tgwremembrance

Note: Should any DLs happen upon this, I've re-posted these pages because, no matter what else may have happened, I'm proud of the work I put into this, and I intend to let it stand for what it is.

DARK LEGION

THE HONOR CLAN

THE REMEMBRANCE

Loremaster,TGW-OneEyeBill

All "Notes from the Loremaster" are strictly his personal opinion, and not Clan Policy. The Honorable Khan makes Clan Policy.

Out of the ashes of Klan Karnage the Honorable naM taP led the remnants of his Clan to a new world to start afresh. Thus was born The Gods of War, with naM taP as the Khan. The founder and Khan of The Gods of War led the Clan to the pinnacle of glory. The undisputed Honor Clan, The Gods of War never lost a planet in battle. But all things must come to an end; Khan naM taP decided that his time had come and decided to retire with honor instead of fading away. On Sunday, October 5th, 3097 Khan naM taP announced his retirement to his Clan. Many were saddened by this announcement, for it meant not only losing a great warrior and comrade in arms but also an end to The Gods of War. As the founder of The Gods of War, the last request of naM taP was to retire the name The Gods of War. Out of respect to him the Clan agreed. He wished the Clan well and asked the SaKahn WarKat to lead the Clan to their destiny. As WarKat spoke to his Clan, he issued the following order; all warriors were free to do as they chose; stay with him or leave the Clan. The Clan Vows of Allegience were lifted for any warrior wishing to make his own path. Those who stayed saw the glorious new begining. And so begins the next chapter in the Remembrance of The Honor Clan.

"We will reign over our enemies as a dark cloud from above, storming through them as nothing can stop us, creating a wide and well defined path, THE PATH OF THE DARK LEGION!!!! They will fear us when they sleep at night, wondering if the DARK LEGION is headed their way next!" - Khan WarKat

Hail Honorable Warriors!!!!

ALL HAIL

THE DARK LEGION

[News as of 3/31/97]
It appears things are running smoothly for TGW's first days of existence. We have a large number of quality members, and excellent organization. The TGW received the planets formally belonging to Klan Karnage, which was a most gracious gesture by Khan Hexen.
All members need to visit all the links to TGW information and become familiar with the MNL rules. There have been 3 additional rules added recently.
On Tuesday evening (4/1) at 11 pm EST, the TGW will be participating in the MNL Khans-only meeting. This is to discuss the attacks and defenses of planets. If possible, I will be announcing the times of attacks and defenses as soon as the meeting is adjourned. I haven't seriously thought about potential star mates, but I will see who is available at what battles, and go from there.

[News as of 4/6/97]
In war news, the TGW attack party, TGW-SpeedX and TGW-Chico-Ne, ran into some strong Shadow Clan defenses on the planet of "Nox." This was expected, as the SC would make all efforts to retaliate for last night's attack. The newly-commisioned SC Khan, Whirlwind, fought bravely to defend his planet against the tough TGW onslaught. Although the attack wasn't a TGW victory, it was still a successful attack as the TGW got some good battlefield conditioning in. This will be critical for TGW's future success.

*****Also, the scheduled Melee for Saturday night was postponed. The announcement of time and date will be posted soon.

*****Another important note: this coming Tuesday will be the opening day to \ declare Trials of Position (ToP's) for TGW members. Remember that all ToP's must come through me for approval. You must also e-mail your brethren to insure that he received primary notice. The OFFICIAL notice comes later, usually about a day. The member that is challenged gets to set the conditions unless I decide to intervene. But I will try to stay out of this as much as possible, as it is to be handled by the TGW brethren.

[News as of 4/5/97]
TGW took a huge step forward in major clan status with a victory in the clan's first-ever battle. Knowing that it was essential to get started on the right foot, the Khan and Sakhan teamed together to keep control of the critical planet "The Edge" on Friday. The starmates were successful, even though they used 20 less tons. This was an essential battle, as it will enable TGW to use this victory as a springboard to many others. Hail TGW!!

[News as of 4/7/97]
The TGW planet Clissa was successfully defended in one of the most unusual and exhausting defenses in recent MNL history. After two hours on constant Mplayer failures, the two teams battled to a 3-3 draw. The technical failures were wreaking havoc with the mindset of everyone involved. The MNL administrator was brought in to decide on a technical situation, and he ruled that the match should be postponed, although he cited that it could be required that the SC fight one versus 2 since time limits were passed. The honorable SC Khan WhirlWInd declared that he would withdraw his troops from the planet in hopes of concentrating on future considerations. However, let it be known that TGW-Tabber and TGW-SpeedX put up one hell of a defense, and there isn't a doubt in my mind they would have eventually won the battle.

[News as of 4/9/97]
Major attack is a success. The TGW attacked the border planet "Rasalhague", which belonged to the SC. This mission was supposed to have been carried out by Khan naM taP and SaKhan ReKoJ. After a brief amount of fighting, with the score being 3-2 in favor of TGW, SaKhan ReKoJ was dropped from Mplayer. He was unable to return until the later hours. This created a dilemma for Khan naM taP, as he waited for 30 minutes for his star mate. After no word, the Khan had to fight the remainder of the battle alone. The odd were 2 against 1, and it was going to be tough. After a fierce battle, the Khan emerged from the rubble and mech wreckage with a 10-8 kill ratio. This was the most exhilarating moment in the Khan's life, as he defeated SC Net.boy and SC-Morgane on their own turf. It will be a proud reminder to THE GODS OF WAR that victory can occur as long as the heart continues to fight. This was an epic victory, as it marks the first foriegn planet absorbed into the powerful TGW universe. There will be many more to follow.

****The battle on Monday night has been postponed. The good news is that it will be made up, and the TGW currently have a 3-0 lead. Galaxy Commander TGW-Tabber and TGW-Pahgo are the attacking forces. Let's hope that victory is swift and just. **UPDATED on 4/12/97** This attack was called off by me, as a political favor. I apologize to TGW-Tabber and TGW-Pahgo.

[News as of 4/12/97]
This week of cease-fire among the clans has allowed the TGW to conduct some internal affairs. TGW-SaKhan reKoJ was nominated as the TGW representative to the 7-member MNL council. This is a prestigious honor, and he will serve TGW most honorably. This council was established by the Khans in order to regulate and oversee the MNL games. Their judgement will be the final say in the MNL games.
*****Also, TGW-Heavy Metal successfully defended his rank as Star Colonel with a 5-2 ToP victory against TGW-Noomadd. Both men fought bravely in the battle. Congratulations Heavy!

[News as of 4/17/97]
I would like to take a minute to apologize for my absence for this week; my course work was getting to deadline time, and I had to put a little priority to it. I just wanted to inform everyone that the new MNL map is linked from my page. I currently have it hyperlinked to SC-Whirlwind's until I get time to load my own version.

*****These 2 weeks should be a good fighting round for us. We are having a light attack schedule, but most importantly, we are not being attacked by anyone. For the SC attack, I want any capable clansmen who have not fought in the MNL yet to get to make this attack. I will go by rank and availability.

*****I have had preliminary discussions with SC Khan Whirlwind, and we are putting together ideas for a cadet and mechwarrior MNL scrimmage for our newer members. Again, this is not actual MNL, but it will prepare you for the real thing which you will be engaging in rather soon. Also note, if successfully implemented, these scrimmages will be a large determinant of promotions and rank assignments.

