Power is a goal. Pleasure is eternal. Welcome to Canopus.

[jimdigris]

With Danai's ascention to the Celestial throne, she will attempt to reform Capellan government and society.  While many Cappies will be drawn to the Canopian cultural changes that sweep the combined realm, hardliners will resist in a kind of Black Dragon society.  The Canopian Confederation will be hampered from expansion by the uprisings they have to put down.

[Scrollreader]

I can't find a reference to their color scheme. Do we have any idea what it is?

I don't think we have color schemes for any of the units mentioned in the ER yet.  (but we have a unit logo)

[Klat]

I don't think we have color schemes for any of the units mentioned in the ER yet.  (but we have a unit logo)

I believe you are correct; the only mention I can find regarding a unit color scheme is the entry for the Tau Ceti Lancers which simply says that they have retained the colors of the Rangers.

hopefully either FM3145 or CSO will provide unit colors in the near future.

[ArcaneRaven]

So, you all saw the new shiny toys the MAF got?  [drool]

I dare to say, the Magistracy now is the coolest kid in the Periphery block.  8)

[jimdigris]

I dare to say, the Magistracy now is the coolest kid in the Periphery block.  8)

This has always been true. :)

[Klat]

So, you all saw the new shiny toys the MAF got?  [drool]

I dare to say, the Magistracy now is the coolest kid in the Periphery block.  8)

I love how practical the MoC designs are; the Amazon is a no frills trooper BA and the Gun (there's a production line on Lockton) can transport it and still use all of its weapons in every configuration. The Agrotera looks like it could be all kinds of nasty as a mobile sniper or city fighter; it's my pick to lead Lancer units. Also, the Calliope can do a fine job holding the line against conventional forces while being serviceable against 'Mechs.

I may not play MoC but I sure am happy to see them get some love in this book. Coolest kid indeed  8)

[Moonsword]

I love how practical the MoC designs are; the Amazon is a no frills trooper BA and the Gun (there's a production line on Lockton) can transport it and still use all of its weapons in every configuration.

Yeah, I had the ability to move BA in mind when I designed the Gùn's configurations.

For the record, the ability to fit an HPPC in there wasn't an accident, it was a primary design goal.  I don't really have any justification for it, either.  It just seemed like a fun idea even if it's also an excellent way to get a slow 20 tonner turned into a priority target.

[ShockaTime]

Yeah, I had the ability to move BA in mind when I designed the Gùn's configurations.

For the record, the ability to fit an HPPC in there wasn't an accident, it was a primary design goal.  I don't really have any justification for it, either.  It just seemed like a fun idea even if it's also an excellent way to get a slow 20 tonner turned into a priority target.

Plus the Gun has one of the best pieces of art in the book.

[Maelwys]

I'm glad to see the designs spread around the Magistracy, rather than being focused on say Detroit and the design being "Canopian."

Though I do wish in the writeups, "Deployment" and "Battle History" were kept separate. Oh well, guess we'll have to wait for the MUL on some items :)

Interesting that more than one Magistracy built unit has VSPs on it. Not enough to declare a trend, but interesting.

Also interesting is that Detroit MechWorks has moved into the Magistracy proper, along with Ceres Metals.

About the only thing that's off I think is the lack of "Magistracy" weapons on the designs. Why bother with the Ceres Arms PPC on the (potentially sublime) Agrotera when the Magistracy made their own for the Penthesilea?

[False Son]

I'm glad to see the designs spread around the Magistracy, rather than being focused on say Detroit and the design being "Canopian."

I think what is really interesting for me is seeing how in the past the Canopians were buying from, or being gifted mechs by the Capellans.  Now the Canopians are selling their own domestic designs to the Capellans.  I'm sure they did in the past as well, but the trend is increasing.  This looks more like a partnership than the client state arrangement of the past.


My biggest complaint is a bit of a weenie.  The Amazon, while nice, is also somewhat boring.  Royal Foxx was already making the Theseus with a MRR.  The fact that the Amazon can jump and has more armor doesn't make it different enough in my mind.  I would have prefered the MAF build something with different functions before going straight to a perfected 3 jump long ranged BA when they have a 3 move long ranged BA as their first suit.  But, I must say, I enjoy seeing the similarity in design between the Amazon and the "body armor" of the 3085 Assault Commando.

