Building a Better Clan Invasion

[SteveRestless]

Let us say that we are going to write an alternate version of the battletech universe. What sort of changes would you make to the setting and premise of the clan invasion, to make it more effective? Would you change the behavior of the Dragoons, and have them inform the clans better? would you leave their behavior the same, and let the clans extract a better picture of the state of the inner sphere from the outbound light personnel?

Would you pick different invading clans? would you send more clans, or have them work more closely together? Less for some reason? How would YOU package your invasion scenario?

[Stormfury]

I would begin with a revamping of the Omnis. Endo Steel rather than Ferro Fibrous would be preferred on the models that only have one advanced construction material, the Hellbringer would be designed with both, and the Nova would get Endo Steel as well. All Omnis would have only the fixed heat sinks that their engine could support, leaving more mass and space for viable configurations. No Omnis would have fixed Jump Jets, though all their configurations might pod-mount them (Summoner, Nova, Executioner, etc).

These are machines that have been around and refined for decades or centuries. They really should have been a lot better, and improvements can be made that are hardly game-breakers.

After that, if each Invading Clan had arrived with all their front-line troops rather than ~20 Clusters and had paid attention to the Wolf Dragoon reports, done correct logistical preperation, and conducted their occupation in a fashion more similar to the Wolves, you'd be in business.

However, the only thing you can really do whilst staying in-character is improve the Omnis >.<

[Jaim Magnus]

Take Phelan Kell and Natasha Kerensky out of the Wolves. 
The year of peace does not occur.

[Urban Kufahl]

So i try to make short :) :

Dragoons behavior : doesn't matter, the amount of forces involved make them insignificant.

Invading clan : doesn't matter if you do some things

- Use moderated clans like Wolfs, Horses, Raven, Bears, Scorpions....  they could more easelly deal with the civilians
- The invasion corridors need to be carefully chosen, avoid to put 2 rivals in the same area (like Horse near the Bears)

The more important reform the SLDF with the invading clan before the attack and rename them "SLDF Wolf Army", "SLDF Falcon Army" ect...
Be able to say "SLDF as recently liberated 12 planets from the claws of corrupted powers" is always better than announcing "Our glorious troop have crushed another 12 planets"

Also try to destroye / quarantine the 3 majors power capitals

[Skyth]

Take Phelan Kell and Natasha Kerensky out of the Wolves. 
The year of peace does not occur.

Actually, it still would have occurred.  The year of peave happened because the Ilkhan was killed and neither of the two you mentioned had anything to do with that.

[Stormfury]

Actually, without Phelan the Drakons may not have escaped Rasalhague, and Tyra may not have been as willing to make her suicide run.

[Jaim Magnus]

Actually, it still would have occurred.  The year of peave happened because the Ilkhan was killed and neither of the two you mentioned had anything to do with that.

Sigh.  Two separate points. Let's clarify.
- Take Phelan Kell and Natasha Kerensky out of the Wolves.
- Hopefully the year of peace does not occur.

Other points.
- Listen to Ulric or the Adders when it comes to logistics.
- Make Terra the goal, but strike at other key worlds first.
- Utilize all forces available... meaning bring in all the Clans, even if the smaller ones serve only as a reserve.
- Separate feuding Clans.

[E. Icaza]

Keep the original numbers that the Clans seemed to have in the BoK novels.  There were House and ComStar reports of massive migrations of troops and civilians initially which seemed to vanish when TPTB decided to reduce the size of the Clans as a whole to allow the IS to have a fighting chance.

[SteveRestless]

The more important reform the SLDF with the invading clan before the attack and rename them "SLDF Wolf Army", "SLDF Falcon Army" ect...
Be able to say "SLDF as recently liberated 12 planets from the claws of corrupted powers" is always better than announcing "Our glorious troop have crushed another 12 planets"

I think I like that, though I'm not sure that the clans would think to do that kind of spin. spin is not really in their nature, is it?