[News as of 4/21/97]
The attack on the SC planet Skallevoll did not go well. TGW-Heavy Metal and his starmate, TGW-Noomadd, experienced technical difficulties upon entering the planet's hostile atmosphere. It provided good training and experience for our troops, and they will be the better for it.

*****The TGW accepted a new member, TGW-OneEyedBill. He is a real cool guy, and is definitely an honorable guy.

<[News as of 4/18/97]
The TGW accepted a new member into our ranks, TGW-Bloody Moon.

[News as of 4/24/97]
An interesting week in MNL. I am sad to announce that the most honorable Khan of Shadow Clan (SC) Whirlwind has stepped down from his position, and has taken an indeterminate leave of absence. He is a true friend and his leadership will be definitely missed. Hail Whirlwind!

*****I would also like to announce that TGW has a new cadet, TGW-Butcher1. He is ready to serve the Khan and the clan most admirably. He will do well.

[News as of 5/4/97]
I want to apologize for my absence recently. I will not be available for the next two weeks, until the academy (lol) is finished with the grading period.
News from the war front! The TGW had a terrific campaign against the BFC outer territories as we defended our planet Baker 3 (Hail to the defenders: TGW Pagho and TGW-Chico-Ne!!!) We also gained a new planet, CHAR, as TGW-SpeedX lead the mission with TGW-Malloc as his wingman. I am very proud of our Victorious TGWs!!!
I also want to apologize for the new rankings. I was rushed in getting them ready for the upcoming battles, and I placed people in the positions that I thought would best serve the TGW needs. If you feel that your position is not what you wanted, please remember that you can ToP for the position that is in question.

[News as of 5/10/97]
Our attacks on the SC planets did not go well this week. We were pushed back in the fight for SC's Skallevoll, and inclement conditions forced us to delay the attack on Damian. However, TGW Khan naM taP and TGW-WarKat defended the planet Ramsau from the SC counter attack. We need to keep our planets free and in our control!
*****I would like to welcome all the new members to TGW! I am particularly fond of TGW-Lady Death, as she serves me in battle, as well as being my mistress. Please treat her with the utmost respect and always defend her honor. She is the source of your Khan's pleasure so make it a point to guard her from the evil that lurks about.

[News as of 5/12/97]
The defense of the planet Galuzza was terrific as TGW-Tabber and TGW-Dlank successfully defeated SC-Rassta in efforts to keep the planet. I was very proud of all combatants, especially Rassta, who fought well although he never saw a star mate. He never complained and accepted the conditions. I want the TGWs to hold Rassta in high respect, as he truly deserves it.

*****I also wanted to mention that the postponed attack of the SC planet Damian was moved to Wednesday, May 14th, 9 pm EST. The attackers are TGW-Pahgo and TGW-Psiwolf. Please give support to them.
*****I wanted to tell everyone "Thank you" to the terrific support that I am getting. I really needed it and I am proud to serve you gentlemen as the TGW Khan.

[News as of 5/17/97]
Battle update: Our BFC border planet, Antares, was successfully defended against the BFC by TGW-WarKat and TGW Khan naM taP. The final outcome was 7-5, and the BFC warriors fought honorably and viciously. They will be a force to reckon with in the future.
I was very impressed with TGW-WarKat as he defended me to the end. I had my leg shot out from under me, and he vigorously defended me as we both had a kill while I was like that. He is improving tremendously as I notice this each time we fight. I hope that all of my lower ranks will see the way TGW-WarKat has served me, as he sets the perfect example of how to get MNL experience although he is a lower ranking official. Let it be known, however, that the ranks will soon justify his performances.

[News as of 6/2/97]
This was a off week for me, as I had experienced major computer problems. We have many new recruits, so keep on the lookout for these guys. Many are close friends, so please treat them with the utmost respect. Many battle results are forthcoming, as I expect the TGW to do quite well in our attacks and defenses.

[News as of 6/14/97]
Hello again. Sorry for my long absence, but the Lady D and I had business to attend to. I would like to congratulate the new members to our ranks: TGW-Vulture, TGW-Bloodlust, TGW-Iodine6, and TGW-Cobalt99. I would also like to congratulate the members receiving promotions within the clan. You gentlemen serve me well and it is an honor to fight with you as my blood brothers.
*****Battle update: This week's attacks could have been better as we came up short in a couple of major battles. I would like to show my pleasure in TGW-SpeedX and TGW-Malloc in gaining the former SC planet, Damian, for us. Hail brothers and continue the successful work.
*****In defense news, TGW-WarKat and myself continued with our successful defenses of TGW home planets. I would personally like to show observance to TGW-WarKat's promotion as I think he is doing an outstanding job of serving the clan.

Thursday August 14th, 3097

THE NEWS INFOLINK IS BACK

There have been many changes in our Clan since the last entry; unfortunately not all the information has been recovered. Congratulations to all recent promotions and all new members who have been accepted into the Honor Clan since the last entry.

Friday, August 15th, 3097

NEW SYSTEM MAP ALIGNMENT

On Wednesday August 13th, the Khans or their representatives met to discuss the use of the new map. It was approved pending minor changes. The map can be found on the DJC homepage. All TGW members should become familiar with it. The circled numbers are wormholes; these are direct links in space to the other corresponding number on the map.

Sunday, August 17th, 3097

NEW ROUND TO COMMENCE

The new map of our system is now in effect. All warriors should be prepared for the upcoming round. On Wednesday August 20th, the Khans will meet to announce their respective attacks. All TGW warriors shall be prepared to fight in any class, any weight. The ranking members of our Clan are known for being generous and giving away tonnage. Have Mechs prepared for all classes; at the very least 25 tons over your rank weight.

GRAND MELEE TO BE SCHEDULED - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HONOR

A Grand Melee is to be scheduled for the open position of 2nd Mech Warrior. All eligible warriors should contact their Star Colonel to ensure that they have the opportunity to participate in their respective melee. The Honorable Khan naM taP will send a message to all who are eligible for the melee's on the battle conditions.

Thursday, August 21st, 3097

UPDATE ON GRAND MELEE

Friday, August 22nd , 2345 (11:45 EST) is the time set for the Grand Melee for the open position of 2nd Mechwarrior of the 3rd Star. All TGW members are urged to attend; this is our Cadets' chance to join the fighting ranks of The Gods of War. As you all should be aware, Cadets are not allowed to fight in a ToG. All eligible Cadets should review the previous message sent by the Khan as to the conditions of the Grand Melee. The Honorable Khan naM taP himself will be present to preside over the Grand Melee. Good luck to all our Cadets in this most important battle for Honor.

The Khan has indicated that there will also be a Warrior Roundtable to discuss Clan business on Friday night.

Friday, August 22nd, 3097

WARRIORS NEEDED - ATTACK MISSIONS AVAILABLE

As a reminder to all TGW members, the scheduled ToGs for the upcoming round are posted on Khan naM taP/TGW Headquarters web page. If you have not already done so, visit the TGW upcoming battles data link and find an attack mission that you would like to participate in. The defensive Starmates have already been chosen for the upcoming round, but there are still attack missions available. E-Mail the Khan if you are interested in participating. As this is the first round with the new planet system, these are very important missions. They may very well decide the course of the campaign for the next few rounds.

