhague Republic Magistracy of Canopus JàrnFòlk Clan Nova Cat
Free Worlds League Saiph Triumvirate Marian Hegemony Nueva Castile Clan Smoke Jaguar
Lyran Alliance Sarna Supremacy Rim Collection Umayyad Caliphate Clan Steel Viper
Second Star League St. Ives Compact Taurian Concordat Clan Wolf
Word of Blake Sirian Holds
Styk Commonality
Terracap Confederation

Civil War Era

Factions during the Civil War Era
Inner Sphere (Major) Inner Sphere (Minor) Periphery Deep Periphery Clan Space Mercenaries
Capellan Confederation Free Rasalhague Republic Circinus Federation Chainelane Isles Clan Blood Spirit Northwind Highlanders
ComStar Arc-Royal Defense Cordon Magistracy of Canopus JàrnFòlk Clan Cloud Cobra Illician Lancers
Draconis Combine St. Ives Compact Taurian Concordat Elysian Fields Clan Coyote Redfield Renegades
Federated Commonwealth Clan Wolf-in-Exile Marian Hegemony Nueva Castile Clan Diamond Shark Wolf's Dragoons
Lyran Alliance Duchy of Small Rim Collection Umayyad Caliphate Clan Fire Mandrill Team Banzai
Free Worlds League Styk Commonality Antallos Hanseatic League Clan Ghost Bear Waco Rangers
Second Star League Sirian Holds Calderon Protectorate Clan Goliath Scorpion 12th Star Guards
Word of Blake Saiph Triumvirate Fronc Reaches Clan Hell's Horses 12th Vegan Rangers
Terracap Confederation Clan Ice Hellion 21st Centauri Lancers
Clan Jade Falcon Bad Dream
Clan Snow Raven Blue Star Irregulars
Clan Star Adder Brion's Legion
Clan Steel Viper Camacho's Caballeros
Clan Nova Cat Crater Cobras
Clan Wolf The Dioscuri
Dismal Disinherited
Dragon's Breath
Eridani Light Horse
Grave Walkers
Gray Death Legion
Greenburg's Godzillas
Gregg's Long Striders
Group W
Hansen's Roughriders
Harlock's Warriors
Hell's Black Aces
Kell Hounds
Kristen's Krushers
Lexington Combat Group
Little Richard's Panzer Brigade
McCarron's Armored Cavalry
Rubinsky's Light Horse
Screaming Eagles
Smithson's Chinese Bandits
Snord's Irregulars
Crater Cobras
Stealthy Tigers
Storm's Metal Thunder
Swann's Cavaliers
The Fighting Urukhai
Vanguard Legion
Wolverton's Highlanders
Avanti's Angels
Black Omen
Barber's Marauder IIs
Romanov's Crusaders

Jihad

Factions during the Jihad
Inner Sphere (Major) Inner Sphere (Minor) Periphery Deep Periphery Clan Space Mercenaries
Capellan Confederation Rasalhague Dominion Circinus Federation Chainelane Isles Clan Blood Spirit Northwind Highlanders
ComStar Clan Wolf-in-Exile Magistracy of Canopus JàrnFòlk Clan Cloud Cobra Illician Lancers
Draconis Combine Taurian Concordat Hanseatic League Clan Coyote Redfield Renegades
Federated Suns Marian Hegemony Nueva Castile Clan Diamond Shark Wolf's Dragoons
Free Worlds League Rim Collection Umayyad Caliphate Clan Fire Mandrill Team Banzai
Lyran Commonwealth Antallos Clan Wolf Waco Rangers
Word of Blake Calderon Protectorate Clan Goliath Scorpion 12th Star Guards
Fronc Reaches Clan Hell's Horses 12th Vegan Rangers
Clan Ice Hellion 21st Centauri Lancers
Clan Jade Falcon Bad Dream
Clan Snow Raven Blue Star Irregulars
Clan Star Adder Brion's Legion
Clan Steel Viper Camacho's Caballeros
Clan Nova Cat Crater Cobras
The Dioscuri
Dismal Disinherited
Dragon's Breath
Eridani Light Horse
Grave Walkers
Greenburg's Godzillas
Gregg's Long Striders
Group W
Hansen's Roughriders
Harlock's Warriors
Hell's Black Aces
Kell Hounds
Kristen's Krushers
Lexington Combat Group
Little Richard's Panzer Brigade
Rubinsky's Light Horse
Screaming Eagles
Smithson's Chinese Bandits
Snord's Irregulars
Crater Cobras
Stealthy Tigers
Storm's Metal Thunder
Swann's Cavaliers
The Fighting Urukhai
Vanguard Legion
Wolverton's Highlanders
Avanti's Angels
Black Omen
Barber's Marauder IIs
Romanov's Crusaders

