What is the most dangerous and most vile faction?

[Exemplar Voss]

Hmm. I always just took Comstar as organized in fairly standard Catholic (or Catholic monastic order) fashion, not wossnames. Particularly the monastic orders, since they're doing an obvious parallel to the historical cliche about monasteries hoarding knowledge after the fall of Rome.

Life under Liao largely isn't that bad. The state has a fair amount of responsibility, includes education and there is a path to Citizenship status for everyone, unless you fail miserably. The real big downside is the bizarre (and inconsistent) thread of anti-women's education that pops up for no reason.

The Steiner- Davion Marriage is just creepy. She's 17 when they meet, and he's mid forties, and according to Stackpole's novels, instantly fall 'in love,' I can understand a purely political marriage, but there is a lot of weirdness attached thanks to the novels. Stackpole constantly throws instant love around when random characters of opposite gender meet.

But the subtext of the marriage is Katrina is very much selling her realm and daughter to Hanse... And it's very unclear what the Lyrans get out of it, beyond the inevitable civil war. (Though I was never clear why that happened either. Victor's little sister was just... kinda stupid?)

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

...
The Steiner- Davion Marriage is just creepy. She's 17 when they meet, and he's mid forties, and according to Stackpole's novels, instantly fall 'in love,' I can understand a purely political marriage, but there is a lot of weirdness attached thanks to the novels. Stackpole constantly throws instant love around when random characters of opposite gender meet.

But the subtext of the marriage is Katrina is very much selling her realm and daughter to Hanse... And it's very unclear what the Lyrans get out of it, beyond the inevitable civil war. (Though I was never clear why that happened either. Victor's little sister was just... kinda stupid?)

Sometimes I wonder if the wedding and subsequent establishment of the Federated Commonwealth was done almost purely to create a powerful motive for the Clan invasion. The creation of FedCom did worry many Clanners because they thought that the Inner Sphere may be taking steps to reunify itself without their influence. So much so that It essentially got the wheels of the Clan invasion put into motion.

 

[Tnarien]

As far as the Clans, I think the Smoke Jaguars were portrayed as the worst of the Invading Clans (they razed a whole city from space because they didn't want to admit they were stupid) - there were a few in lore that were bad enough to get annihilated and become 'Not Named' Clans as well.

Point of Order: there is only one "Not Named" Clan.

A trial of Annihilation doesn't in and of itself wipe the history or name of a Clan. The Wolverines went the way they did because Nicholas was a power-mad sociopath who couldn't handle being called out on his hypocrisy.

 

[Fragilehardass]

If we look beyond the great houses, I'd agree with @Nichino that the bandit kingdoms are the most evil. Have a look at one of the pirate leaders to get a picture:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Paula_Trevaline

If Hendrik the Grimm is in the game as a pirate mission giver... I'll work for him!
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hendrik_Grimm_III

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Sometimes I wonder if the wedding and subsequent establishment of the Federated Commonwealth was done almost purely to create a powerful motive for the Clan invasion. The creation of FedCom did worry many Clanners because they thought that the Inner Sphere may be taking steps to reunify itself without their influence. So much so that It essentially got the wheels of the Clan invasion put into motion.

If I recall the story correctly, the first intentions to invade were made public among the Clans before 3000 and Wolf`s Dragoons were sent as Recon Force in 3004. So don`t put all the blame on Hanse.

 

[kimek0986]

IIRC, Lyrans get the total overhaul of their military, thanx to FedCom. Before this Commonwealth's Armed Forces were infamous for their Social generals and that's just beginning.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

If I recall the story correctly, the first intentions to invade were made public among the Clans before 3000 and Wolf`s Dragoons were sent as Recon Force in 3004. So don`t put all the blame on Hanse.

Yeah, the creation of FedCom wasn't the sole driving force for the invasion, it was like you said, they were planning the invasion for a while.

What the marriage and creation of FedCom did do is give the Clans the metaphoric "Kick-in-the-pants" and got the wheels finally put into motion. Essentially took them from that recon and planning phase, to gearing up for the actual invasion.

"To the Crusaders, the formation of the Federated Commonwealth suggested the Inner Sphere risked reconstituting the Star League on their own, without the guiding hand of the Clans, while for the Wardens the fact that Great Houses still fought among each other meant a new Star League was a long way off and an invasion would require a large-scale occupation of the entire Inner Sphere, something for which the Clans were ill-suited to undertake." - Sarna.net

The article does go on to state that the actual last straw was a ComStar exploration ship uncovering the Smoke Jaguar home world, but I still feel that the fear of IS unification was a very powerful driver. Without that, the Clans may have just destroyed the ComStar craft and not given it too much more thought.

