Timeline of the Hanseatic League

[Walrus Gumboot]

I remain unconvinced - its too uncharacteristic of any given merchant. They wouldn't have waited for the Scorps to get to Bremen to bug out.

And btw the 'strategy' they followed was, to say the least, flawed... ::)

I observe the possibilty that we may not have been told the whole truth, much less have been lied to. If it hadn't caught one of their Galaxies, my first guess would be the Elementals walked in a nuke. The captain-marshal doing it so that he could surrender is also a possibility.

I also think their strategy was decent enough. It took real skill to beat it. Put them into the 3050's and they would have nothing to be ashamed of.

[Offworlder]

I observe the possibilty that we may not have been told the whole truth, much less have been lied to. If it hadn't caught one of their Galaxies, my first guess would be the Elementals walked in a nuke. The captain-marshal doing it so that he could surrender is also a possibility.

I also think their strategy was decent enough. It took real skill to beat it. Put them into the 3050's and they would have nothing to be ashamed of.

That may be one scenario as it can be plausible... nukes were essentially ancient tech for them.

Re strategy it did seem to be muddled. Ok first phase they were taken by surprise. Then they concentrated their forces - makes sense too. However, then they counterattacked with single regiments with the survivors doubling back when most of the counterattacks failed - this is the part that doesn't make sense to me.

[Starfury]

I like this update for the Hanseatic League.  They had a new factory built by someone, the three run ins with the Clans forces their military and technological advancement into overdrive so they could at least have a chance against the oncoming storm, and the result still didn't save them in the end. But three
war factories, especially with one being the second factory in the Periphery to produce assault mechs natively, for a minor power like the Hansa is pretty impressive. So is their selection of battle armor. Their vehicle lineup is pretty average, but several of the RDF units have some nice flavor choices to help with that.

You have tons of both trooper, heavy firepower, and stealthy BAs to counter Clan Elementals and Mechs.  I also like their choice of Mech designs to focus on.  It's 3050 Steiner/Marik with lots of basic but solid 3025 units for whatever you need. Especially the 4th RDF which has two battalions of assault tanks, and 3 quarters of them are Demolishers because their commander had her Phoenix Hawk take a pair of AC/20s and have her mech knocked out. She disdained vehicles until that point.  That's some nice flavor text there.  The only real holes the RDF and the CDF have are in their lack of advanced aerospace fighters, medium fire support mechs, and their doctrine of setting up detachments across too many worlds.

[ArkRoyalRavager]

That may be one scenario as it can be plausible... nukes were essentially ancient tech for them.

Re strategy it did seem to be muddled. Ok first phase they were taken by surprise. Then they concentrated their forces - makes sense too. However, then they counterattacked with single regiments with the survivors doubling back when most of the counterattacks failed - this is the part that doesn't make sense to me.

They got overconfident after winning against Seeker Galaxy. It makes sense for them to counterattack for a lot of reasons - morale and initiative.

[Wrangler]

I'm glad the Manatees made it in there. There was a line dropped in TRO: 3075 about new Manatee being spotted in the Periphery when it was thought they were extinct.

[Gaiiten]

I think some years ago, Ben Rome ( I believe) told us that there is a TP in the working where the Home Clans invade the Hansa.
Interesting, due the changes among the TPTB, the Scorpions have got their big Moment.

[ArkRoyalRavager]

It makes sense. Wars of Reaving Supplemental and ISP3 seemed to be setting that up.

[Wrangler]

I think some years ago, Ben Rome ( I believe) told us that there is a TP in the working where the Home Clans invade the Hansa.
Interesting, due the changes among the TPTB, the Scorpions have got their big Moment.

Who knows.  If their consolidating the factions. Home Clans may yet invade the former League and Empire owned neighbors in big cleansing.

[Offworlder]

Who knows.  If their consolidating the factions. Home Clans may yet invade the former League and Empire owned neighbors in big cleansing.

That's the feeling I'm getting too. Also, it feels like the point of the Crusade is to set up the Scorpions for a Homeclan invasion and give them a boost (ie three factories that would start producing clantech as if by magic) and provide the Homeclans (if they are still more than one at this point) with a pseudo invasion corridor.

[ArkRoyalRavager]

It's not like the Homies need to go through the Empire to invade the IS. They can always use the original Exodus route.

