Battletech: Clan Invasion Kickstarter, to Ensure That These Brand-New Miniatures Have a Place in Games Set in the Dark Age

RECOGNITION GUIDE: ILCLAN VOLUME 11

STAR SUCCESSION CLAN LEAGUE WARS INVASION CIVIL WAR JIHAD DARK AGE ILCLAN SampleCATALYST GAME LABS file INTRODUCTION 3

RECOGNITION GUIDE: ILCLAN VOL. 11 saFactor, Words which once seemed impossible now seem inevitable: the ilClan is nigh. The turbulence of the last two decades has brought several of our fellow Clans to Terra’s doorstep, to say nothing of the Inner Sphere powers which gaze upon humanity’s birthplace with hungry eyes. But we know our people, we know their aggression. One of them will move to take Terra first and claim the mantle of ilClan, however briefly. If they intend to hold it, however, they will need new hardware—and, as ever, we stand ready to deliver. For a price. Contained within these volumes is that hardware. It is an intriguing combination of all-new BattleMech designs and retrofits of existing Inner Sphere and Clan designs with weapons and equipment suitable for modern combat. All are in our inventories or otherwise obtainable, and I have instructed all Merchant Caste personnel under my command above the rank of Point Merchant to familiarize themselves with the contents of these reports and be ready to negotiate terms for any merchandise herein. I hope you will assist me, “old friend,” with their distribution across all Khanates. The wheel of power is poised to spin once more, but we must be the axle on which it revolves. Who winds up atop that wheel, and who is crushed beneath it, matters little as long as we profit from each turn.

—Merchant Colonel Reece, aboard CSF Atlantean, Skate Khanate, 14 November 3150

Welcome to Recognition Guide: ilClan, a supplement offering players exciting new ’Mech variants rooted in the closing days of the Dark Age era and the transition to the ilClan era. Inside, you’ll discover a mix of all-new ’Mechs only recently seen on battlefields of the Inner Sphere, alongside modern refits of long-existing and much- loved units. Each volume of Recognition Guide: ilClan includes full, Technical Readout-style entries on new ’Mechs or significant rebuilds of existing designs; a selection of brief write- ups on existing variants; notable pilots for each ’Mech, and record sheets for immediate game use. Special attention has been given to ’Mechs which were redesigned as part of the BattleTech: Clan Invasion Kickstarter, to ensure that these brand-new miniatures have a place in games set in the Dark Age. Many of these units have torn apart battlefields of the Inner Sphere for hundreds of years. With these guides, they will continue to do so for hundreds more.

CREDITS FIND US ONLINE Project Development: Johannes Heidler Record Sheets: Dave Nawton, Carl Spain, Matt Wilsbacher [email protected] Development Assistance: Aaron Cahall, Chris Wheeler (e-mail address for any BattleTech questions) BattleTech Line Developer: Ray Arrastia Proofers, Core Fact Checkers, and Unit Design: Ray Arrastia, Assistant Line Developer: Aaron Cahall Matt Cross, Joshua Franklin, William Gauthier, Keith Hann, http://bg.battletech.com/ Writing: Keith Hann, Johannes Heidler, Edward McEneely, Luke Mike Miller, Joshua Perian, Luke Robertson, Lance Scarinci, (official BattleTech web pages) Robertson, Elliotte C. Want Matt Wilsbacher http://www.CatalystGameLabs.com BattleTech Line Editor: Aaron Cahall (Catalyst web pages) Additional Fact Checkers: Étienne Charron-Willard, Stephan http://www.store.catalystgamelabs.com Production Staff Frabartolo, Matt Frederiksen, Eric Salzman (online ordering) Art Director: Anthony Scroggins Assistant Art Director: Ray Arrastia Special Thanks: To Ashley Pollard nee Watkins, for creating the Published by Catalyst Game Labs, an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Cover Design and Layout: David A. Kerber Clan Classics almost 30 years ago and for sharing her original 7108 S. Pheasant Ridge Dr. • Spokane, WA 99224 Illustrations: Alan Blackwell, Dale Eadeh, Harri Kallio, Anthony notes with me, allowing a few additional ideas to now finally Scroggins see the light of day. To Lance and Dale for doing so much more on this project than what they signed up for. 35TR111 Under License From

® ©2021 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Recognition Guide: IlClan, BattleTech, ’Mech, BattleMech, MechWarrior and Topps logo are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Copyright Owner, nor be Sampleotherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarksfile of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. ION SPARROW (BUTCHERBIRD) 4