 

[Exemplar Voss]

IIRC, Lyrans get the total overhaul of their military, thanx to FedCom. Before this Commonwealth's Armed Forces were infamous for their Social generals and that's just beginning.

That doesn't seem like a product of the alliance though. Particularly since I seen remember some of those idiots getting squashed pre-alliance, and others surviving well into the clan invasion.

I suppose some lostech went a fair way, the better to threaten mutual enemies.

 

[TaurianMerc]

Life under Liao largely isn't that bad. The state has a fair amount of responsibility, includes education and there is a path to Citizenship status for everyone, unless you fail miserably.

By which measure life under the Calderon's is amazing! Highest literacy rates of all IS and Periphery realms and the only path to citizenship is gestation in the womb - once you pop out you're a citizen

The rights of the average Taurian citizen are guaranteed in the Concordat Charter, which include: freedom of speech, association, and religion; freedom from unwarranted searches, the right to remain silent, to a trial by a jury of their peers and to competent counsel; the right to move about freely and pursue economic activity; the right to free education, to free or low-cost healthcare, and to a living wage. In return, citizens are obligated to serve the state for a period of four years, often in the military but also in any of the civilian branches too

On top of that unless there is an emergency (such as the bloody Davions invading yet again) even the Protector of the Realm has to justify his actions- anything seen as too oppresive gets vetoed by the Privy Council.

 

[Mechamorph]

The most badass mechs depend on time period. I would imagine that in-universe during 3025 many people would point at the Atlas.

As for evil faction, the Pirate Realms, Word of Blake and Clan Smoke Jaguar have the strongest claims I would imagine.

Comstar has always been very morally grey like every other faction but the Word of Blake splinter sect happens to be the more war-happy, terrorist funding and fanatical half of Comstar.

Clan Smoke Jaguar has always been portrayed as one of the more brutal clans, especially with regards to their treatment of their conquered subjects in the Inner Sphere. More so than other Crusader Clans like Jade Falcon. They are probably the darkest shade of grey among the clans.

There is one person though that just about every inhabitant of the Battletech universe would equate with pure evil. Stephan Amaris, the Ursurper himself. Sure the Successor States might be responsible for clobbering themselves back into barbarity and the Star League was hardly roses and sunshine but Amaris is pretty much blamed for the current state of the Inner Sphere.

 

[Uncapathy]

Most vile faction? Pirates. IMHO any way.

 

[Tnarien]

If I recall the story correctly, the first intentions to invade were made public among the Clans before 3000 and Wolf`s Dragoons were sent as Recon Force in 3004. So don`t put all the blame on Hanse.

Clarification: the Dragoon Compromise in 3004 was used as a means to prevent the Clan Invasion by a political faction within the Clans themselves.

It wasn't until the ComStar explorer ship accidentally trundled into Clan territory ~30 years later that the warmonger faction was able to muster enough political support to make the Invasion a reality.

 

[Kereminde]

Oberon Confederation. Hendrik Grimm is also not one you want to mess with, as he has a tendency to nurse grudges instead of letting him go. I heard when a tech stole a 'Mech from him, he had him hunted down with a price on his head large enough to entice a great many bounty hunters (though not THE Bounty Hunter, as I think he was busy trolling Natasha at this time) to go looking for him. You might think that story is just some bunk, I mean who would be stupid enough to do that, but I assure you there are people who are that reckless. I heard he was called Sir Bob of Davion or something.

 

[Ingress]

Well as a merc group the Draconis Combine will %+*% you over of you do to good a job so that you have to stay on with them.

 

[Tnarien]

Well as a merc group the Draconis Combine will %+*% you over of you do to good a job so that you have to stay on with them.

This is a risk one runs with every faction, large or small. Company store and other shenanigans are quite common.

 

[PhoenixGWR]

I feel like in this time period its just bandits and "Mad Max" who are really "Evil". Universe wide you have to worry about Katherine "Katrina" Steiner, Kali Liao, The Master, literally any one from the Thugee Cult (which is based in the Capellan Confederation), The Dancing Joker, Word of Blake and their jihadists, Clan Smoke Jaguar and most crusader clanners. The list goes on there are lots of bad people in every time period. I'm a filthy clanner at heart but at least i'm an Ulric Kerensky Wolf not a Vlad Ward Wolf

 

[Hawk.eye]

This is a risk one runs with every faction, large or small. Company store and other shenanigans are quite common.