Keep the original numbers that the Clans seemed to have in the BoK novels.  There were House and ComStar reports of massive migrations of troops and civilians initially which seemed to vanish when TPTB decided to reduce the size of the Clans as a whole to allow the IS to have a fighting chance.

I always have envisioned the clans being much larger than depicted, and I think I might run with that.

Do you think having a new Khan at the head of the wolves, not one determined to act as a brake, but who embraces the goals of the invasion, and looks to defy the categorization of being crusader or warden, looking to protect the people of the inner sphere by liberating them, and thereby trying to hold the wolves together, rather than allowing them to grow apart, do you think that change would mean much over-all?

Can anyone think of a good reason that the clans should be carrying the idiot ball regarding duels and honorable combat, and continue to assume for no good reason at all, that the inner sphere would have any clue about what they consider proper conduct? Do you see the clans sending a brief summary of how they expect a fight to be conducted, and how they will respond if the defenders do not play by clan rules?  Do you see this making any difference?

[ScarletDevil]

How would YOU package your invasion scenario?

I've actually thought about this, though not realistic I'd say Inner Sphere wide safcon, get the Clans to cut out the wasteful rivalry in the invasion corridor and just start leapfrogging planets until they reach Earth. After we conquer Terra we can split up territory.

[Batman]

I'd remove the "Warden" and "Crusader" mindset from the Clans.

[Stormfury]

Do you think having a new Khan at the head of the wolves, not one determined to act as a brake, but who embraces the goals of the invasion, and looks to defy the categorization of being crusader or warden, looking to protect the people of the inner sphere by liberating them, and thereby trying to hold the wolves together, rather than allowing them to grow apart, do you think that change would mean much over-all?

Ulric was already the Wolf leader you seem to want to have. If you wish to remove the rift in Clan Wolf, all you need do is eliminate Conal Ward.

[Nanaki]

If I was given the power to do anything I wanted?

I would gut the number of clans. Instead of having seventeen clans, I would merge clans until I reduced that number to the original seven invading clans (We have 10 clans in the beginning instead of 20). This also results in much larger clans thus simontaneously resolving that issue.

[SteveRestless]

Ulric was already the Wolf leader you seem to want to have. If you wish to remove the rift in Clan Wolf, all you need do is eliminate Conal Ward.

Except Ulric's goal was always to hamstring the invasion. He wanted to get out in front of it, but his aim was always to undermine the invasion as a whole

[Dirk Bastion]

I'd go for a radical change - the Clans pretty much only use Quadped Mechs as giant mobile artillery platform (LRMs, Gauss, ER-PPC, basically Siroccos or Star Wars AT-ATs).

Everything else? Protomechs. Talk about an outside context problem. It would have to be set a bit later, though.

---

If that is not an option, I'd have the Clans start building up an actual close-by military and industrial base - the 100 lost worlds of the Outworld Alliance would work beautifully for this, and they could still hit the Combine and the FedCom at the same time (even better if the OA's leadership and military can be quietly infiltrated and neutralised, with all the attention at the Cold War in Space (tm) the Inner Sphere will never see it coming).

[Arkansas Warrior]

Mount up the combined WarShip fleet of the Clans, plus equal ground contributions from each, then use uninhabited systems to go straight to Terra.  Pop up unannounced, demolish ComStar, then start divying up the rest of the old TH worlds according to who performed best in the Sol invasion, then progressing on to the rest of the Sphere.

[SteveRestless]

The changes I intend to enact:

(1) one or two partner clans for each invading team. I have some ideas for who works with who, mostly things to minimize strife between cooperating clans.

(2) Different Wolf Leadership, who overthrew Ulric for trying to act as a brake on the invasion. they pay homage to the goal of terra, but they are more interested in recovering worlds of the inner sphere, liberating them from the successor states. There will also be some alterations to other clan leaderships.

(3) as Eric Icaza pointed out, having it be a migration as much as an invasion, and making their forces much larger and thus a legitimate threat to the whole of the sphere.

