The Enemy: Clans

13 August 3049, Clans rolled into the Inner Sphere seemingly unstoppable in their superior war machines. They are the descendants of General Alexandr Kerensky, with their own dream of a unified Star League, where only strenght and power matter; if you are not an proficient warrior you are nothing. Clan warriors themselves have evolved from the norm of humanity as a result of selective breeding. They are divided to 20 different clans, some of which have been absorbed/destroyed, which further proves their cruel and primitive warrior based society.

Clans have taken some steps in their militaristic society, so the war no longer can be so totally devostating. They seek to minimize material damage and loss of life (Though when they have come back to IS, they seem to be once again degenerating) They have a method called Bidding, they first simply solve the enemy force by asking/placing a challenge, then the willing clans bid among themselves who can offer to conquer the world with least forces. Generally they commit half the number of defending force.

The combat with clans is quite different from the usual style of IS, they do not base their combat on deciet, rather trust to their superior tech and skills. Clans use primarily OmniMechs as their tools of trade, OmniMechs are very versatile and deadly mechs using superior beam and targetting technology their mechs are the epitomen war machines man has built. Inner Sphere is just now beginning its own advancement. It may well be humankind once again sees more savage wars than ever in its history, this guaranteed by new and more deadlier weapons, capital ships capable of orbital bombardments and once again the nuclear weapons.

 

Clan Rules of Engagement (ROE for short)

Once a clan unit attacks an enemy unit, no other clan unit may engage that target. Only if original clan attacker is destroyed, or an enemy unit has fired upon it, may another unit attack target.

A clan unit will, by preference and ideology, always engage a single unit unit until that unit is destroyed. Attacking more than one target simultaneously changes the nature of the enagement from a mass of one-on-one duels to a "grand melee" (No restrictions) Few clan commanders are willing to open a battle up to a grand melee. The punishment meted out to warriors who iniate such melees is severe. Usually it is the IS unit that changes a battle to grand melee, by firing to more targets than one.

Also, the Clans have a dislike of physical combat, preferring ranged battle to extreme. Athough if IS mech attacks with physical attack, clan mech is free to respond with a counterattack of equal proportion ie corresponding physical attack. Though still some clan warriors might not respond, due to their inbred distain for that type of combat.

A clan mech will not attack an prone mech, shutdown mech or unconscious opponent or attack to the back. Although if IS mechs repeatedly do this, they will respond in kind. This kind of attacks aren't considered honorable. (Though attacks in the back do happen.. as sometimes a clan warrior may by his own ideology think that a warrior who turns his back to enemy, deserves to die for his unskilled use of 'mech. Or a mechjock who allows his mech to overheat)

Also clans are not as prone to use the 'cowardly' tactics like firing from the woods, or 'Jack-in-the-box':ing rather preferring straightforward combat, trusting to their bred skills and more advanced tech.

These rules make clans to certain extent predictable and controllable, but do not in any case be fooled, clans are VERY dangerous, and now that they have come back to savage IS, they are also likely to change.

The Clan warriors are by genetic breeding better warriors on the average than IS warriors, generally this means skills which are 1 skill level better.

But the rules do NOT say that clanners need to be stupid, they a free to device tactics.. trying to fool enemy into thinking something other than they are doing. They just have the preference to fight fairly and straightforwardly, but surely they have their own deviousness as well. Although they like to apply this courtesy only to opponents which deserve it.

Accordingly some Clans have more or less dropped the use of ROE with inner sphere, after the Tukayyid battle. As years roll on the social structure of Clans evolves as well. It remains to be seen whether the Tukayyid Truce will hold its full duration. With the speed some of the clan practices are degenerating, it might not even be a surprise.


"Beware the Wolf lest it surprises you with ways not befitting to a Wolf" - Nicholas Waltari of Motpart, at a Riksdag meeting, 3055

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