LATEST UPDATE ON GRAND MELEE

The Grand Melee for the open position of 2nd Mech Warrior has been changed to Saturday, August 30th, 2300 (11:00 PM, EST). It will be a class 4 battle with mech tonnage ranging from 30-55 tons (each warrior picks his/her own mech!). This will give all Cadets a week to configure a class 4 mech and practice with it.

Thursday, August 28th, 3097

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

DJC Planet Arc Royal Captured: Early Wednesday morning, August 27th, the first attack of the round commenced when our Nova Colonel Chico-Ne led an attack against the DJC planet of Arc Royal, with Nova Commander BloodyFinger as his wingman. The battle was fought in class 1 mechs on the cold northern continent. Gravity on Arc Royal was .75 terra norm. The DJC withdrew from the planet with the score TGW-6 DJC-3. Victory was ours, as the honorable TGW warriors gained a planet for our Clan. Congratulations to TGW-Chico-Ne and TGW-BloodyFinger. Well fought warriors!!

Wednesday evening, TGW warriors attacked two planets simultaneously:

DJC Planet Huron Attacked: Star Colonel Psiwolf led Star Captain Merchant in an attack against the DJC. The attack was carried out in class 4 mechs on the cold planet of Huron. Gravity was .75 terra norm. More data on the types of the mechs and DJC warriors involved is not available at this time.

TC Planet Ramsau Attacked: Star Colonel Bloody Moon and Star Colonel OneEyeBill made the first wormhole attack in TGW history against the TC planet of Ramsau. The attack was carried out in a pair of class 4 Timberwolves. Nova Colonel TC-jmatthew and Star Colonel TC-Springer honorably defended the planet with class 4 Warhammers. This planet was of normal temperature and had a .75 gravity.

Unfortunately both of these attacks ended with a temporary withdrawal from the field of battle. The battles will resume Thursday evening, with the score of TGW 1 and DJC 1 in the first battle, and a score of TGW 4 and TC 5 in the second. Good luck to all warriors involved.

More news on these ongoing attacks to follow as soon as it becomes available.

TWO DEFENSES - FRIDAY EVENING/SATURDAY MORNING

There are two defenses against the DJC scheduled for this weekend; Friday at 2345 (11:45 PM) EST, followed by another on Saturday morning at 0130 (1:30 AM) EST. The defensive Starmates have already been chosen, but it is hoped that all TGW warriors will try to attend to show support to our Brethren.

ATTACK MISSION ON SATURDAY

There is an attack on the TC planet of St. Ives scheduled for Saturday evening, August 30th at 2300 (11:00 PM) EST. Please visit the Khan's upcoming battle page (round 10) for the conditions. Again ..... all TGW should make an effort to attend if possible.

GRAND MELEE REMINDER

As a reminder to all TGW Cadets there is a scheduled Grand Melee for the open position of 2nd Mechwarrior scheduled for Saturday, August 30th at 2300 (11:00 PM) EST. It is hoped that our honorable Khan will be in attendance to preside over the Grand Melee.

REPORT ON TC TECHNOLOGY

The TC attack scheduled for Thursday evening against the TGW planet of Hachor has been cancelled. It seems that the TC had been working on a new drive for their JumpShips that would allow them to jump from one wormhole to an unrelated one. However, TC engineers found it impossible to fit this new drive into any known JumpShip design; thus the TC have cancelled the attack on Hachor. Intelligence reports that the TC have given up on this new technology, and will use proven wormhole JumpShips. Reports on TGW engineering attempts to perfect this type of drive are classified, and will not be published.

Friday, August 29th, 3097

UPDATE ON CONTINUED ATTACKS

On the evening of Thursday, August 28th the two attacks continued from the previous evening recommenced.

TC Planet Ramsau Captured:

Star Colonels Bloody Moon and OneEyeBill, after resting and repairing damage to their mechs, once again entered the battle area to renew the attack on the TC planet of Ramsau at the agreed-upon time with a score of TC-5 to TGW-4. From previous experience, the TGW warriors knew that the honorable TC would be reluctant to carry the battle far from their regen point. Knowing that TGW had to score 3 kills before the TC scored 2, BloodyMoon came up with a plan of attack that would ensure a TGW victory; hit them hard and fast. Running at top speed and using jets to get across the large battlefield as quickly as possible, the Star Colonels, staying in a tight echelon formation, both attained a missle lock on the more expierenced of the two TC pilots before they had them on visual. At approximately 1.25 klicks out when both TGW warriors knew they had the same enemy mech targeted, BloodyMoon gave the order to change direction and close the distance to LRM range as quickly as possible. As soon as the enemy mech was in range and both had good tone, TGW pilots let loose with all LRMs available. Still out of visual range, and not sure of any hits on the enemy they continued to close to visual range. By this time the targeted TC warrior had a missile lock on BloodyMoon and let loose with a salvo. When the TC came into view he was bright yellow already. The other TC was not in sight yet, so both BloodyMoon and OneEyeBill attacked the lone pilot without mercy. By the time the second TC warrior could enter the fray, BloodyMoon had scored a victory by dispatching the first TC. This tied the score and gave TGW another 2 on 1 advantage for a few precious seconds. The second TC was attacked by both TGW until the first TC made it back into the fight. At this time the TGW split up to take on both enemies at the same time. BloodyMoon scored the second kill of the night on the second TC. Soon after OneEyeBill scored the final kill to end the battle. Final score TGW-7...TC-5. Both TGW Timberwolves were heavily damaged but not beyond repair. BloodyMoon's aggressive attack plan paid off!!! It should also be noted that both TC warriors involved in this ToG fought with Honor and accepted defeat with grace. Hail TC, good battle.

The other ToG, the attack on the DJC planet of Huron, unfortunately, was postponed again.

GRAND MELEE REMINDER

Sunday, August 31st, 3097

TGW WELCOMES ITS NEWEST MEMBER

Congratulations to CyberBum, the newest member of The Gods of War. The Khan himself noted CyberBum's character with the following quote: "He shows great promise by putting up, without complaint,with the rigors of playing on Mplayer." After gaining cadet status CyberBum immediatly participated in the Grand Melee and attained the rank of 2nd Mechwarrior. Welcome to the Clan!!

Note from the Loremaster: The Khan's quote might not be exact; I apologize for any changes in it, but I think I got the meaning of what he was saying.

GRAND MELEE RESULTS

On the evening of Saturday August the 30th Cadets reported to the Khan for a Grand Melee to decide rank positions. Of the five eligible Cadets three were able to attend. Lady Wolf, CyberBum and Kharn. The winner of the Melee was Kharn, who was promoted to the rank of 1st Mechwarrior. All other cadets were promoted to the rank of 2nd Mechwarrior. The battle was well fought by all. Congratulations to Kharn and all those promoted!!

CHANGES IN RANKS

There have been several other changes made on the rankings page. Please take the time to visit the page and become familiar with the new ranks. Congratulations to all newly promoted warriors!!!

Note from the Loremaster: Movement of warriors within the ranks is a normal evolution for the Clan. The warriors who stay involved with the Clan are normally not demoted unless there is a reason. (Trial of Position, or an unfortunate disciplinary action) Warriors who are not as involved and do not show as much interest are sometimes demoted to make room for the more active Clan members. This keeps the Clan healthy. If any warrior wishes to be advanced to a higher rank there are proper procedures to follow. Please visit the TGW rules data link for information on Trials of Position.