(4) Periphery Logistical Bases, both acting as localized maunfacturing, training and depot worlds, as well as rallying points for the migration following after. Additionally, a foreward capital world for the clans will be established, allowing the clans to hold council while in the field.

(5) Reactivation of cached material, sohlama warriors and having some clans introduce second-round Trials of Position, allowing would-be warriors to test into outdated mechs, vehicles, infantry units, to help defend liberated territory. For Clan Wolf, I have reactivated marauders that are rebuilt to resemble Timberwolf A and D configurations, a poor man's Catapult based Timberwolf Prime, a Charger rigged up to be similar to a Gargoyle Prime along with the addition of elemental carrying capacity. Reactivated mothballed Woodsmen that they found somewhere. a Longbow built into a budget Naga. For the Ghost Bears, its been Bombardier -> Mad Dog, and Banshee -> Executioner

Looking for suggestions for building other mechs into look-alikes for the other clans.

(6) One way or another, the clans after the first wave or two, realize that the inner sphere has no idea what they consider honorable combat, and rather than continuing to get enraged when they just fight barbarically, they start including a short introduction on clan combat along with their batchalls, and give the planet being conquered a choice, that they can conduct themselves honorably, or they can face the full might of the clan forces available.

(7) Turn down Comstar's offer of administrating the Occupation Zones. We do not need them to operate HPGs, and we have no reason to trust comstar like that. They ARE after all the organization who found us.


I do rather like your suggestion, Arkansas Warrior, of starting at the core, but that would be a logistics nightmare, I think.

[Urban Kufahl]

The changes I intend to enact:

(1) one or two partner clans for each invading team. I have some ideas for who works with who, mostly things to minimize strife between cooperating clans.

Lyran Alliance
- Team 1 : Coyote + Scorpions (Greater Valkirate)
- Team 2 : Wolf + Hell's Horses (World Republic)

Draconis Combine + Rasalhague
- Team 1 : Ghost Bears/Diamond Shark A (Oberon Federation)
- Team 2 : Ice Hellion/Diamond Shark B (Elysean Field)

Outworld Alliance
- Team 1 : Cloud Cobra/Star Adder A
- Team 2 : Burrock/Star Adder B

Federated Suns
- Team 1 : Jade Falcons (Tortuga Dominions)
- Team 2 : Smoke Jaguars (Tortuga Dominions)
- Team 3 : Nova Cats (Tortuga Dominions)

Free World Leagues
- Team 1 : Blood Spirit + Snow Ravens B (Lothian League)
- Team 2 : Fire Mandrills + Snow Ravens B (Lothian League)

[Stormfury]

Except Ulric's goal was always to hamstring the invasion. He wanted to get out in front of it, but his aim was always to undermine the invasion as a whole

Undermine the Crusader Clans and agenda, yes. Undermine the Invasion, no. And considering that every Invader Khan was doing the exact same thing, hardly a noteworthy sin. Even Leo Showers was doing his best to see every other Clan fail and the Smoke Jaguars succeed, right down to hobbling the Wolves and Bears over Rasalhague.

(7) Turn down Comstar's offer of administrating the Occupation Zones. We do not need them to operate HPGs, and we have no reason to trust comstar like that. They ARE after all the organization who found us.

Problem with that is, Kerensky's writings indicated that the Clans could expect aid from some kind of shadowy force if or when they did return, and this was interpreted to mean ComStar. Leo Showers was the one who accepted that offer.

Draconis Combine + Rasalhague
- Team 1 : Ghost Bears/Diamond Shark A (Oberon Federation)
- Team 2 : Ice Hellion/Diamond Shark B (Elysean Field)

Federated Suns
- Team 1 : Jade Falcons (Tortuga Dominions)
- Team 2 : Smoke Jaguars (Tortuga Dominions)
- Team 3 : Nova Cats (Tortuga Dominions)

The Draconis Combine was seen as the most prestigious corridor due to the Coordinator being the first to declare himself lord of the Star League before it fell and its duelling culture. The Bears and Sharks do not get along, and the Falcons, Cats, and Jaguars despise each other.