[rebs]

First post on my new laptop!  So nice not to have autocorrupt ruining my words...

It looks like the Scorpions are trying to get away from the Home Clans.  They should be nice and out of the way of things if the Homies decide to pick up their ball and come play again. 

And I do hope the Homies decide to play again, the universe isn't the same without their taint. 

[Crimson Dynamo]

And I do hope the Homies decide to play again, the universe isn't the same without their taint.

I honestly don't believe there are any Home Clans any more. They're what, six decades overdue with REVIVAL 2.0? Ulric was getting brought up on (flimsy) genocide charges for consigning 3 generations of Clan Warriors to death for the Truce of Tukayyid; this is four times that. It calls to memory the fact that quite a few WoB assets were never accounted for after the Jihad ended, especially a number of Shadow Divisions.

[CJC070]

I honestly don't believe there are any Home Clans any more. They're what, six decades overdue with REVIVAL 2.0? Ulric was getting brought up on (flimsy) genocide charges for consigning 3 generations of Clan Warriors to death for the Truce of Tukayyid; this is four times that. It calls to memory the fact that quite a few WoB assets were never accounted for after the Jihad ended, especially a number of Shadow Divisions.

They are still around remember when they are not sharpening their teeth against the Inner Sphere they are biting each other.  Not to mention last time they were rebuilding their forces this time they are rebuilding their clan.

[ArkRoyalRavager]

First post on my new laptop!  So nice not to have autocorrupt ruining my words...

It looks like the Scorpions are trying to get away from the Home Clans.  They should be nice and out of the way of things if the Homies decide to pick up their ball and come play again. 

And I do hope the Homies decide to play again, the universe isn't the same without their taint.

The ilClan on Terra will definitely trigger a response from the Homies.

[Elmoth]

Tha tis assuming that the Hollies have the slightest idea of what is happening in the IS. I am not sure about that.

[ArkRoyalRavager]

They would need something like the Outbound Light incident to get that info. It is Battletech afterall, I'm sure some plot will be written to justify the Homies intervening

[VhenRa]

I honestly don't believe there are any Home Clans any more. They're what, six decades overdue with REVIVAL 2.0? Ulric was getting brought up on (flimsy) genocide charges for consigning 3 generations of Clan Warriors to death for the Truce of Tukayyid; this is four times that. It calls to memory the fact that quite a few WoB assets were never accounted for after the Jihad ended, especially a number of Shadow Divisions.

Unaccounted for Wobbies, including a few warships, decide to go nuke the Homeworlds to they glow in the dark? And then nuke them again for good measure?

[Wrangler]

All the campaign was awesome. I just feel like in the overall picture of getting rid of or doing housekeeping in the Periphery and the Deep Periphery is going to leave to the genification of Periphery, making it boring and dull.

The league and it neighbors added flavor to the greater whole beyond the Inner Sphere.
They got rid of it because of maintenance headaches of keep track all those factions?
They were in cycle of war that kept them from getting out of contol.  They certainly not expanding beyond their borders.

I just don't agree this was needed to be done. Now League Timeline is done.

[vaderi]

I just feel like in the overall picture of getting rid of or doing housekeeping in the Periphery and the Deep Periphery is going to leave to the genification of Periphery, making it boring and dull.

I don't know if I can agree with you, IP3 gave us 3-4 new Deep Periphery powers, each just as able to affect the Inner Sphere as the Hansa or the Umayyads. I also don't agree that a static Periphery is interesting, personally I find a universe with no change to be boring myself. Would the periphery be as interesting as it is if the Taurian Concordat never changed, or if the Marian Hegemony had never gone on it's rampage of conquests? Personally I don't think it would have been.

[Doom]

TtS: Braunschweig dropped today. It has more to add about the early years of the League. Some interesting details there.

[Wrangler]

TtS: Braunschweig dropped today. It has more to add about the early years of the League. Some interesting details there.

Yeah, seriously.  I'm curious with this kind background, that Clans will fix their issues socially.

[Offworlder]

All the campaign was awesome. I just feel like in the overall picture of getting rid of or doing housekeeping in the Periphery and the Deep Periphery is going to leave to the genification of Periphery, making it boring and dull.