Monday, September 1st, 3097

CAPTAIN CERC'S WEB PAGE

1st Mechwarrior Captain CERC has his page (www.tecinfo.com/~cardbbc/index.html) up and running. It is looking good CC.

Wednesday, September 17th, 3097

WAR TO RESUME - LET LOOSE THE GODS OF WAR

Call To Battle: After a confusing few weeks (at least for the Loremaster; age does have its effects) for the Clans, The Gods of War will once again be able to do what they do better than all others; wage war. It is our destiny; it is in our name. We have been given the opportunity to fulfill our destiny. Sharpen thy steel, Brothers and Sisters, for war is on the horizon. The day shall be ours. Always remember, we are The Honor Clan!

"I suggest, for you my Brethren, to prepare in all means possible for WAR. Now is the time to quench our hunger for blood-let fields, since so long a time has passed. Hail The Gods of WAR!!! HONOR be thy pulse of heart that drives thee to victory!!!" - SaKhan WarKat

Honor is the key, with it we can not be conquered. Without it, all is lost.

"The time has come for us to rise from the ashes of our old ways and take what is rightfully ours! We are the superior Clan, we are the best warriors! The universe is ours for the taking. Prepare my brothers, the battle of our lives is drawing near. Soon the blood of our adversaries will flow and stain our hands. Victory shall be ours!" - 1st Mechwarrior Kharn

Live or die, victorious be the Warrior who enters the field with Honor.

"Let Honor Sharpen your Steel." Nova Colonel SPEEDx has said this many times; always remember it.

Registration: A new system is now in effect; all TGW warriors should visit the MNL Data Link (www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/6592/index.html) and submit their name, rank and an E-Mail address where they can be contacted. This is essential, as you will not be able to participate in the official battles until it is done (I have heard that each Clan needs at least 15 members enrolled for the battles to start). While you are there visit the other data links, as there have been major changes to procedures for capturing planets; all TGW should become familiar with the changes.

A BROTHERS HOME IS UNVEILED

TGW-Gunner-1A announces the opening of his web page. Gunner's page (www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Lair/7681) is looking good; all TGW are encouraged to stop by and visit. All Clan members with pages should also add Gunner's link to their page.

Note from the Loremaster: I would like to take the time to apologize for the lack of news entries for the last few weeks. I took a short vacation from my duties. Again I would like to invite all TGW Warriors to submit articles for publication to our News Page.

Thursday, September 18th, 3097

GRAND OPENING OF TGW-COBALT'S PAGE

The Honorable Star Captain Cobalt wishes to announce the opening of his page (www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Lair/2376). Warriors, it doesn't get much better than this. Please take a few minutes to visit and read Cobalt's page. Great page Cobalt!

"This is must reading for all....Clan members and Freebirth alike. I feel humbled. I wish I could write like this. I read every word and am looking forward to more." Loremaster OneEyeBill

Monday, September 22, 3097

REPORT FROM THE FRONT

Battle Report by Star Commander Lord ACE

The boss let me off work early since it was my night for patrol, so I cruised on home in my hovercraft and got my mechsuit on with the nicely woven TGW emblem on the shoulder... As I walked toword 'Lil Bertha', thats the name of my 65 ton Hellbringer, I couldn't help but wonder if there was going to be any excitement tonight.

As I made my way to headquarters the city looked so peaceful this time of morning, around 0145. Passed by Gunners house, every one asleep there, passed by Nam's house nobody home, all the people I had grown to respect and trust. Boy this is an awesome job. Protecting the town from enemies is a big responsiblity!!

As I pulled into the station everything was quiet. My partner Chico-Ne was reading a book and eating mustard prezels. So I went to the kitchen to fix something to eat, when it happened!!! THE ALARM WENT OFF!! For the first time in my career as a star captain the alarm had went off!! I almost did not know what to do!! But I followed the veteran Chico to the command room where we were to find out what Clan was approaching with their DropShip; DJC!!!

We scrambled to our mechs; I glanced back to see Chico grab the pretzels on his way out. That's Chico for you, I thought to myself; everyone else is nervous as hell, and he just wants to eat! We lumbered our mechs at a slow trot out of the city, so as not to wake everyone up; after all we were supposed to be able to handle this by ourselves. After getting away from the city we both fired up the ol' jets and headed towards the enemy at full throtle; Chico in his nice T-wolf and me in my 65 ton jalopy, 'Lil Bertha'.

Well, we had to purchase our own mechs, and she was all I could afford, but it was what was inside that counted anyway; her two small pulse and two medium pulse lasers could pick any mech apart in a matter of seconds, as the people who trained with her and I know!!

We approached the battlefield with full-force lasers firing; it wasnt long before Chico had his first kill, DJC- Weed. About 10 seconds or so later I had zoned in on the other one, and was picking his mech apart with my med lasers. Kaboom... DJC-Bug Juice was splattered on my windshield!!! They came at us again, I took Weed this time and Chico concentrated on Bug. Then the warp that we call lag happened; it caught Weed and would not let him go!! He just disappeared out of my sights!! Oh well; time to concentrate on Bug. After I had finished Bug off, Weed came back on the field.

I then heard some noise coming over the radio, sounded like Chico?

"Ohhhh, ohhhh, I dont feel so good", Chico moaned "I think im going to puuu...."

That was all he got out before the sound of rushing slop filled my speakers. I looked over just in time to see his cockpit light up with a bunch of electric sparks and lots of smoke. Chico started to break up, but I heard a few choice words and then he said,"I need to go back for repairs ACE, you comin with?"

Now, I knew if I went back, that the town would probably be attacked and eveyone would have to get out of bed, and what if they weren't fast enough? What if the DJC caught them off gaurd? As I looked forward at the 140 tons of total mech coming toward me, I couldn't help but look back at Chico and mutter to myself, "damn that puke, and damn mustard prezels too."

Well, there was no use just standing around. I put the mech in high gear and away I went, concentrating on Bug, the smaller mech, and getting a good shot in at Weed every once in a while, I was able to pull of a victory for TGW!! And save the peaceful city until they attacked again..

Your Faithful Protectors, TGW Lord ACE and Lil' Bertha

Note from the Loremaster: I would like thank Lord ACE for the most descriptive report on a battle that I have seen to date. Hail Lord ACE, great battle!!!

Tuesday, September 23, 3097

STAR COLONEL PSIWOLF'S E-MAIL

Star Colonel PsiWolf would like to remind everyone that his E-Mail address has been changed. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to update your address book - [email protected]

WAR REPORT

SITREP: The first few days of the War have not been kind to The Gods of War. The Clan has won only 3 of 13 battles fought. Fear not Warriors, the War has just started and is still in the early stages. Though not in last place by any means, as you can see the Clan's win/loss percentage is not as it should be. All warriors must become familiar with the rules of battle and with the honor points scoring system. If in doubt as to the scoring system, do not hesitate to ask any ranking Clan Warrior. Our Honorable SaKhan WarKat has written an excellent message on the subject that was addressed to all TGW Warriors. If any Clan Member has not received this message, inform the LoreMaster and he will insure that you receive a copy.

Statistics compiled from the official (www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/3962/MNL/clanhonor.html) MNL Honor Point Page

Note from the LoreMaster: I personally take responsibility for 4 of our 10 loses. I will make a concerted effort to improve skills in the Batchall as well as my skills on the Field of Battle. Perhaps more care should be taken in accepting and issuing battle challenges. If challenged and able to pick the conditions of the battle, the Warriors involved should discuss among themselves as to the conditions that might best insure victory. If TGW Warriors are the attackers, pick your battles wisely. Although no warrior goes into battle thinking they will lose, always consider the consequences of defeat...will the battle be worth the risk?