You really do not want the Ice Hellions involved with anyone else. Send them to the Capellan Confederation.

[Urban Kufahl]

The Draconis Combine was seen as the most prestigious corridor due to the Coordinator being the first to declare himself lord of the Star League before it fell and its duelling culture. The Bears and Sharks do not get along, and the Falcons, Cats, and Jaguars despise each other.

You really do not want the Ice Hellions involved with anyone else. Send them to the Capellan Confederation.

Quote from FM:Warden, Ghost Bears about Diamond Sharks :

"It troubles us that they seen uninterested in rebuilding their shattered Touman. They are valuable allies, but not indispensable. ...."
Maybe you was meaning "Clan Hell's Horses" instead of Diamond Shark

I bid the Ice Hellion vs the DC only because DC like to use Light mechs so it's could be a good challenge for them.

The Sharks are split between this 2 clans because they could give navals support/transport (like the Raven for the Spirit/Mandrill force)

[Stormfury]

That quote was from a decade after the initial Invasion (during which the Bears were Crusaders) and after the Sharks had been providing cover assistance for the Bears' move to the Inner Sphere. A lot can change in that time.

I bid the Ice Hellion vs the DC only because DC like to use Light mechs so it's could be a good challenge for them.

The Combine was a prestige target and expected to be the toughest corridor available during the initial Invasion. The Hellions do not have the strength or rep to make a serious go of such a priority target, regardless of the Combine's preference for light  'Mechs.

[SteveRestless]

For my own scenario, I intend to keep fairly close to the traditional invasion corridors.

I was thinking, perhaps

Wolf/Golliath Scorpion (Or Wolf/GS/Coyote as a power bloc to counter the J/F/H block below)

Falcon/??? Not sure. they really seem to disdain everybody else in the FM:CC "opinions of other clans" sidepanel.

Ghost Bear/Snow Raven

Smoke Jaguar/Ice Hellion (Alternately Jaguar/Falcon/Hellion)

[Jaim Magnus]

Basically you want one Strong Clan per corridor with a few weaker Clans to support it.

I would suggest the following;
-5 invasion corridors
-1 strong and two 'weak' clans per corridor
-remaining 2 clans act as reserve

- Corridor 1; Wolf, Coyote, Goliath Scorpion
- Corridor 2; Jade Falcon, Hell's Horses, Diamond Shark
- Corridor 3; Ghost Bear, Snow Raven, Nova Cat
- Corridor 4; Smoke Jaguar, Cloud Cobra, Ice Hellion
- Corridor 5; Steel Viper, Burrock, Fire Mandrill
- Reserve; Blood Spirit, Star Adder

[joechummer]

The only reason the year of peace occurred was due to the time and logistics of getting every Khan back to Strana Mechty to vote in a new ilKhan, correct?  Well, to get around this, all you need to do is have the Clans -- due to their current wartime status (and I mean this in a much more urgent way than the standard "We are Clan; we are ALWAYS at war" baseline mentality) -- pony up the cash for a virtual, real-time HPG Grand Council session for the express purpose of electing a new ilKhan.  A Clan Council quorum can be attended virtually, so why not a (n emergency) Grand Council session?  Besides, the Blood Spirit Khans hadn't physically set foot in the Hall of Khans in a very long time anyway (if memory serves).

[Stormfury]

Basically you want one Strong Clan per corridor with a few weaker Clans to support it.

Given that the Ice Hellions are half the size (or less) of the Adders and substantially less capable, why are they in reserve? Likewise, the Blood Spirits are actually one of the largest Homeworld Clans, with ~60 Clusters prior to the Burrock Absorbtion.

I would hold the two Naval Clans- Cloud Cobra and Snow Raven- in reserve. Their WarShip and ASF elements would make excellent back-ups to beleaguered assaults.