The league and it neighbors added flavor to the greater whole beyond the Inner Sphere.
They got rid of it because of maintenance headaches of keep track all those factions?
They were in cycle of war that kept them from getting out of contol.  They certainly not expanding beyond their borders.

I just don't agree this was needed to be done. Now League Timeline is done.

Unfortunately you are right. Actually the impression I'm getting is that the deep periphery is being abandoned rather than extended... kind of the borders are receding to the IS.

I would have loved having the Hansa fleshed out a bit more as it was a completely different from the almost standard space-feudal or space-Mongol setups that dominate BT. And being out there was even more interesting than having the see-saw campaigns of the IS.

[RexCalices]

"RDF  8  specializes  in  ambush  tactics.    Known    as    the    Vipers,    they    are   expert   in   camouflage,   springing   surprise  attacks  with  stunning  acumen.  The infantry are especially adept at urban ambushes."

This sounds suspiciously like the conventional infantry loving Steel Vipers to me.

[Shiro15]

Unfortunately you are right. Actually the impression I'm getting is that the deep periphery is being abandoned rather than extended... kind of the borders are receding to the IS.

I would have loved having the Hansa fleshed out a bit more as it was a completely different from the almost standard space-feudal or space-Mongol setups that dominate BT. And being out there was even more interesting than having the see-saw campaigns of the IS.

Yes - I totally agree.

The Hanse was a fascinating "old school" battletech realm.
I never liked the new technologies of the Clan Tech but preferred the old BT-universe. Some realms which struggle to keep technology alive and where a Battlemech was a rare item and often lostech which kept alive by putting in improvised parts.

So I was really glad when I encountered the Hanse and its storyline. Their only factory produced obsolete and forgotten designs like the Vulcan-Aerospacefighter or the Tiger Tank.
The planets were not so populated and it was for me a reincarnation of the old battletech universe I loved so much and prefer in comparison with the clans or the new-tech-Inner Sphere realms.

It is absolutely clear that the Hanse could not survive an invasion against a high-tech-nation.

But I would have preferred if the Hanse had simply survived because it was not important enough to be conquered.

So with the Hanse a very fascinating element was eliminated from the BT-Universe as my interest to play in this new timeline.
On the other hand my friends here and I prefer the old classic 3025 line before the 4th Succession Wars and in our tabletop meetings there is no clan-technology present:)

[Wrangler]

It was shame they could have left them alone for people wanted to dabble in something different wanted it to be alive canon thing and not "Do what you want at your table" thing.

There are other Periphery nations out there CGL hasn't stomp the foot on yet. So there some hopes.  They need to be fleshed out.

[glitterboy2098]

But I would have preferred if the Hanse had simply survived because it was not important enough to be conquered.

given it was the largest, most organized, and most advanced deep periphery realm outside of the homeworlds, it is hard to argue that the league was "not important enough"

[Elmoth]

It is far enough though. So far the hansa has had zero effect on the IS.

[glitterboy2098]

It is far enough though. So far the hansa has had zero effect on the IS.

and if the IS had attacked and invaded that would be a valid criticism. but it was a clan that did it. the league is very near the homeworlds, and the biggest vulnerable target in the coreward deep periphery. that makes a very tempting target for both the homeworlders and the Scorpions.

[CJC070]

It was shame they could have left them alone for people wanted to dabble in something different wanted it to be alive canon thing and not "Do what you want at your table" thing.

There are other Periphery nations out there CGL hasn't stomp the foot on yet. So there some hopes.  They need to be fleshed out.

From all appearances the Scorpions absorb not only the people but the culture and ideals as well.  In my opinion someone can create an interesting campaign from this. I also feel that there is a coming conflict between the Scorpion Empire and the Homeworlds Clan.  Definitely something to see.

[Offworlder]

It was shame they could have left them alone for people wanted to dabble in something different wanted it to be alive canon thing and not "Do what you want at your table" thing.

There are other Periphery nations out there CGL hasn't stomp the foot on yet. So there some hopes.  They need to be fleshed out.

Yes. And there is also the fact that the Hansa was the only real non-feudal or space-Mongol or pirate faction in the BT universe. I mean, I actually love/d the fact that  there are/were several factions who have/had different goals other than acquiring planets like Comstar, Knights of St Cameron and many others. These give a more 'realistic' feel to the universe.