ARTICLES NEEDED

The Loremaster would once again like to ask all TGW Warriors for submission of news articles. Scores of battles fought would be of particular interest. Descriptive narratives of battles would be even better. Please consider this. The Loremaster can do any editing, if needed, if any member is unsure of his/her writing ability.

Friday, September 26th, 3097

STAR COLONEL PSIWOLF'S E-MAIL

Star Colonel PsiWolf would like to remind everyone that his E-Mail address has been changed. If you have not allready done so please, take a moment to update your address book. [email protected].

WAR REPORT

SITREP: As first week of the War draws to a close, The Gods of War have won 6 of 18 battles fought. Since the last report on Tuesday the 23rd, our Honorable Brethren have won 3 of 5 battles and gained 571 Honor Points. TGW has almost doubled the points earned in the first half of the week and fought less battles. This shows great improvement. The Clan's win/loss percentage is up, and it seems that TGW is on the rise. Keep up the great work warriors!!!

Statistics compiled from the official MNL Honor Point Page (www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/3962/MNL/clanhonor.html)

2 Clans to Begin Invasion: Be prepared Brothers and Sisters; 2 Clans have enough honor points to attack one planet each. Both the Death Jester Combine and the Shadow Clan have gained enough honor points to make an attack. Both of these clans have routes into our rightful space. DJC is on TGW's western border and they have direct jumproutes to seven of our planets. SC has jumproutes to four of our planets through wormhole #4. The Order of the White Phoenix seems the likely Clan for them to attack though, as WP space is bordered on the north by DJC and the south by SC. These first attacks by SC and DJC could well set the pace of the war. If any Clan member has any news of these attacks please inform the Loremaster immediately and they will be posted here.

Sunday, September 28th, 3097

WAR REPORT

SITREP: Saturday was a big day for the Gods of War; two major victories were reported resulting in 571 points. Record for the weekend is 6 wins, 3 losses. Total points earned since Friday is1194. The Gods of War have moved up in the rankings followed closely by TBH and WP. Keep up the great work warriors!!!

SC, DJC, TGW and TBH all have enough honor points to attack one planet each with the latest tally of scores.

Victory over WP: A class 1 battle fought on the planet Derf brought a victory and 115 points to The Gods of War early Sunday morning. The temperature of the planet was hot with .75 gravity. Star Colonel OneEyeBill and Star Commander Lord ACE were challenged by Star Colonel Silencer and Star Captain Anubis21 of the White Phoenix. Final score TGW 8, WP 2. Lord ACE was outstanding in the battle making 5 of the 8 kills for TGW.

Defeated by SC: A Class 1 battle fought by Star Colonel OneEyeBill and Star Commander Lord ACE was unfortunatly lost on Saturday evening. The Shadow Clan sent Nova Commander Black Talon and Star Commander Crow T to sucessfully attack the planet. During the Batchall the Nova Commander announced he would pilot a Timberwolf to even out the weights of the two clans. The final score of SC 6 and TGW 2. This battle brought 47 honor points to The Gods of War. Good battle SC.

Victory over SC: Saturday morning brought a major victory to The Gods of War. Our Honorable SaKhan WarKat and Star Colonel OneEyeBill sucessfully attacked the Shadow Clan's SaKhan Papermate and Star Colonel Hubbuz. This class 4 battle earned TGW 210 honor points!!! SaKhan WarKat was the warrior who made 5 kills to end the battle. Final score TGW 7, SC 4.

Victory over DJC: In a marathon class 1 battle with a twist, Galaxy Commander Chico-Ne led Star Colonel OneEyeBill to a class 1 victory over Nova Commander Draggin and Star Colonels Maddog-Hoek and Sefra gaining 135 honor points for TGW. Lag had everything to do with this battle as it was played during the busy hours on Saturday afternoon. When Maddog-Hoek could not return to the field of battle due to technical difficulties it was agreed to let everyones favorite DJC, Star Colonel Sefra, step in and pilot his mech. After more frustration and very few kills the battle was conceded to TGW with a score of TGW 4, DJC 0. Chico-Ne was the star of this difficult battle with 3 official kills.

Battle Results: It is requested that all battle results be submitted to the Loremaster for posting on the TGW News Page.

Wednesday, October 1st, 3097

CHAIN VS GROUP FIRE

BY STAR CAPTAIN COBALT

This may seem like an odd topic for debate, among such seasoned warriors as comprise TGW; however, for the lesser-experienced among us (myself included), it may cause you to rethink your current strategies and, as is conventional wisdom, anything that makes you stop and think is probably worth the effort you put into it.

This all came about as I logged onto Mplayer one Saturday morning awhile back. I hung around the lobby for awhile, seeing what there was to see, which in all honesty wasn't much; only 3 or 4 rooms, several freebirths not talking to anyone, a slow morning by all accounts.

So, I took the bull by the horns, and made my own room. Not 15 seconds after I made it, who should appear but our own brother Malloc! When I was recruiting with TGW, Malloc was one of the more colorful fellows that I met, and somehow I knew, before we even had our first battle, that I could (and would) learn a lot from him. I don't know what whimsy of Fate has decreed it so, but it seems (even today) that our paths seldom cross, much as I would have it otherwise.

I suggested a practice, and he readily agreed. I moderated us into a Class 1/Ramsau practice, and I determined that I would try my best to hold my own (no small task against Malloc, one of TGW's fiercest and relentless warriors). I noticed during our first engagement, he used group-fire almost exclusively, while I generally preferred (at that time) to chain-fire while I tried to seek out his lag point. He found mine with practiced ease, and dispatched me pretty quickly. After regen, we engaged again; again I went group-firing at his legs (both of us in TimberWolves). I had his lag spot pretty well nailed, when, with 3 group shots to my torso I WAS TOAST!!! I asked what he was packing; 8 medium lasers, his reply. All group-fired? Nah, 7 of 8, with occasional switching to chain-fire to control heat build-up.

After another engagement, where I traded one of his legs for my whole mech(!), I finally managed to take him out (of course, being Malloc, he took himself out with heat overloads twice during our session). I did notice something else; he exclusively aimed at my mech's torso. I asked him about this, and he replied something along the lines of, 'Well it's the biggest target on the mech, why not aim at it?'

Up to that point, I had been working on my leg shooting, my thinking being since the torso has the highest armor-value of all mech parts, you take out a leg and take away some of the opponent's mobility; get the other leg, and you've got a kill. Hammering away at the torso seemed to be a bit longer of a task, and inflicting damage quickly is key in a class 1 battle (to put your enemy on the defensive as soon as possible, and keep him there).

However, the group-fire usage seems to make torso aiming worthwhile. If you've got the enemy's lag point down, and you've got the heat sinks to keep from overheating, then by all means group-fire 6-8 or 9 lasers and bang away at the torso. Obviously you can't group-fire that many medium lasers at a constant rate, without dire heat con-sequences; it'll probably be necessary to evade and switch to chain-fire to allow the heat build-up to dissipate (lest you self-immolate, like brother Malloc!)