[Nanaki]

Basically you want one Strong Clan per corridor with a few weaker Clans to support it.

I would suggest the following;
-5 invasion corridors
-1 strong and two 'weak' clans per corridor
-remaining 2 clans act as reserve

- Corridor 1; Wolf, Coyote, Goliath Scorpion
- Corridor 2; Jade Falcon, Hell's Horses, Diamond Shark
- Corridor 3; Ghost Bear, Snow Raven, Nova Cat
- Corridor 4; Smoke Jaguar, Cloud Cobra, Ice Hellion
- Corridor 5; Steel Viper, Burrock, Fire Mandrill
- Reserve; Blood Spirit, Star Adder

A bizzare list... some corridors are remarkably overstrength, like the Wolf and Bear corridors, while others are very weak, like the Viper corridor (All of those clans had small toumans in that time period).

The ideas pairing the Nova Cats with the Smoke Jaguars are equally bizzare. You guys do realize that the Cat-Jaguar feud is as bad (if not worse) as the Falcon-Wolf feud, right?

Mount up the combined WarShip fleet of the Clans, plus equal ground contributions from each, then use uninhabited systems to go straight to Terra.  Pop up unannounced, demolish ComStar, then start divying up the rest of the old TH worlds according to who performed best in the Sol invasion, then progressing on to the rest of the Sphere.

This is actually a really smart idea... one of the few things folks forget is that interstellar space is not a giant landmass that necessitates such outdated concepts as 'Front Lines', the Inner Sphere more resembles the Battle of the Pacific, and that there is very little stopping a faction from simply skipping past most of your heavily fortified islands on the front to hit your interior worlds.

[Stormfury]

Well, yes and no.

On the one hand, there is nothing to prevent a heavy raid or decapitation strike on interior worlds.

However, if you intend to keep what you are attacking, you kind of do need to push back the "front" of planets. If you dig in, you are vulnerable to counter-attack, and if you're on an important world, it will be swift and strong. If you do manage to keep the world despite that, you face the difficulty of keeping it supplied, as very few worlds are completely self-sufficient. The danger of JumpShips being stranded forces the majority of shipping to occur through inhabited systems, and you can be certain that the House whose interior world you've captured will not be overly keen on letting you supply or reinforce that planet.

These are less of a concern for Terra and its factories (and in-system worlds) and the Clans, who can bring in mobile factories or sufficient supplies with their WarShips. Even so, you'd want to get it right the first time.

I do not think that Terra's defences prior to the Word of Blake could hold out a Clan assualt. Even after the Blakist occupation of Terra, one or two Clan navies showing up would probably be more than enough, let alone most or all of them.

I think striking inwards is still better than striking outwards; YMMV.

[Iron Wolf]

Would you pick different invading clans?

I would pick all of them. Every Clan. Wardens are free to stay home and watch paint dry if they so choose.

How would YOU package your invasion scenario?

We are going to Terra. Plain and simple. How you get there and from what direction is up to you. Good hunting.

[SteveRestless]

We are going to Terra. Plain and simple. How you get there and from what direction is up to you. Good hunting.

... Ohhhh, I like that. I like that a lot.

[Urban Kufahl]

Basically you want one Strong Clan per corridor with a few weaker Clans to support it.

I would suggest the following;
-5 invasion corridors
-1 strong and two 'weak' clans per corridor
-remaining 2 clans act as reserve

- Corridor 1; Wolf, Coyote, Goliath Scorpion
- Corridor 2; Jade Falcon, Hell's Horses, Diamond Shark
- Corridor 3; Ghost Bear, Snow Raven, Nova Cat
- Corridor 4; Smoke Jaguar, Cloud Cobra, Ice Hellion
- Corridor 5; Steel Viper, Burrock, Fire Mandrill
- Reserve; Blood Spirit, Star Adder

*

I like the Corridor 4 "all roted eggs in the same basket", launch them on something hard it will solve a lot of homeworld prob  :D

Did you mix the clans force inside each corridors or they are idependent ?