Ion Sparrow is essentially a stripped-down Fire Falcon outside Gray Valley City. Outranged and outgunned, light ’MECH mated to a large jump jet apparatus and the advanced the Ion Sparrows tried to disengage, but were partial wing. Thus, the resulting avian features—also blindsided when the Wolf Omnis could keep up and, found in the recent Hierofalcon and Jade Phoenix—exist in short spurts, even close the distance. Despite their by virtue of construction only. The newest Jade Falcon numerical superiority, the Ion Sparrows wilted under a OmniMechs stand in stark contrast to the hyper-stylized hail of close-range autocannon and plasma fire, while totemic BattleMechs so favored by the adherents of the their retaliatory laser barrages proved completely Mongol philosophy, despite arguably looking even ineffective. This experience encounter resulted in a more like birds. decree by the Chinggis Khan that the Ion Sparrow must Initially intended as a test bed, the Ion Sparrow’s not be deployed in line combat. payload is severely limited; it was deployed only after a warrior caste project consultant suggested that the NOTABLE ’MECHS ’Mech would make a fine trainer. In that role, it was Mass: 20 tons AND MECHWARRIORS deemed an immediate success, which resulted in mass Chassis: JF 3B Light Endo Steel production. Star Commander Chris Hazen: The ristar Chris is likely Power Plant: JF 160 XL the most accomplished Ion Sparrow pilot in Clan Jade Cruising Speed: 86 kph BATTLE HISTORY Falcon. When the ’Mech was introduced as a trainer for Maximum Speed: 129 kph The Ion Sparrow debuted in the defense of Leskovik his sibko shortly before his blooding, he insisted using Jump Jets: Clan Standard Type A2 with Partial Wing during Clan Hell’s Horses’ Operation Noyan. The Horses it in his Trial of Position. Asked about his success in the Jump Capacity: 300 meters landed understrength, having been denied safcon, diminutive OmniMech after he walked away from the Armor: Compound JF Ferro-Fibrous and the rolling hills of Kolonja were an ideal hunting trial as a Star Commander, he replied “hit and away, Armament: ground for the Falcons. Emerging from their LZ, fast that is my style.” He was deployed to the Eighteenth 4 tons of pod space available elements of the Horses’ Seventy-first Mechanized Falcon Regulars just in time for the defense of Leskovik, Manufacturer: CJF Factory Zone 4 Cavalry gave chase to a Falcon Binary of Fire Falcons where his success led to sponsorship for the Hazen Primary Factory: Alyina and Black Lanners that led them right into a star of Ion Bloodname. Deftly demonstrating the finer points of Communications System: JF Integrated Sparrows. The winged ’Mechs scattered like a flock of his Noyan duel, Chris Hazen emerged victorious with Targeting & Tracking System: Series JFVIII KITT birds and aerially outmaneuvered the Horses’ many prestige that belies his youth and current rank. vehicles in the ensuing chaos. At the height of the The Ion Sparrow heralded a new generation of confusion, a rare Parash 3 challenged Star Commander Star Captain Jo: Stemming from an obscure Gruber OmniMechs entering the Jade Falcon Touman, and was Chris Hazen. Though the Horse warrior guided his lithe sibko that included Hazen patrilineal genetic material, named for a bird with an electric organ that releases ion BattleMech with full neural interfacing, Hazen engaged Jo’s hulking size hides an untypically mellow nature. currents in self-defense against the swarms of so-called in a breathtaking series of jumps that continually landed Though he is a Falcon traditionalist and an excellent brutto vapore insects of Alyina’s swamps. him in dead zones of his larger foe’s weapons. The fight light ’Mech pilot, his conciliatory attitude toward conflict When Clan Jade Falcon took the planet, they seemed to last hours, but in truth was over in less than a is frequently misconstrued as weakness. When he was introduced the fire falcon. Ever the opportunist, the minute and tipped the tide in favor of the Falcons. passed over for a deserved promotion, Jo voluntarily small falcon formed a new symbiotic relationship with Elements of Gyrfalcon Eyrie deployed with the became a successful Falconer in the Jade Falcon School the ion sparrow, luring swarms of insects to sparrow Ion Sparrow during Delta Galaxy’s assault on Coventry of Conflict. As a consultant on the Ion Sparrow project, flocks, where they would be stunned and consumed. in 3148. Following the carnage at Whitting, the Lyrans he advocated its use as a training OmniMech, though The Ion Sparrow‘s development was inspired by the code-named it Butcherbird for its various configurations’ Jo humbly maintains that his main contribution was heavier Fire Falcon; like its namesake, it performs very abilities to skewer infantry. ensuring the lightweight cockpit could hold him well in a screening role for the heavier OmniMech. Recently, the Ides of March bode ill for the comfortably. Though a driving force behind the winged nimble OmniMech, which relies on jump jets for its Omni series, the ever-limited Gruber Bloodcounts and CAPABILITIES advantage. An Ion Sparrow star from Turkina Eyrie politics of the Hazen Bloodhouse mean his chance at a The resumption of Night Gyr OmniMech production on was on Zebebelgenubi when the Ninety-third Wolf Bloodname is dwindling. Alyina created a test site for an innovative design that Striker Cluster landed. They encountered a pair of the focused on perfecting partial wingsSample on OmniMechs. The new and hitherto unknown Stormwolfs on the flats file ION SPARROW (BUTCHERBIRD) 5