[Klat]

But, I must say, I enjoy seeing the similarity in design between the Amazon and the "body armor" of the 3085 Assault Commando.

I didn't catch that until you mentioned it! Now that I see it that's pretty cool.

[Maelwys]

I think what is really interesting for me is seeing how in the past the Canopians were buying from, or being gifted mechs by the Capellans.  Now the Canopians are selling their own domestic designs to the Capellans.  I'm sure they did in the past as well, but the trend is increasing.  This looks more like a partnership than the client state arrangement of the past.

Yeah, nice to see that the selling is going both ways, or atleast noticeably both ways.

My biggest complaint is a bit of a weenie.  The Amazon, while nice, is also somewhat boring.  Royal Foxx was already making the Theseus with a MRR.  The fact that the Amazon can jump and has more armor doesn't make it different enough in my mind.  I would have prefered the MAF build something with different functions before going straight to a perfected 3 jump long ranged BA when they have a 3 move long ranged BA as their first suit.  But, I must say, I enjoy seeing the similarity in design between the Amazon and the "body armor" of the 3085 Assault Commando.

I can understand the issue with the Amazon (And its not like my complaints were much past the weenie stage!). When I first saw it I was kind of "meh." I mean, I realize the 10 points of armor is a game changer, but on first glance its like "Welcome to 3058?" I agree completely with the fluff that its evolutionary, and not revolutionary. Maybe it came about because Royal Foxx Infantry Systems needed to learn how to work on Jump Jets.

On the other hand, its nice to see another Magistracy-specific suit (even if it functions alot like the IS Standard in most cases). My big fear is that in a year all IS Standard suits and Medium faction-specific suits like the Cavalier will be converted over to this standard :)

That's a great catch about the body armor of the 3085 Assault Commando. It isn't a direct copy, but you can definitely see similar elements. That's pretty cool. (Now if we could just get a new Magistracy Infantry kit).

[Stormcrow]

<snip> (Now if we could just get a new Magistracy Infantry kit).

Why, the MoC kit is one of the best out there. Game stats don't lie.

[False Son]

In BT?  Isn't it just a 0 armor mod?  Wobbie or Lyran are the best, by Inner Sphere standards, for sure.

[Stormcrow]

I'm thinking in RPG terms.

[False Son]

Oh, another one of those situations in which something is bad in one system and great in another.  It makes sense for MAF infantry kits to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to outdo the sophisticated sensor array and protection of the Lyran kit.  I may have to look more closely at those stats.  Now if only the Assault Commando had an additional point of armor divisor to go along with that bulky armor.

Hmmm, that's good news for the ADF.  When ER3085 came out it sounded like a bad thing that they were buying BA and infantry kits from the MoC.

[Maelwys]

Why, the MoC kit is one of the best out there. Game stats don't lie.

...

I assume this is missing a sarcasm tag? :) In BT, its a single point Divisor, which is the standard "Don't suck" armor.

In the RPG...well, parts of it are good. Parts are bad. Sometimes at the same time.

The helmet is nice and heavy and protective (from most forms of attacks), but also gives one of the worst perception modifiers in the RPG. The Marian helmet provides the same protection, adds in Nightvision on top of the Rangefinders and military comm that the Magistracy kit has, but only costs 50 c-bills more, and only has a -1 to perception.

The Gloves and Boots are pretty standard. Nothing special or awful about them. Not the greatest, but standard.

The main armor bit (which coincidentally is used as the "generic" armor when not using hit locations in the RPG) is both good and bad. Good in that it provides a 5 points of ballistic armor. Not the best, but its going to provide protection on par with what everyone else has (some armor kits go up to 6). Its rating against explosions is similarly average. Its Melee and Energy armor values however are dismal. It won't even absorb any of the damage from a simple knife. (Okay, I'll admit that the way the RPG works, that alot of the "Better" armors out there won't do much against laser weapons, but the armor values are still low on the Magistracy armor).

Not only is the main armor worthless against anything other than ballistic or explosive damage, but it also only covers the torso. Arms and Legs are uncovered completely.

