Coils of the Adder: Home of Clan Star Adder

[Gäiten]

What do you mean? Tau survived the WoR.

[Rael]

They did, though they must have taken many losses. Even in 3085 they're still very understrength.

[cold1]

My character was in the 5th Assault... I wanted to create and IS clan character after the WoR, that sort of worked itself out for me since he's now a Horsey.

I'm working on fleshing out a new Adder character now.

[Gäiten]

They did, though they must have taken many losses. Even in 3085 they're still very understrength.

Agreed, but whole Adder touman is very understrength (that TO&E was summarized shortly after the brutal and bloody Spirit annihilation).

[CSA_Ruslan]

My character was in the 97th Adder Sentinels, Xi Galaxy. Freeborn MechWarrior, son of freeborn aerospace KIA pilot and civilian trader. Young and calm man, pilot of Huncback IIC BattleMech. ;-)

[Wotan]

What do you mean? Tau survived the WoR.

Sure, but not my selected cluster. Anyway the 286th Adder Sentinels have their entry and are going in a good way. [fiddle]

[Gäiten]

They died in a good way for a Clanner to die.

Generally I wonder why the Adders do have so many active clusters. Many of them are very understrength and, IMHO, can hardly be considered as battleworthy.

[cold1]

They died in a good way for a Clanner to die.

Generally I wonder why the Adders do have so many active clusters. Many of them are very understrength and, IMHO, can hardly be considered as battleworthy.

A product of Adder strategy durning the WoR maybe... they consolidated early so have more survivng clusters although they are battered pretty badly from heavy fighting, but because they consolidated they had fewer clusters or units left in the cold to be totally destroyed.  The Founders Future is so soon afer the WoR and Spirit anihilation that they may have not restructured yet.  It is also possible that the Adders have enough infrastructure left to rebuild both man and material to refill alot of the gaps.

Remember we plan ahead, so Adder leadership may have a good idea where the clan stands with infrastructure.  I would not be surprised if the Adders had a complete plan for rebuilding even before the Spirit trial.

[Gäiten]

IMHO, clusters with a strength of 10-25% are not combat-worthy.

Better to combine such depleted units (per trials between COs), and then reviving the disbanded unit.
As the Adders did before.

Maybe they want to save the battlehardened comannd structure.

Furthermore, I have wondered why did the Adders did not form new units during the WoR, at least one? Nothing.

[Wotan]

Maybe 10% are enough for all needs they see in the moment ? Combining them would give them smaller number of units to deploy - or they would have to split them immediately after combining.

And why form new units during the WoR while you face massive destruction and it is hard enough to keep existing units alive ?

[cold1]

I also wondered why they would not have consolidated units to create new units during the WoR, maybe they just didn't have the time to go through the trials associated with it.  Well, we have these two beat up clusters so let's combine them... Star Colonel and Star Captains then fight trials for command.  Better to just say Star Colonel Jim, Star Colonel Bob your clusters are fighting together until we get this mess with the Society, Dark Caste, Burrocks, Vipers, and Spirits all figured out.

The Adders have always been practical, if the opportunity and need to combine units at 15-20% strength was there I am pretty sure it would happen.  Maybe they intend to rebuild based off of what they still have.

Also... if we're going to rebuild units, can I get the 5th back, please?

[Gäiten]

And why form new units during the WoR while you face massive destruction and it is hard enough to keep existing units alive ?

Hmm ...  agreed, given the very large pre-WoR touman they had their hands full to keep their existing units relatively intact.
However I would like to know if they have changed the composition of their cluster, for example increasing numbers of Protomechs.

[Rael]

I agree that 10% or 20% is barely combat worthy. 10% of a roughly average Cluster is a Star of mechs, a couple of points of Elementals and a few ASF.

Maybe the Adders are keen to maintain a large 'paper' Touman for appearances sake, while also planning to funnel replacements into these Clusters as soon as they can to bring them up to strength.

[Wotan]

I'm not aware of any love for Protomechs within the Star Adders that would led to an overall change in organization. The last major change comes with the Burrock "absorption" when we increased our numbers of BAs. That might led to another change now when we have lost so many Burrock Elementals. So i think the touman will look like before with many heavy and assault mechs.

10% is the number of battle ready units, correct ? As far as i know the usual omnimech is easy to repair and battlefield salvage should be accessable in numbers. So if you have an official touman short after a heavy conflict of 10%, you may have some weeks later 30-40% ready. Remember how fast some clans recovered from earlier clashes like Tukayyid or the Refusal War. Having all the clusters still on the list can just show the impression of our leadership that they can rebuilt the rest in near future. And then you have a core of battle hardened warriors you can fill the officer ranks of these units, who know each others very well and can lead the new blood.

[cold1]

Upon further review...
Comparing the Adder Touman in 3067 and post WoR it looks like TPTB just took a cluster or two out of each galaxy and knocked down the strengths here and there of those that remained.  How complicated this process actually was and how much time/thought went into I am not going to speculate on as I read the tweets and blogs leading up to the release and I understand how much work went into this book.

Logically, not only could the Adders consolidate clusters but also entire galaxies.  We could cut 3-4 galaxies of understrength troops and consolidate down to 8-9 fully operational units.

