Clan Blood Spirit Enclave: Heroes of Our Time

[StCptMara]

An interesting idea would be which Invasion Corridor would they opt for? I kind of see them leapfrogging the other Clans and striking ai the very edge of the Combine, maybe even the Outworlds Alliance. The other Clans might see it as hitting a Periphery Realm, but to the Spirits its an easy target with no hope of resupply or reinforcements. Once they take that small nation they can turn it into there own little realm and then drive towards Terra from there. everyone else is up fighting the other Invasion Corridors.

It would be either that...or Steiner...but, frankly, I would not touch the OWA..that way lies: losing all your dropships in space.

[Archangel]

My take on Blood Spirit taking part in the Invasion is: they come in with EVERYTHING. They Move the entire
contents of York, civilians, factories, everything and drop with EVERYTHING. The first worlds they take are
set up with their industrial base, shortening their supply chain as their civilians start working and beginning
to train their new populations in how to do things the Clan way.

I generally think the Spirits would take this approach because taking part in the Invasion would be an all-or-nothing
gamble on their part. Literally a "We win...or we die." Also, they are the only Clan that could actually pull off that
sort of gamble at the time.

You mean the Blood Spirits stopping ALL military production for over a year (more likely more than a year)?   ???  Not likely.

They are far more likely to build a small mobile production facility, similar to the Jade Falcons' Eagle Craft Group, that could produce a wide variety of military equipment in limited numbers and take that with them.  I would imagine that it would be a year at the earliest (probably longer) after the invasion before they started moving their fixed manufacturing facilities to the Inner Sphere.  It would take that long to take planets, for their merchants to locate sources of raw materials on their new holding and determine the best locations for the various facilities.  Once that has been determined, they would have to determine whether the local infrastructure is able to handle the new facility (each facility would have to be determined separately) or whether they would have to build their own.

At that point, they could send word back to the Clan Homeworlds to start breaking down the applicable facilities there while they make any needed changes to the local infrastructure so that it can handle the production facility and its workers (improving the power grid, setting up housing for the workers, build the manufacturing building(s), build secondary production facilities that won't be moved such as smelters, etc).

It takes months of research, planning and negotiations for any modern-day manufacturer to build a new factory.  While the Blood Spirits wouldn't need to bother with negotiations, they would still need to do plenty of research and planning.

[Archangel]

An interesting idea would be which Invasion Corridor would they opt for?

Is it a question of which Invasion Corridor they would opt for or which Invasion Corridor they would be able to win?

It would be either that...or Steiner...but, frankly, I would not touch the OWA..that way lies: losing all your dropships in space.

But as a Blood Spirit raised to believe in your superiority over freeborns would you believe the Dragoon reports of the AAA pilot's abilities or would you believe that they were exaggerated and that the superior bloodlines of your aerospace pilots would beat anything that the pathetic Outworlds Alliance freebirth pilots could throw at you?

[Col.Hengist]

So... The same as any clan had to do.

[StCptMara]

You mean the Blood Spirits stopping ALL military production for over a year (more likely more than a year)?   ???  Not likely.

While this would be before the war with the Adders over the Burrocks, the simple fact is: stopping all production for a year
is going to be better to defend then leaving stuff back int he homeworlds.  Remember, the Burrocks weren't honorable,
nor were many of the rivals of the Spirits. So, of course the Spirits, who were bitter and paranoid, would not want to leave anything behind.

Trusting in our own surperiority, we would take worlds, and be able to get factories set up in that time fairly quickly, without
taking much losses to the Inner Sphere primitives. At the same time, you know what? Only a fool would not listen to the intel
report(And..um..yeah, so..consider this is for an AU campaign..um..the Jags got replaced by the pre-Burrock Absorption Adders as
the ilKhan's clan..and we know the Adders believe the Dragoon report, unlike the Jags who didn't)

[Archangel]

While this would be before the war with the Adders over the Burrocks, the simple fact is: stopping all production for a year is going to be better to defend then leaving stuff back int he homeworlds.  Remember, the Burrocks weren't honorable, nor were many of the rivals of the Spirits. So, of course the Spirits, who were bitter and paranoid, would not want to leave anything behind.

Wouldn't they be protected from predation by other Clans by the Grand Council like in the main timeline.  If the Burrocks are willing to risk that what is to stop them from attacking the Spirits support convoys as they leave the Kerensky Cluster.  In the main timeline, after the Burrock absorption, the Blood Spirits cut all ties with the other Clans EXCEPT their ties with the Diamond Sharks, Snow Ravens and their Strana Mechty enclave.