While this is true, Takashi's "Death to all Mercenaries" order sure is a good deterrent to enter Kuritan service as a merc.

 

[TaurianMerc]

While this is true, Takashi's "Death to all Mercenaries" order sure is a good deterrent to enter Kuritan service as a merc.

I concur, I prefer it if my employers don't have hissy fits and killed the hired staff

 

[Col. Klink]

Most vile faction around the time of this setting has to be the Greater Valkyrate, a pirate nation in the coreward periphery (so all the way across the galaxy from the Aurigan Reach) formed in 3028 when Redjack Ryan and Maria Morgaine married and united their pirate havens. Ryan especially was a sadistic, raping, murdering piece of work. And Morgaine wasn't much better. Both got banned from Oberon because they were too extreme for their old boss, pirate king Henrik Grimm.

The Steiner- Davion Marriage is just creepy. She's 17 when they meet, and he's mid forties, and according to Stackpole's novels, instantly fall 'in love,' I can understand a purely political marriage, but there is a lot of weirdness attached thanks to the novels. Stackpole constantly throws instant love around when random characters of opposite gender meet.

But the subtext of the marriage is Katrina is very much selling her realm and daughter to Hanse... And it's very unclear what the Lyrans get out of it, beyond the inevitable civil war. (Though I was never clear why that happened either. Victor's little sister was just... kinda stupid?)

Remember that Katrina Steiner (the original one, not her scheming granddaughter) was an enlightened monarch and one of the most unambigously good people in the entire BT setting. Her peace proposal to the other successor states basically started the original BT political storyline. Everyone but Davion rejected her offer out of hand (with varying degrees of courtesy), but Hanse listened. This led to more discussion and eventually an alliance between both states. The marriage cemented the deal and would in time create a superpower. The price was high as Melissa was Katrina's only child and heir, and everybody had to realize going in that Hanse would be the one calling the shots in that marriage. I guess Katrina valued the safety of her people more than who would actually rule on Tharkad. Or maybe she wanted Melissa out of the realm so Alessandro and Frederick Steiner wouldn't assassinate her. That said I had a hard time buying the extent of their love story, too.

What the Lyrans immediately got out of it (beyond a much bigger market for their economy) was a very powerful ally against a common enemy, the Draconis Combine. The Lyran Commonwealth had been losing ground to the snakes for centuries, including almost the entire Tamar Pact. Katrina was a much better strategist than her predecessor but even with her guidance and reforms the LCAF was still overmatched by the Kurita forces.

 

[PhoenixGWR]

Most vile faction around the time of this setting has to be the Greater Valkyrate, a pirate nation in the coreward periphery (so all the way across the galaxy from the Aurigan Reach) formed in 3028 when Redjack Ryan and Maria Morgaine married and united their pirate havens. Ryan especially was a sadistic, raping, murdering piece of work. And Morgaine wasn't much better. Both got banned from Oberon because they were too extreme for their old boss, pirate king Henrik Grimm.



Remember that Katrina Steiner (the original one, not her scheming granddaughter) was an enlightened monarch and one of the most unambigously "good" people in the entire BT setting. Her peace proposal to the other successor states basically started the original BT political storyline. Everyone but Davion rejected her offer out of hand (with varying degrees of courtesy), but Hanse listened. This led to more discussion and eventually an alliance between both states. The marriage cemented the deal and would in time create a superpower. The price was high as Melissa was Katrina's only child and heir, and everybody had to realize going in that Hanse would be the one calling the shots in that marriage. I guess Katrina valued the safety of her people more than who would actually rule on Tharkad. Or maybe she wanted Melissa out of the realm so Alessandro and Frederick Steiner wouldn't assassinate her. That said I had a hard time buying the extent of their love story, too.

What the Lyrans immediately got out of it (beyond a much bigger market for their economy) was a very powerful ally against a common enemy, the Draconis Combine. The Lyran Commonwealth had been losing ground to the snakes for centuries, including almost the entire Tamar Pact. Katrina was a much better strategist than her predecessor but even with her guidance and reforms the LCAF was still overmatched by the Kurita forces.

Whats wrong with her scheming, clan loving, mother murdering, monster of a granddaughter?