Battletech : Favorite Faction

[Deepcrush]

Its been a long time since Battletech came up but it was one of those Universes that I just loved to get involved in. So the question is who's your favorite faction and why. BUT, there's a follow up question which is "if you had control of that faction, what would you change?"

I have two factions that I was torn between by the end of CBT. My first favorite was the Smoke Jaguars so that's where I'll start. While not being a large clan by any means, they made up for this with a level of aggression that would make Sauron blink. Their approach to battle normally consisted of "Find the enemy, kill the enemy, kill the enemy's friend, burn the city and then take a break before doing it again tomorrow". This was all kinds of fun to play in the game since it was easy to rack up kills and the like just by being a normal CSJ warrior. I took a particular joy in using my mech's weapons to purposely kill my opponent's pilot. CSJ had a different then normal way of tracking kills and earning credits for the player. Where most Clans looked to capture enemy pilots and place them as Bondsmen and sell their mechs for profit. In CSJ, the only two ways to earn honor and advancement was to DESTROY your enemy's mech and to KILL the pilot (thus forcing the other player to start ALL over again).

For some reason, a lot of IS players didn't like facing CSJ players...

If I had to change anything about CSJ it would be to temper the aggression levels in the goals they set. CSJ more often then not drastically over reached what its resources were able to support. After the third wave of the invasion of the IS, CSJ should have opted out of the First Line clan position it had and let Clan Nova Cat take over. CNC would have needed several worlds to support the supply lines and CSJ could have traded these worlds at a premium price. Instead, CSJ was so worn and so stretched out that CNC just decided to battle for the worlds in which depleted and damaged CSJ units were lost to fresh CNC units. This was an absolutely pointless waste of resources. CSJ had earned a large number of Agro and Industrial worlds in its cut though the Combine. This was all lost in time since CSJ wasn't strong enough to repel the constant raids and uprisings while pushing the war against the IS.

Honestly, there's nothing worse to me for CBT then the way the authors killed off CSJ. Because of this, I ended up taking my character and his Cluster over to Clan Ghost Bears. CGB will be my next post though.

[Deepcrush]

So a number of views but no one else posting... so I'm taking it as no one is really that into BT like I am. SO, i'll post some more for me.

My second favorite, being the Clan I defected to when CSJ was killed off, is Clan Ghost Bear. Coming from a Clan that everyone and their mother hated it was a nice change up to be in a Clan that no one seemed to hate. Where CSJ is built around war, CGB is built as much around family. While they don't have a problem with invading the IS or just taking over worlds for the Honor of the Clans. They have a much more conservative approach to expansion. The fought a much slimmer invasion corridor then any of the other Clans. As a result they weren't spread out like the others were and thus were the only Clan outside of Clan Wolf that didn't need help. Plus, CGB didn't have to put up with anywhere near as many raids or uprisings which spared them large numbers of troops. CGB could refresh its units on occupied worlds without having to worry about the constant strains the other clans suffered.

All in all, this meant they had a much more laid back view on things. It was fun for me getting to be in a Clan where it was totally fine to pick a fight. But it was also fine if I just wanted to avoid one. That was the major downside to playing as CSJ, there was no such thing as a break from the fighting. One of the fun things about CGB was its love of defensive fighting. None of the other Clans really did well in that area. CGB loved heavy weapons and ambush tactics which work really well when in support of the Assault Mechs I commanded.

All in all, if I had to change anything about CGB. I didn't like their folding over to the IS. Much like the Warden Clan Wolf, it just seemed way to forced. I get that the people in the IS liked CGB a good bit more then they liked most the other Clans. But still I just don't see CGB giving up everything about their way of life just for the chance to betray the other Clans. I understand that they wanted to give the IS a fighting chance against the Clans. Though this could have been done by other means that didn't neuter the Clans as a whole.

[Tyyr]

I'll post more later but Clan Wolf, invasion era.

Twilight of the Clans was one great big "Fuck You," to everyone who liked the clans in CBT. The clans were pushed aside and marginalized just so they could get on with the FedCom civil war and eventually the utter bullshit Jihad and shitty 3130 era of Battletech. In other words as a clan fan Twilight was more or less my good-bye to CBT. The groups I enjoyed were kicked to the curb as superfulous in the most disrespectful manner possible.

[Deepcrush]

Worst thing about Clan Wolf (for me as CSJ) was how fraking many of them there were! Never once did I struggle against any clan on even numbers. But never once did Clan Wolf attack when it was even numbers. It was a damned swarm of Assualt, Battle and Onmi Mechs. Only way to get an even number battle ou of Clan Wolf was to attack them in a Batch-Ball Raid or Trial of Blood.