Trusting in our own surperiority, we would take worlds, and be able to get factories set up in that time fairly quickly, without taking much losses to the Inner Sphere primitives. At the same time, you know what? Only a fool would not listen to the intel report(And..um..yeah, so..consider this is for an AU campaign..um..the Jags got replaced by the pre-Burrock Absorption Adders as the ilKhan's clan..and we know the Adders believe the Dragoon report, unlike the Jags who didn't)

If the Blood Spirits trusted in their own superiority, wouldn't they trust that their skills could quickly bring them  closer to Terra, allowing them to capture pre-existing manufacturing facilities that could be upgraded to Clan standards not to mention worlds far closer to Terra where they could eventually move their manufacturing facilities to rather than set up shop in the Periphery/Periphery border then later break it all down again and move the facilities closer to Terra.  That is why I proposed the mobile factory.  It can provide the needed war material and be broken down and moved far more easily than fixed factories.  After all your forces wouldn't need that much war material since the you shouldn't be "much losses to the Inner Sphere primitives."   ;)

Meanwhile, the manufacturing facilities back home would be secure from IS predation (and likely from Burrock predation as well unless they wish to risk an absorption/annihilation vote by the Grand Council and possibly executed by the Smoke Jaguars who are more than likely furious at being left out of the invasion ;)) and along with the Spirit training facilities could build the garrison clusters needed to secure all the new IS holdings.

[Col.Hengist]

A mobile factory would be great but would we have the resources?  I think it far better to capture planets with factiries. They're making SL tech by then. We could at least be making SL mechs and Vee's. We could win with our superior pilots.

[Top Sergeant]

An interesting idea would be which Invasion Corridor would they opt for? I kind of see them leapfrogging the other Clans and striking ai the very edge of the Combine, maybe even the Outworlds Alliance. The other Clans might see it as hitting a Periphery Realm, but to the Spirits its an easy target with no hope of resupply or reinforcements. Once they take that small nation they can turn it into there own little realm and then drive towards Terra from there. everyone else is up fighting the other Invasion Corridors.

WHAT?!?!

The Sacred and Holy Land of the Federated Suns being soiled by a Clan Invasion?!

TPTB would never condone such heresy!

[VensersRevenge]

WHAT?!?!

The Sacred and Holy Land of the Federated Suns being soiled by a Clan Invasion?!

TPTB would never condone such heresy!

No, just the Capellans and Dracs are allowed to eviscerate the FedSuns. Because that's so much better

[Archangel]

WHAT?!?!

The Sacred and Holy Land of the Federated Suns being soiled by a Clan Invasion?!

TPTB would never condone such heresy!

Oh good.  So the Raven invasion is just a mistake that slipped in and isn't really happening.   ;)

[tassa_kay]

Oh good.  So the Raven invasion is just a mistake that slipped in and isn't really happening.   ;)

If that's what you want to call an invasion. ;)

[Archangel]

If that's what you want to call an invasion. ;)

What invasion?  You heard Top Sergeant!  TPTB would never allow such a travesty.

In a couple months we are all going to find out that the entire Dark Age never happened and that it was all a nightmare that Stone dreamt while in cold storage.

[Top Sergeant]

What invasion?  You heard Top Sergeant!  TPTB would never allow such a travesty.

In a couple months we are all going to find out that the entire Dark Age never happened and that it was all a nightmare that Stone dreamt while in cold storage.

*Looks at the histories of the CC, LC/LA, and DC*

Yeah, I'm sticking with my post.  ;)

[Sharpnel]

WHAT?!?!

The Sacred and Holy Land of the Federated Suns being soiled by a Clan Invasion?!

TPTB would never condone such heresy!

Being curbstomped by the Dracs and Cappies, though, they will happily allow

[VensersRevenge]

*Looks at the histories of the CC, LC/LA, and DC*

Yeah, I'm sticking with my post.  ;)

Funny, lot's of those invasions happened before Catalyst got control of Battletech. During the Jihad and Dark Ages I would say two of those three have done very well for themselves.

[tassa_kay]

Can we save the Spheroid talk for the appropriate thread? The FedCom's bruised ego has NOTHING on Clan Blood Spirit.

[VensersRevenge]

Can we save the Spheroid talk for the appropriate thread? The FedCom's bruised ego has NOTHING on Clan Blood Spirit.

How about the DC and CC bruised ego's? But yes, it's off-topic, sorry about that.

[tassa_kay]

How about the DC and CC bruised ego's? But yes, it's off-topic, sorry about that.

When the FedSuns makes a point to exterminate every living member of the DracCom or the CapCon, we can talk. ;)

[VensersRevenge]

When the FedSuns makes a point to exterminate every living member of the DracCom or the CapCon, we can talk. ;)

Actually, that was my point.

[tassa_kay]

Actually, that was my point.

Goes both ways, too. Even the CapCon hasn't suffered the sort of losses that the Blood Spirits have. Consistently throughout their existence, they've spiraled towards oblivion, and any "bounce back" they've ever experienced was merely the calm before the storm. Part of why the WoR story didn't sit well with me...it was predictable in that the Spirits would meet their end, and I'm not overly fond of permanent faction destruction, even for shock value. Would've been easy to just have the Colleen system go undiscovered and the Spirits go silent, and leave it at that. Would've been much more poetically fitting.