Type: Ion Sparrow Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage Inner Sphere Designation: Butcherbird Primary Weapons Configuration Alternate Configuration B Technology Base: Clan (Advanced) 2 Anti-Personnel Gauss Rifles RA 2 1 SRM 6 RA 1 1.5 Tonnage: 20 Ammo (AP Gauss) 40 RT 1 1 Ammo (SRM) 15 RT 1 1 Role: Scout 2 Imp. Heavy Medium Lasers LA 4 2 SRM 6 LA 1 1.5 Battle Value: 885 Battle Value: 626 Role: Scout Alternate Configuration A Equipment Mass 4 Machine Guns RA 4 1 Alternate Configuration C Internal Structure: Endo Steel 1 Machine Gun Array RA 1 .25 3 ER Small Lasers RA 3 1.5 Engine: 160 XL 3 Ammo (MG) 100 RT 1 .5 Targeting Computer LT 1 1 Walking MP: 8 Active Probe LT 1 1 3 ER Small Lasers LA 3 1.5 Running MP: 12 Jumping MP: 8* 4 Machine Guns LA 4 1 Battle Value: 889 Role: Scout Heat Sinks: 10 [20]* 0 Machine Gun Array LA 1 .25 Gyro: 2 Battle Value: 501 Role: Scout Alternate Configuration D Cockpit (Small): 2 Medium Pulse Laser RA 1 2 Armor Factor (Ferro): 57 3 2 ER Medium Lasers LA 2 2 Internal Armor Battle Value: 1,121 Role: Scout Structure Value Head 3 5 Center Torso 6 10 Center Torso (rear) 2 R/L Torso 5 7 R/L Torso (rear) 1 R/L Arm 3 5 R/L Leg 4 7

Space Allocation Location Fixed Spaces Remaining Head 2 Double Heat Sink 0 Center Torso 2 Double Heat Sink 0 Right Torso 2 XL Engine 1 3 Partial Wing 2 Double Heat Sink 4 Jump Jet Left Torso 2 XL Engine 1 3 Partial Wing 2 Double Heat Sink 4 Jump Jet Right Arm 5 Ferro-Fibrous 3 Left Arm 5 Endo Steel 3 Right Leg 2 Ferro-Fibrous 0 Left Leg 2 Endo Steel 0

Notes: *Partial Wing adds +2 Jump MP, –3 heat in Standard Atmosphere (see pp. 105 and 107, TO:AUE for additional rules). Features the following Design Quirks: Easy to Pilot.

Fixed Equipment Location Critical Tonnage Partial Wing RT/LT 3/3 2.5 4 Jump Jets RT 4 2 4 Jump Jets LT 4Sample 2 file HORNED OWL (PEREGRINE) 6