My guess is the Adders having to spread out across much more territory is a possible reason for the mass of understrength units.  It is also harder to consolidate and then replace units than to rebuild units with exisiting infrastructure.  This may be a very promising sign for us.

[tassa_kay]

Given the situation between the Homeworld Clans post-WoR and the absence of the Spheroid Clans, the Adders have a relative calm in which to rebuild and bring their touman back up to strength...but with the destruction of so much during the Wars, both in lives and in infrastructure, I doubt the Adders will ever be what they once were. The Clans are just not built for the sort of the sort of longterm peace that they would need to make good all their losses.

[jimdigris]

Considering that they couldn't make new sibkos for five years, I expect it to take some time for them to re-build.  If the other clans decide they're too big for everyone else's own good, they may decide to play pile-on-the-Adders.

[cold1]

Meh, I doubt it.

The other clans would have a hard enough time getting to the Adders main worlds since the Adder navy, although greatly diminshed is still far superior.  Also, the new era of cooperation means the clans should benefit by working together.  It is certainly to the other 3's benefit

The key for success will be rebuilding the ideals of rivalry not hatred among the remaining clans.  Trialing and combat need to exist within the original ground work of friendly competition.

[Wotan]

The Clans are just not built for the sort of the sort of longterm peace that they would need to make good all their losses.

There is a difference between an overall peace agreement and the Way of the clans. I always had the impression that the Adders knew that difference. They prepared well for the war that must have to come. But in the time of preparation they used smaller trials to sharpen their skills.

With a leading clan in the homeworlds that understands the value of long term planning, i doubt that the IS can rest in savety.

[tassa_kay]

And yet, understanding the value of long-term planning as they do, the Adders still have younger warriors who aren't content with the current situation. Though it's a long gap between 3085 and 3150, and a lot can happen in that timeframe...both to the Adders' benefit and to their detriment. It's impossible to predict what their future holds between "now" and when we get to the next BattleTech era.

[Wotan]

It's impossible to predict what their future holds between "now" and when we get to the next BattleTech era.

Correct - it's "impossible to predict". And i've seen several times now that this means for many people "impossible to happen". I just wanted to have that clarified. ;)

But why should the younger warriors not be content with the current situation ? They were trained and educated by older Adder warriors and they were not sealed in the time of WoR. So they should be very well aware of the current situation and the heritage of their clan. But maybe i misunderstood your point. ???

[cold1]

The Founders Future section of WoR says young Adder warriors are basically restless and unblooded and itching to prove themselves.  It's what they were bred to do.

If the Adders can get back to Trials and even war gaming since they have an entire Op-For galaxy and were notorious for it before they may quell the discontent.  Or they can start attacking the Periphery states... and why are all the CHH periphery listening posts no longer in their possession circa 3130???

Also, if the Adders can show the other clans how they prepared for Revival, how they trained to fight the IS there may be hope for a worthwhile invasion.

(Just as an aside the Adders are not perfect at the whole "way of the clans thing" in regards to healthy competition.  They pretty much systematically dismantled the Blood Spirits in some VERY un-clan like ways.  Otherwise they held pretty true to the original guidelines, more so than most.)

[Gäiten]

Given the possessions each of the remaining HomeClans have in 3085 they are roughly equal, so each Clan should have a good economic base for repairing the damage and start new programs (sibkos, technologies et cetera).

The Adders do have a good stand from the beginning and due to their prolonged warfare against the Spirits are used to keep their military-industrial complex, logistics and population in a good and effective shape.
Furthermore it seems that they are content to let the other Clans recover.

They do have other targets as the Imperio, that is going to be a primary one for the young warriors.
And they might organize somewhat of a warrior reserve pool.

Another change could be the new organizing of "warrior-engineering teams".
So far many of the discontent young warriors have been punished by transferring these culprits to commands they have to do mental works. Giving the dire need for reconstruction these trained pilots could pilot working mechs (or modified Omnimechs either). Warriors could be held busy and the relation between the castes would be improved. BTW the warriors would learn more, giving them broader views and making them more capable of adapting.
 

[Hawkeye Jim]

The one disadvantage that the Home Clans have is that they have only a limited number of opponents to trial against. After a certain length of time, those few opponents become familiar, and the training stagnates for lack of new techniques.

[Wotan]

They fought each other isolated for several hundred years. Training only stagnates if you not allow to react on tactical decisions of your opponent. ;)

[Gäiten]

Furthermore, even in isolation you can develop new warfare concepts far more advanced and effective than anything the IS is capable to do.

The Homeclans know their very people and way to life is threatened by the IS. They know they do not have the manpower nor resources to compete with the IS. So they must be find new ways and technologies to get their chances up to win the future conflict.

[Wotan]

And as i said before it is not that the IS faced a time of peace and prosper since 3067. There is no mighty army waiting for the homeworld clans.
Ok, i think the best time of a new invasion is gone with the Dark Age blackout. As far as i understood the MWDA timeline the armies are now rebuilding and growing again in the IS ...

But they were also hardly depleted after the Jihad and cannot be compared to the time between 3050 and 3067.

[cold1]

It will be a long time before we know for sure, but I think we will see some form of contact between the homeworlds and IS.

I think the Adders will be a key part of what eventually transpires

[tassa_kay]

I think that's pretty much obvious. ;)

[cold1]

I think that's pretty much obvious. ;)

Unless we missed a couple hidden worlds...