[Stormlion1]

To get back somewhat on topic I could also see the Blood Spirits leapfrogging down the other side of the FedCom and seizing a world and not telling any other Clan where they are going. Done right it would be done in two waves, an initial wave with warship support to find and take a Periphery World, say New St. Andrews for arguments sake and to hold it and set up initial conquest and landings. Once completed the Blood Spirits send back the bulk of the jumpships and possibly a warship or two back to York. They load up the reminder of the Clan, down to the last thing that can be unbolted from the ground and head back to the Inner Sphere taking a more indirect route to avoid detection. They leave nothing behind but empty buildings and possibly a unit on Strana Mechty with orders to stall any questions for as long as possible. At this point the Spirits rebuild on New St. Andrews, build new production lines, and even possibly raid for supplies using second line gear the surrounding Periphery States. While the Clans are invading the one half of the Inner Sphere the Blood Spirits are entrenching and building up a new Clan Homeworld in the Periphery until they feel they are ready to expand from there. I could see in a decade, maybe two seizing nearby worlds and watching to see what the Clans as a whole are up to.

[Archangel]

Wouldn't they effectively be self-abjuring themselves in the process?  Pressured by the Clan Burrock (whose misdeeds haven't been revealed yet), the Grand Council would call for their annihilation.  After all given the timing they could only be heading for the Inner Sphere and the Burrocks would make them look worse than they what they had actually planned.

Not to mention that the Spirits were among those who believed that the Clans would have no trouble conquering the Inner Sphere and would have to expect to encounter their former Clansmen sooner rather than later.

[tassa_kay]

Why would the other Clans care what the Blood Spirits do at that point? Most of the other Clans had pretty much forgotten about them at that time.

[Archangel]

Why would the other Clans care what the Blood Spirits do at that point? Most of the other Clans had pretty much forgotten about them at that time.

Its one thing to limit one's involvement in inter-Clan relations, its another thing entirely to break ranks with the rest of the Clans and to defy the Grand Council.  With the invasion taking precedence, the Burrocks may not be able to persuade them to vote for annihilation but abjuration absolutely.

[Sharpnel]

Can we save the Spheroid talk for the appropriate thread? The FedCom's bruised ego has NOTHING on Clan Blood Spirit.

The Blood Spirits were doomed as soon as FM: Crusaders came to print just like two of the other Clans in that book, Ice Hellion and Fire Mandrill.

[Col.Hengist]

Why not hit the old rimworlds republic? There's bound to be undiscovered( by the IS powers ) Brian caches, hidden factories and castle Brian's that Kerensky left behind.

[Stormlion1]

A clan has the right to settle where they will as long as the Clan has the strength to hold it. And it could be years before anyone even noticed they were gone honestly as they kept themselves so isolated at this point. The only ones who might notice are the Diamond Sharks and Snow Ravens and that is very unlikely. They could leave a caretaker Galaxy on York to keep up appearances and as a holding though. And I used New St. Andrews as an example, but yes there are many worlds they could have taken, heck they could have taken Hunters Paradise except its a sucky world.

[Archangel]

A clan has the right to settle where they will as long as the Clan has the strength to hold it.

Unless the Grand Council has ruled that only those who have won the right to go there can send their forces in.

And it could be years before anyone even noticed they were gone honestly as they kept themselves so isolated at this point. The only ones who might notice are the Diamond Sharks and Snow Ravens and that is very unlikely. They could leave a caretaker Galaxy on York to keep up appearances and as a holding though.

That would mean leaving their Khans and the Blood Guard Keshik (the only ones authorized to have contact with outsiders) behind as well as any industries that provide goods that the Spirits trade with the Sharks, Ravens and/or Fire Mandrills.

And I used New St. Andrews as an example, but yes there are many worlds they could have taken, heck they could have taken Hunters Paradise except its a sucky world.

Now if they had gone after Nueva Castile or the Hansa, I doubt anybody but the Burrocks would complain.  The Spirits could always claim that they were acting in support of the Invasion (securing the rear) while staying well away from the Inner Sphere.

I would imagine one galaxy seizing Nueva Castile and 2-3 going after the Hansa.  Seeing as they had't wasted their secret galaxies interfering in the Burrock Absorption yet, they could use those as well as a few "decommissioned" publicly known clusters without anybody being the wiser.  Even the Burrocks who are most likely keeping a close eye on the Blood Spirits (for any opening they could exploit) aren't going to try and track units that they don't even know exist.

Given that those worlds have no contact with the Clans and everybody being focused on the Invasion, the Blood Spirits would likely have years before the other Clans realized what they had done.  Years that they could use to secure and build up the industrial and military strength in their new holdings.  It would also allow them to determine which worlds are the most valuable

[cold1]

The Blood Spirits were doomed as soon as FM: Crusaders came to print just like two of the other Clans in that book, Ice Hellion and Fire Mandrill.

This idea, looking back, seems very accurate.  Those three clans seem set up simply as filler or to be killed later.  I have a feeling FASA was toying with offing most of the smaller role clans eventually anyway. 

[Archangel]

This idea, looking back, seems very accurate.  Those three clans seem set up simply as filler or to be killed later.  I have a feeling FASA was toying with offing most of the smaller role clans eventually anyway.

Since many of the storylines are determined years in advance that is more than likely true.  They probably hadn't decided exactly how or when to permanently off any faction though.  The author of WoR has stated in the forums that he was pretty much given a free hand in writing the WoR with few restrictions.