trials, the Horned Owl was less successful. The Jaguar VARIANTS light ’MECH Horned Owl and its Goliath Scorpion offshoot used missiles Clan Smoke Jaguar produced the missile carrying Horned to counteract this to middling effect. Modern Horned Owls Owl 2 on Huntress, which was re-shelled by Clan Goliath have returned to their roots, though they are still hard Scorpion upon receiving the factory. The Horned Owl 3 pressed to match the original. was an early Ghost Bear attempt to build the ’Mech in the Inner Sphere. BATTLE HISTORY Based on an ancient prototype which drops the The most remarkable use of the Horned Owl remains the jump jets for armor and a targeting computer, the Horned repulse of a pirate raid on Thule in 3121. Sent in her Horned Owl 6 has gone on to success, mostly in the hands of the Owl to flank the pirates’ company, MechWarrior Chloe Successor States. The 7 is a radical attempt that combines became lost. When she finally found her Star, she was the same protection with the mobility of the originals at horrified to see it being picked over by the pirates’ salvage the expense of groundspeed. Dubbed the Shimafukuro team. After massacring the scavengers Chloe resolved to on the Vega front, ironically it has mostly seen action in Mass: 35 tons offer surkai for her failure by killing as many of the pirates riparian areas. Chassis: Coriolis Class IIIb Endo Steel as she could before her own death. Power Plant: Lightforce 210 Tracking them through the encroaching gloom NOTABLE ’MECHS Cruising Speed: 64 kph Chloe found the pirate laager after midnight. Strafing the AND MECHWARRIORS Maximum Speed: 97 kph encampment from the darkness Kerensky smiled on her Jump Jets: Clan Light Series Mk. II when she hit an ammunition pallet, disabling half of the Councilor Chloe: A freeborn Rasalhagian Chloe Jump Capacity: 180 meters pirates’ ’Mechs. Over two grueling days Chloe engaged in Robertson gave up her surname for the chance to become Armor: Forging Carapace 1 Ferro-Fibrous a game of cat and mouse down the length of the Great a MechWarrior. More determined than skilled Chloe Armament: Fresdonian River, slowly whittling the pirates down one somehow managed to pass her Trial of Position and was 1 Kolibri Delta Series Large Pulse Laser laser blast at a time while avoiding critical damage herself. assigned to the Fourteenth PGC. Placed in a vintage 2 Kolibri Omega Series Medium Pulse Lasers When the last pirate fell, she returned with her battered, Horned Owl it was hoped the pulse lasers would enable Manufacturer: Alshain Weapons mud covered Horned Owl to a panicking Thule City, told her her to hit something. Anything. While Chloe’s against the Primary Factory: Jarett story, then collapsed. odds survival on Thule left her commanding officers in Communications System: JNE Integrated The Rasalhague Dominion put the Horned Owl 6 into a quandary it gave her great cachet with the Inheritors Targeting and Tracking System: TRTTS Mark II production in 3132 to serve its stillborn militia program. serving in Kappa Galaxy. Noting this, the Dominion When a Sphere-wide conflagration in the wake of the Watch seconded her for their operations with the Havens. Historical records show the Inner Sphere viewed the Blackout did not occur, the production was redirected into Diplomacy suited the MechWarrior and she retired early, streamlined Horned Owl with confusion, comparing it export, putting it into the thick of the fighting against the moving into politics, and represents Thule as a freebirth in to security or aquatic ’Mechs. This hypothesis was close Falcons and Draconis Combine. On Arc-Royal dozens fell the Dominion Council. to the truth, as the Horned Owl started life as a rugged piloted by underage sibkin in their Trials of Position against submersible construction ’Mech alongside Goliath the Falcon hordes. The Raven Alliance likewise assigns it to Uhu the Peregrine: In 3119 Sanrio Galactic Incorporated Scorpion Water Elementals before being rebuilt for novice warriors, typically in support of ProtoMechs. decided to release a range of plush BattleMechs to com- combat. Popular in the Homeworlds and widely built for As valuable Clantech the Federated Suns and Lyrans plement its already extensive range of “chibi” collectables. PGCs, today the Horned Owl continues to serve across the take more care in the use of the 6. With a performance Alongside Urbie and Cutiecat, Uhu became a cultural phe- Inner Sphere. profile that bears more than a passing resemblance to the nomenon in parts of the Draconis Combine, Rasalhague Wolfhound, both nations use it to hunt down light ’Mechs. Dominion, Capellan Confederation, and Republic. Key CAPABILITIES On the Draconis front Horned Owls have made life short rings, lunchboxes, clothing, and toothbrushes followed. The Horned Owl has never been a powerhouse design, but for Panthers, Jenners, and their progeny, but suffer against Then came the enhanced reality game. The initial craze rather one that lives and dies by its efficiency. The ’Mech modern heavily armored ’Mechs like the Rokurokubi. Given trailed off after five years but there have been regular reviv- is cheap to produce, is mobile enough to choose when the moniker of Kapako for its lack of jump jets, the extreme als ever since. Uhu itself remains notable as a good natured, to engage, possesses a stabilized long-range weapon, accuracy of its weapons make it a solid counter to mobile accident prone, comedy relief character whose trinkets still and boasts just enough protection to prevent its quick Falcon ’Mechs like the Hierofalcon. show up in ’Mech cockpits with disturbing regularity today. destruction. The classic Horned Owl excelled at harassing an enemy from afar. Forced to standSample and fight in combat file HORNED OWL (PEREGRINE) 7

Type: Horned Owl Inner Sphere Designation: Peregrine Technology Base: Clan Tonnage: 35 Role: Striker Battle Value: 1,434

Equipment Mass Internal Structure: Endo Steel 2 Engine: 210 9 Walking MP: 6 Running MP: 9 Jumping MP: 6 Heat Sinks: 10 [20] 0 Gyro: 3 Cockpit: 3 Armor Factor (Ferro): 96 5 Internal Armor Structure Value Head 3 9 Center Torso 11 13 Center Torso (rear) 6 R/L Torso 8 10 R/L Torso (rear) 4 R/L Arm 6 9 R/L Leg 8 11

Weapons and Ammo Location Critical Tonnage Medium Pulse Laser RA 1 2 Large Pulse Laser CT 2 6 Medium Pulse Laser LA 1 2 2 Jump Jets RL 2 1 Jump Jet RT 1 .5 Jump Jet LT 1 .5 2 Jump Jets LL 2 1

Notes: Features the following Design Quirks: Stabilized Weapon (Large Pulse Laser). Sample file