So we've got an infantry kit that hasn't really changed since the end of the Reunification War, IIRC. It probably worked well during the Succession Wars when combat was limited in scale and against mostly lowtech pirates who used ballistic weaponry, but times have changed somewhat.

As an aside, yes I know, the way the rules work, the Magistracy's armor is just as effective against certain weapons as more advanced armors with their higher ratings are, since it doesn't matter how much a weapon's AP beats the armor value, it just has to match or beat it.

[Kit deSummersville]

Why, the MoC kit is one of the best out there. Game stats don't lie.

Damn straight I am.

[Maelwys]

So do people think the Magistracy has started to play around with the augmented lances that the CapCon has been testing out over the years, or are they more likely to stick around with the tried and tested 4 units to a lance, 3 lances to a company? It would also require them to integrate their forces like we haven't really seen them do before.

[jimdigris]

Describe what you mean by augmented lance.

[Maelwys]

All the way back to Field Manual CapCon, the Capellans have been playing around with things called Augmented Lances, which are basically just reinforced Lances, but instead of them being homogeneous (such as 6 vehicles, or 6 `Mechs), they're a mixed lance with 2 different types of units.

So you have a an Augmented `Mech lance, which is 4 `Mechs and 2 vehicles, or 4 `Mechs and 2 BA Squads. Augmented Armor lances are 4 vehicles and either 2 `Mechs or 4 BA squads.

Companies however are only 2 lances, so you still only have 12 units (16 in the case of 2 Vehicle/BA Augmented lances) in the company, rather than the 18 units if you retained the 3 lances per Company. FM:3085 seemed to indicate that the Capellans were still using the formations post Jihad.

[jimdigris]

I suspect that many powers have been moving toward such a combined-arms approach.  Given the degree of Capellan influence on Majestracy military training, it is very likely that several regiments have adopted the approach.

[Maelwys]

We'll see hopefully. I'm interested in how the Magistracy has taken to deploying its new Fighters and BA. I bet alot has changed from the FM:Periphery.

[Picard Day]

Warning!  Field Manual 3145 spoilers ahead!

So, with Field Manual 3145 out, we finally have an idea of just what the hell the Magistracy has been up to for the past 50 years.  We finally know what went down with Detroit (It was voluntarily given to the CapCon as an ascension gift to Daoshen; the split production agreement remains in place.  Basically getting those annoying Fronc'ers to deal with Cappies instead of us; have fun with that guys!.  From the industrial standpoint the Magistracy has gone from a periphery backwater to a major economic power.

Probably the most disappointing element of the Field Manual is that there is actually very little detail on any doctrinal changes in the MAF; we know how it has expanded (new brigade, new independent command and some expansion plus one regimental command completely destroyed) but not really much at all about how these things are used.  This seems to be par for the course for most of the book however.  Though judging by the FM roster, it does look like the increased focus on Aerospace has been quite effective for the Magistracy and has had noticeable results.

Most interesting is the expansion of industry in the Magistracy - Two new MMM facilities (in addition to the new DMW facility on Krimari and Ceres Metal facility on Lockton we found out about in TRO 3145),  1 of which is now on a planet outside of the Magistracy (independent) and has only limited military production.  In addition both the Canopus and Dunianshire facilities have DOUBLED output, which is damn impressive.  There is no news of any expansion of Bristol SalvageWorks, Bermuda Combat Systems or Foxx Infantry Systems or Novis-ATH, though we know that Foxx Infantry systems at least has been producing Amazon BA for quite awhile.  Considering this is the Dark Ages I imagine Bristol SalvageWorks probably saw a lot of production, seeing as IndustrialMechs are very popular in this era, though nothing is mentioned regarding this.

Of even greater interest is the expansion of Alliance Aerospace Group; Though there is no mention of any additions or upgrades to their original facility on Marantha the AAG has posted "record production rates"; we also see that they have restored damaged orbital yards around Canopus IV for the production of Zero-G materials (i'm assuming Endo-Steel and the like) as well as dropships; no mention of what class (I'm hoping for some local PWS production) but that is a pretty major development, making Dunianshire no longer the sole local source of Droppers for the Canopians.  Perhaps of most significance is the fact that the Andurien alliance has really started to pay off - with Andurien aid AAG has built a brand new Jumpship facility in the Bass system producing Scout class Jumpships.  This is probably the biggest shocker in my opinion, and it really shows that the Magistracy is ready to play with the big dogs.