Well, that's my little treatise on this aspect of class-1 warfare. If it made you think, all the better; anything that makes us better Warriors is of benefit to all of us. Good luck, good hunting and Hail TGW!

Note from the LoreMaster: Thank you for the input Brother Cobalt. I think that most of us can learn from Nova Commander Malloc. I know he has tought me many a lesson on the field of battle. I hope to be as skilled as he in the art of Class 1 battle someday.

Friday, October 3rd, 3097

WAR REPORT

SITREP: This has been a very productive week with some great battles fought by TGW warriors. In the five days from September 29th to October 3rd The Gods of War have fought ten battles, winning six and losing four. The Clan has earned 1333 honor points in this time period with an average of 133 points per battle. TGW total average points per battle jumped from 94 to 104. Great piloting by all members who participated in these battles. Keep the Honor warriors!!!

SOURCE: MNL Honor Point Page (www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/3962/MNL/clanhonor.html

Reports from the Fields of Honor

Victory over WP (Contributing Author TGW-Cobalt): "WarKat, Ace, CyberBum and I went 'looking for a fight', so to speak. Kat and I paired up, and it took us a while, but we finally pulled a match together with WP Khan Eskorakas and WP Star Commander Fred. It was a class 4 battle on Hainfield."

"It got off to a shaky start; Esko and Fred both whacked me with missile attacks, and then Kat and Esko squared off, while I got Fred. He took my Hellbringer down kinda easily; I was having a problem getting my stride, as it were. Then Esko had technical dificulties with his mech, we took out Fred, and adjourned from the field with a 1 to 0 lead. We started the battle again when the difficulties were corrected. This time, we double-teamed Fred with missile fire, and I polished him off. Then Kat and I got a good tandem pace going, and my double-teaming Esko got us up to a good head of steam. We pretty much had to deal with only one at a time while the other regenerated, until the last kill. We had Esko on the ropes; I had 3 kills, and I thought Kat had more, so I ignored Fred's attack, trying to take down Esko for 1 more kill before I bit it. And, damn it all my mech blew sky-high. After coming back I found WarKat and he gave me the happy news; I made a kill just as I exploded we won with my last kill, 8 to 4! He praised my efforts, and I thanked him for the honor of fighting on his wing. Twas a truly exhilarating win, one that I hope to experience again soon! "

TGW-Cobalt

Note from the Loremaster: Thank you for the narrative of your hard fought battle Honorable Cobalt. I have edited a few lines to keep with the scheme of the News Page. I hope you do not mind.

Major Victory over TC: The Honorable SaKhan WarKat and 2nd Mechwarrior Cyber Bum achieved a 5 to 4 victory over the Taurian Concordan Khan Azo and Star Captain Tenchi. WarKat was the star of the battle with 5 kills. The victory earned 255 honor points for our Clan!!!!

Victory over WP: Star Colonel OneEyeBill and 2nd Mechwarrior GunnerIA achieved victory over White Phoenix Star Colonel Silencer and Star Captain Crowsnest with a score of 6 - 5. Gunner drove his Jenner with great skill and daring, distracting and harrasing the larger mechs that doubled his weight with just one mech, much less two. This great piloting by the Honorable Gunner allowed OneEyeBill the much needed time to score the kill needed to win the battle. TGW received 115 honor points for this battle. Great job Gunner!!

Saturday, October 4th, 3097

TRIAL OF POSITION REPORTS

Shrapnel vs BloodyFinger: Congratulations to newly promoted Nova Commander Shrapnel. He has been promoted from Star Captain to Nova Commander.

Lord ACE vs Pahgo: A belated Congratulations to Lord ACE for his promotion from Star Commander to Star Colonel.

Kharn vs Merchant: On Friday October 3rd the following report was recieved from TGW-Kharn.

"What started out as a joke between friends quickly turned into a war. Kharn, who was positive that he could beat Merchant with his class 4 Stormcrow ,challenged Merchant to a Trial of Position. Merchant, being the honorable warrior he is, accepted the challenge. It was to be a class 4, 55 ton battle. It was played in the Capture the Flag mission, temperature was Hot, and gravity was .75. Kharn jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but Merchant fought back to tie it up. With the score tied at 4-4 Kharn charged at Merchant in what seemed to be a kamikaze attack; this strategy worked in Kharn's favor making it a 5-4. Now with both mechs at full strength, the two warriors played a game of cat-and-mouse, until Kharn lured Merchant into a trap. In a shower of missile fire Merchant's Stormcrow crumbled, giving Kharn the victory. It was a well-fought battle by both warriors."

Rank Changes: Kharn; from 1st mechwarrior to Star Captain. Merchant; from Star Captain to 1st mechwarrior.

Hail TGW, Kharn & Merchant

Note from the Loremaster: Thank you for submitting this, Honorable Kharn.

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

The following battle results have been reported. Although all the details are not known at this time due to "the fog of war" what has been reported is now a part of Clan history. Of the 5 battles reported SaKhan WarKat and Star Colonel Lord ACE were victorious in three of them accounting for 520 of the 730 known honor points that TGW has earned today. Great job Brothers!!!

Victory over SC: SaKhan WarKat and Star Colonel Lord ACE achieved victory today in a class 1 battle over SaKhan Papermate and Star Colonel CrowT of the Shadow Clan. The final score was 6-5 in this close battle. TGW recieved 210 honor points. Well done warriors!

Defeated by WP: Star Colonel OneEyeBill and 2nd Mechwarrior GunnerIA were defeated in the forest in a class 4 battle against Star Colonel Silencer and 1st Mechwarrior Meado of the White Phoenix. Although the Clan received only 35 honor points for this battle valuable intelligence was gathered. Well done by the honorable WP warriors.

Victory over SC: SaKhan WarKat and Star Colonel Lord ACE were victorious over Nova Commanders Kutulene and Capn Cave of the Shadow Clan. This high scoring battle ended with a score of TGW 9, SC 7. WarKat and ACE earned 150 honor points for the Clan.

Victory over WP: After numerous technical problems and several overheats, newly- promoted Nova Commander Shrapnel led Star Colonel OneEyeBill to a 2 to -3 class 1 victory over Galaxy Commander Trailblazer and and Nova Commander Eskorakas of the White Phoenix. This victory earned 175 honor points for TGW. Congratulations to Shrapnel for his first victory as a Nova Commander; there will be many more!!!

Victory over WP: SaKhan WarKat and Star Colonel Lord ACE achieved another victory today over Galaxy Commander Jammin1 and Star Colonel ChainSin of the White Phoenix. The final score was 7-5 earning TGW 160 honor points. Great job warriors, it was a busy day for you.

Saturday, October 11th, 3097

REPORT FROM THE FRONT LINES

Six Battle Reports have been received for the period of October 10th and October 11th. All were victories!!! Keep up the great work Warriors.

Victory over Clan Phoenix: "On Friday October 10th, Nova Commander Shrapnel and Star Colonel Gunner went looking for war, and they found it with Clan Pheonix. The battle was fought on the planet Tinaca, 1.25grav. dusk, cold. After trading kills back and forth in heated fury, The HOLD call came from CP-Timberwolves. He and his wingman CP-BluePoet tallied each of their kills, but fell short compared to the Dark Legion. The final count was DL 8 CP 7. Both sets of warriors agreed that this was one of the best matched pairings possible. Well fought CP. Hail Dark Legion!" - DL-Shrapnel Nova Commander

Note from the Loremaster: I would like to thank Nova Commander Shrapnel for submitting this Battle Report; well fought Warriors!!!