Dark Age

Factions during the Dark Age
Inner Sphere (Major) Inner Sphere (Minor) Periphery Deep Periphery Mercenaries
Capellan Confederation Rasalhague Dominion Lothian League Chainelane Isles Northwind Highlanders
Draconis Combine Clan Wolf-in-Exile Magistracy of Canopus JàrnFòlk Illician Lancers
Federated Suns ComStar Taurian Concordat Hanseatic League Redfield Renegades
Lyran Commonwealth Bannson's Raiders Marian Hegemony Nueva Castile Wolf's Dragoons
Republic of the Sphere Dragon's Fury Rim Collection Umayyad Caliphate Team Banzai
Spirit Cats Antallos Waco Rangers
Steel Wolves Calderon Protectorate 12th Star Guards
Stormhammers Fronc Reaches 12th Vegan Rangers
Swordsworn Rim Collection 21st Centauri Lancers
Bad Dream
Blue Star Irregulars
Brion's Legion
Camacho's Caballeros
Crater Cobras
The Dioscuri
Dismal Disinherited
Dragon's Breath
Eridani Light Horse
Grave Walkers
Greenburg's Godzillas
Gregg's Long Striders
Group W
Hansen's Roughriders
Harlock's Warriors
Hell's Black Aces
Kell Hounds
Kristen's Krushers
Little Richard's Panzer Brigade
Rubinsky's Light Horse
Screaming Eagles
Smithson's Chinese Bandits
Snord's Irregulars
Crater Cobras
Stealthy Tigers
Storm's Metal Thunder
Swann's Cavaliers
The Fighting Urukhai
Vanguard Legion
Wolverton's Highlanders
Avanti's Angels
Black Omen
Barber's Marauder IIs
Wolf Hunters

Mercenaries

Modern mercenaries have their root in the chaos of the Second Exodus, when they were commonly used in the hundreds of border conflicts between the emerging statelets. In use during the hidden wars of the Star League members, mercenary units began to multiply in numbers and power since the beginning of the Succession Wars. Even in later eras, mercenaries retain their prominent role in military conflicts.[8]

Notable Mercenary Units
21st Centauri Lancers Hansen's Roughriders McCarron's Armored Cavalry Team Banzai
Black Thorns Hell's Black Aces Miller's Marauders Waco Rangers
Eridani Light Horse Illician Lancers Northwind Highlanders Wannamaker's Widowmakers
Gray Death Legion Kell Hounds Snord's Irregulars Wolf's Dragoons

Others

Other notable factions
Philosophies Corporations Conspiracies ???
Far Lookers Irian Technologies Davion Warrior Cabal
Inheritors
One Star Faith

References

  1. The Periphery (sourcebook), pp. 12-14
  2. The Periphery (sourcebook), pp. 14-19
  3. Star League, pp. 28-35
  4. Star League, pp. 37-98
  5. Invading Clans, pp. 16, 84, 108, 133-134
  6. Shattered Sphere, pp. 7-8
  7. FedCom Civil War, pp. 13-16
  8. Field Manual: Mercenaries, pp. 7-9

Bibliography