Of particular interest (to me at least) is that looking at the numbers, the combined forces of the Canopians and Anduriens actually appear to outnumber the nuFWL (at least in 'Mechs.)  While a lot of people seem to be anticipating the FWL to invade Andurien I'm beginning to suspect it is going to be the other way around; The Canopians have been putting a whole lot of effort into becoming a power on par with the Successor States and it's about time we went out there and proved it with a good old fashioned war of aggression (I'm sure the spheroids will greet us as liberators).  Not to mention I'm sure the Canopians have some more secrets hidden up their sleeves - the RotS and their "field manuals" don't seem to know anything new regarding what may be a not named benefactor or salvaged supplies the Canopians have been pulling out of empty space since 3040. 

On the page prior to the FWL writeup there is an excellent illustration of an Eyleuka and a Penthesilea tearing up a Ghost and I believe a Shockwave.  Probably my favorite part of the FM!

[Maelwys]

Well, I was going to wait a few more days, but maybe I'll have to write up some of my thoughts sometime soon.

[jimdigris]

I'm pleased to see that Canopus is rubbing off on the Capellan people.  When Danai ascends the throne, it will be that much easier to assimilate the Capellans into Greater Canopus. >:D

[Nerroth]

I find it strange, how the writeup for the MAF in FM:3145 leaves me.

On the one hand, the presentation of the Magistracy in Handbook: Major Periphery States (the first book in my current collection) helped encourage me to buy into the setting on a full-time basis.

But on the other, I'm not sure how I feel about just how powerful the Canopians are now, or how well nestled they are in their "new Trinity Alliance", or how they seem to have left the rest of the near Periphery so far behind.

It almost feels like they have traded in something intangible in their drive to secure their new future - but I wonder if, on some level, they may be at risk of losing their collective soul in the process.


But then, that sort of thing is par for the course in BattleTech, so it should hardly be surprising to see these changes happen... or to expect that, at some point, there may be a reckoning for the rulers of Canopus IV.

[Maelwys]

Well, if it helps, their military is apparently a pretty paper tiger (then again, so are alot of people's).

Also, we've yet to see how the whole "Danai is the only heir" thing will work out. We see another possible indication of Danai's "issues" with Davion troops, as IIRC, it was the 2nd MAC that was implicated in killing prisoners (or not taking any) on Tikonov, IIRC.

So we've got a really really really major issue with Danai and what happens as soon as one of the main leaders of 3 different realms die.

[Molossian Dog IIC]

...
- but I wonder if, on some level, they may be at risk of losing their collective soul in the process...

They are in bed with the Cappies. This is to be expected.

[Maelwys]

So here's a question that's sort of been floating around in the back of my mind.

Just what do you use a Scout-class JumpShip for?

I mean, obviously its great that the MoC is producing a JumpShip. I might have preferred the Invader-class, but I'll be happy with the progress that producing a JumpShip shows.

So again, what do you do with the Scout?

The obvious (and tongue in cheek) answer of course is that you transport a single DropShip 30 L-Y.

But what do you do with that DropShip?

Commerce seems a little iffy. A single DropShip doesn't seem like it can carry the amount required to make it viable, unless you're talking about Mammoths and Behemoths.

Militarily, a single DropShip again seems iffy, even in the smaller, combined arms conflicts of the post-Jihad (not to mention most Canon DropShips seem to lack cargo capacity for single DropShip raiding).

The fluff of the Scout has it used for exploration and reconnaissance. Normally I'd think that a single DropShip isn't enough for that (cargo issues), but the Scout itself can carry 1000 tons of cargo, so I'm willing to believe it can be useful in that regard.

It probably proved quite beneficial when the Blackout hit. A small JumpShip with only a single docking collar in a nation the size of the Magistracy was probably incredibly useful as a pony express component.

Or am I just overthinking it, and not seeing the forest for the trees? Is the best thing about the single DropShip collar on the Scout is that where you once had 3 collars handling commerce before the Scout, now you have 4 with the Scout?