Victory over Death Jester Combine: Khan WarKat and Nova Captain Lord ACE were victorious over Nova Captain Steal and Star Commander Reaper of the DJC. The final score was DL 7, DJC 2. This battle earned 130 honor points for The Dark Legion.

Victory over Clan Phoenix: Khan WarKat and Nova Captain Lord ACE were victorious over Khan E-DOG and Nova Captain Pale-Horseman of CP. The final score was DL 6, CP 3. This battle earned 280 honor points for The Dark Legion.

Victory over Clan Phoenix: Khan WarKat and Nova Captain Lord ACE were once again victorious over Khan E-DOG and Nova Captain Pale-Horseman of CP. The final score was DL 9, CP -2. This battle earned 280 honor points for The Dark Legion.

Victory over Clan Phoenix: Khan WarKat and Nova Captain Lord ACE were victorious over Khan E-DOG and Nova Commander BluePoet of CP. The final score was DL 5, CP 3. This battle earned 275 honor points for The Dark Legion.

Victory over Shadow Clan: Khan WarKat and Nova Captain Lord ACE were victorious over Nova Captain Capn Cave and Star Colonel Hubuz of the SC. The final score was DL 7, SC 2. This battle earned 135 honor points for The Dark Legion.

Note from the Loremaster: I would like to thank our Honorable Khan WarKat for submitting these five Battle Reports. The Khan and Nova Captain had a very good evening, with five victories that earned our Clan 980 points.

Wednesday, October 8th, 3097

PROMOTIONS

Congratulations to all newly promoted Warriors. All promotions were long awaited and well deserved. The promotions mean a great deal to the Clan as there will now be higher ranked Warriors to fight for the Honor and Glory of the Clan. We have always had the superior Warriors to pilot our mechs, now we have the superior mechs to take to the fields. There is now nothing to stop The Dark Legion from gaining the rightful place as the most powerful and respected Clan of all!!!!

WAR REPORT

SITREP: This has been another very productive week even with the restructuring of our Clan. In the five days from October 4th to October 8th The Dark Legion/Gods of War have fought ten battles, winning five and losing five. The Clan has earned 1192 honor points in this time period, this is the most of any Clan for the last 5 days!!!!. DL/TGW total average points per battle moved up from 104 to 108. Great piloting by all members who participated in these battles. Keep the Honor warriors!!!

Note from the Loremaster: I have used the DL/TGW initials because some, actually most of these battles were fought in TGW uniforms. This will be the last report of TGW battles.

SOURCE: ">MNL Honor Point Page (www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/3962/MNL/clanhonor.html)

Report from the Field of Honor

Victory over DJC: Khan WarKat and Nova Commander Shrapnel were victorious over Khan Ogremagi and Nova Commander Draggin of the DJC. This victory earned 275 honor points for The Dark Legion.

Sunday, October 26th, 3097

"May Our Plasma Burn Hot, and Our Enemies Grow Cold" Nova Colonel PsiWolf

WAR REPORT

SITREP: This has been a great week for points for the Dark Legion. In the nine days from October 17th to October 26th The Dark Legion Warriors have fought 18 battles, winning 7 and losing 11 but gaining 3199 honor points in this time period. DL total average points per battle has risen to 131. The Dark Legion is closing in on the leading Clans. Great piloting by all members who participated in these battles. Keep the Honor warriors!!!

Monday, October 13th, 3097

REPORT FROM THE FRONT LINES

Five Battle Reports have been received by the LoreMaster for the period of October 12th and October 13th. Four were victories!!!

Victory over DJC: SaKhan Chico-Ne led Galaxy Commander OneEyeBill to victory today as they fought in a Khan War against Star Colonel Maddog-Hoek and Star Captain Sacrafice of The Death Jester Combine. The class 1 battle was fought on the planet Ramsau in the cold of winter. Both the SaKhan and Galaxy Commander were disappointed in the DJC, not because of their skill or bravery on the field, but because the best of the DJC were suppose to attend the fight. The final score was DL 7, DJC 1. The battle gained 115 points for the Legion plus 250 extra for being victorious in a Khan War.

Victory over DJC: In a more evenly matched fight the SaKhan Chico-Ne again led Galaxy Commander OneEyeBill to victory over the DJC. Galaxy Commander Draggin and Star Colonel Maddog-Hoek were defeated in a class 4 battle. This battle was fought near the hot equator of the planet Ramsau. The final score was DL 5, DJC 3. This battle earned 160 points for the Dark Legion. Chico-Ne was the star of the battle with all 5 DL kills.

The Khan and the Nova Captain engaged White Phoenix while on a routine patrol, report follows:

Victory Over WP: "Hail! Transmitting battle report from the WP front line. All is well and good! Lord Ace and I secured area for propective base construction. Entering the territory, we were not sure of any engagements. Low and behold, WP were keeping an honorable watch this early Morning. We enaged in a writhful battle with WP-RedJack and WP-Jammin whom defended their ground well. Final Score- DL 5 ,WP 2. Hail Dark Legion!" - DL-WarKat, Khan

The Khan and the SaKhan engaged White Phoenix Warriors in two battles on Sunday evening, reports follow:

Victory over WP: Khan WarKat and SaKhan Chico-Ne were victorious over the White Phoenix warriors Khan Cyril and Nova Commander Fish Food in a class 1 battle. The gravity was .75 terra norm, temperature was cold on the metropolis planet of Ramsau. The final score was DL 9, WP -1. This battle earned 275 honor points for The Dark Legion. well fought Khan and SaKhan!!

Defeated by WP: Khan WarKat and SaKhan Chico-Ne were unfortunately defeated by the White Phoenix warriors Khan Cyril and Nova Commander Fish Food in a class 4 battle on Hainfield.. The gravity was 1.5 terra norm. The final score was DL 5, WP 7. This battle earned 92 honor points for The Dark Legion. Please read the copy of WarKats transmision below. Lessons can be learned in defeat.

"Hail Dark Legion! Good news and bad news. The first battle, Chico and I really rocked em. But the second, they used their "bunkering" technique again, and I made a fatal error. Chico was in a Direwolf and I was in a Timber. The battle was won by them within seconds of our victory. When Chico died, the missles were on their way to giving us a victory. But they did not travel swiftly. My mistake was that I did not wait for Chico, due to his speed being a lot less. This is a hard, what seems as common sense, lesson learned." DL-WarKat, Khan.

Note from the Loremaster: I would like to thank our Honorable Khan for submitting these Battle Reports, well fought Warriors!!!

Tuesday, October 14th, 3097

WAR REPORT

SITREP: This has been another very productive period for our Clan. In the six days from October 9th to October 14th The Dark Legion has fought sixteen battles, winning ten and losing six. The Clan has earned 1927 honor points in this time period!!. DL total average points per battle moved up from 108 to 111. Great piloting by all members who participated in these battles. Keep the Honor warriors!!!

Thursday, October 16th, 3097

PROMOTIONS

Congratulations are in order for the recent promotion of MechSiren to the rank of Star Commander. She has recently completed recruit training and joins the fighting ranks of The Honor Clan. Thank you to all the warriors who assisted and observed her while she was in recruit status. MechSiren is definitely an asset to The Dark Legion.

WELCOME BACK TO A VETERAN

Welcome back to Star Captain Death Merchant from extended leave to his home planet. Hopefully his trip home has left him refreshed and rested; we will need the veteran in upcoming battles.

Saturday, October 18th, 3097

WAR REPORT

SITREP: This has been another very productive week for the Dark Legion. In the nine days from October 9th to October 17th, Dark Legion MechWarriors have fought 19 battles, winning 11 and losing 8. The Clan has earned 2793 honor points in this time period. DL total average points per battle is steady at 119. Great piloting by all members who participated in these battles. Keep the Honor warriors!!!

Report from the Field of Honor - Sucessful Defense of Two Planets

Victory over DJC: Khan WarKat and SaKhan Chico-Ne successfully defended the planet Hell's Gate against SaKhan Draggin and Nova Captain Rosha of the DJC. The final score was 6-0.

Victory over DJC: Khan WarKat and SaKhan Chico-Ne successfully defended the planet Chico's Bar and Grill against SaKhan Draggin and Nova Colonel Steal of the DJC. The final score was 5-2.

These were very important battles as losing them would have cost The Dark Legion Planets. Hail Khan and SaKhan, well fought.

PROMOTIONS

Congratulations are in order for the recent promotion of Gunship1 and Xenic. Both have complete Recruit Training and have been promoted to Cadets. Thank you to all the warriors who assisted and observed them while they were in recruit status.

Monday, October 20th, 3097

Report from the Field of Honor

Defeated by WP: Galaxy Comander OneEyeBill and Star Colonel Gunner were defeated today by White Phoenix warriors Nova Commander Esko and Star Colonel Silencer. The final score was 5 to 2 in this class 4 battle.

Victory over WP: Khan Warkat and Nova Captain Lord ACE were victorious over SaKhan Jammin1 and Nova Commander Fish Food of The White Phoenix in a class 4 battle on Carse. The temperature was cold and the gravity set at 1.25. The final score was 9 to 6.

Victory over WP:
Khan Warkat and Nova Captain Lord ACE were victorious over SaKhan Jammin1 and Nova Commander Fish Food of The White Phoenix in a class 4 battle on Hainfield. The temperature was cold and the gravity set at 1.25. The final score was 7 to 6.

Wednesday, October 22nd, 3097

The Privileges of Rank, and The Mechs of Choice

An Essay by Star Colonel Cobalt

Except for the recruits and new cadets, all the Dark Legion officers and warriors have been at this Mech2/Mplayer business for a while, and with experience comes, if not wisdom, then… well, experience. Most of us come by this experience through trial and error, with an occasional guiding hand to steer us in the right direction, pointing out a better way lest we fall in to bad habits. A few (like myself) have to attend the proverbial college of hard knocks, learning our lessons at the business end of a bank of group-fired lasers or UAC-20. But learn we all do… eventually.

It is in that spirit of trying to smooth the transition for those who are relatively new to DL, that I address this essay. Not that I know everything; most assuredly, I don't. But I do know a few things, and those few may be of some help, in your journey to being a better MechWarrior.

We're all probably aware that the higher in rank you rise, the bigger mech you can pilot into battle. A privilege of rank to be coveted, without a doubt, but also one that deserves a little thought and experience. Just because you've gotten that promotion and earned that bigger mech, does that mean you HAVE to take it into battle? Let's take a look at the top rung on the MNL ladder of success…

Take our Khan, WarKat. His rank obviously entitles him to take any mech he desires, from the fearsome 100-ton Dire Wolf on down. If you've ever had the honor of fighting on his wing, you'll have noticed he usually (at least to my knowledge) prefers the Timber Wolf, that most favored of designs. The un-initiated might ask, "Why give up that much tonnage, when he's earned the right to use it?" I've not asked him, but I bet he'd say something like, "Well, the T-Wolf is more my style; quick, maneuverable, well-armored but still agile, customizes well, etc." I'm sure there are times when the Khan will pick the overwhelming firepower that the Dire Wolf can sport, but by and large, the T-wolf is a more versatile mech.

Those of us a bit further down in the ranks have fewer choices, but the same decisions to make. Take my own experience; as a 2nd MechWarrior, I learned to make my Jenner as useful an adjunct to a superior wingman as I could, as well as a decent threat to other Kit Foxes, Jenners, etc. I issued an unanswered ToP for a higher rank, but when my next promotion came through it was a shock; I'd made Star Commander! My choices of which mech to use were getting better and better…

…but the next promotion created a bit of a dilemma. Rank weight for Star Captains is 70 tons; the only 70-ton model is the Summoner. This is where you'll find the somewhat "gray area", concerning what veteran Warriors consider a "good mech" vs. a "bad mech". While in standard game basics 2 mechs of similar tonnage (5 tons one way or the other) would be expected to perform similarly, this is not the case in human vs. human online gameplay. While customization makes the variables fairly endless, the reality is that certain mech models don't hold up as well in combat as others in the same class (light, medium, heavy and assault) and of similar tonnage.

Up to that point, in learning to customize mechs I'd believed that, tonnage and critical slots aside, all mechs are created equal; in other words if you customized a Hellbringer and a Summoner more or less equally, the Summoner would get the nod in battle due to the extra 5 tons. Surprisingly enough, that turned out to be not true. Due to whatever confluence of reasons (larger profile, lesser agility), the Summoner ends up being just a larger target, while the Hellbringer sees much more success and durability in MNL battles. Probably for the same reasons, the Rifleman is seldom seen as a viable battlefield platform (although I had pretty good initial success using Prima's "IceBox" custom in class 1 battles).

So, obviously there are choices to be made, once you get above 1st Mech-Warrior (enjoyable ones, but decisions still). Herewith, a look at where you'll have your picks, and which ones to avoid:

Star Captains/Commanders - Have at their disposal the Hellbringer, Rifleman and Summoner mechs. Despite the higher armor rating of the latter 2, with the addition of ferro-fibrous armor the Hellbringer can be as tough as the others, as well as being faster, more agile and its smaller profile makes it harder to hit.

Nova Captains/Commanders - The Gargoyle vs. The Warhammer. Both 80-tonners, there's really no choice; the armor rating for the Gargoyle is lower, its profile makes it a huge target, and it's not the best weapons platform. Take the Warhammer.

Nova Colonel/Galaxy Commander - At 85 tons, the choice here is between the Marauder and the Warhawk. Again, the Warhawk, with its higher armor rating and less-vulnerable extremities, make it the mech of choice at this weight.

Those who've attained the aforementioned ranks probably already know this; it's for the rising Dark Legionnaires that this is intended.

Perhaps a good rule of thumb to keep in mind; when the choice of mechs is between 2 or 3 with even tonnage (or 5 tons), take the humanoid design over the "chicken-walker" more often than not. For example, when you qualify for the 55-ton Stormcrow, you're probably better off with the 50-ton Nova. While the Nova's lack of torso-twist is lamentable, its armoring, low profile and jump-jet maneuverability more than make up for the Stormcrow's weak legs and vulnerable torso. And, since your next promotion would be to Star Commander, you'd vault straight into Hellbringer-land, without ever having to worry about the Stormcrow vs. The Mad Dog.

If I've given you something to think about, I've done my job. Good hunting, DL! - Star Colonel Cobalt

Note from the Loremaster:I would like to thank Honorable Star Colonel Cobalt for this essay.