-Version 1.3-

Note: As with any set of rules they will be constantly refined and

improved.

-TRIAL OF POSITIO�-

A player who wishes to take part in the Clan Fire

Mandrill League is required to sit a Trial of Position. It is an

important event because it decides how well a player is initially

placed within his chosen Kindraa, what forces he has to choose

from, and whether he's good enough to hold his current rank. It is

considered the duty of a player to prove they are capable of

holding a rank and must return each year to undertake a Trial of

Position.

The only way a player can lose ranks is if he dies, or

during the Trial of Position. A player can only lose or gain a

single rank during the Trial of Position; unless he dies in which

case his new rank is ‘Cadet’. The rank of ‘Cadet’ is merely a

position to let all others know that this person must sit a Trial of Position and gain the rank of

‘Mechwarrior’ before being able to earn any Honour Points. No league games can be played until

a player has sat their Trial of Position for the current year.

New players, or those who have died and need to start over, can sit a Trial of Position at

anytime during the year. The Loremaster will organize opponents and dates on which to sit it. All

Trial of Position events are to be played using BattleMech units only. Once a player has achieved

a rank above Cadet they must then choose a ‘signature unit’. This is basically the type and model

of unit that player will be using for each battle in which he personally takes part and must be

chosen from within the various official source books released for BattleTech. A player is not

restricted to a BattleMech/Omni-Mech and is free to choose an Aerospace, Vehicle, Battle

Armour/Conventional Troop, or ProtoMech as a signature unit. The Kindraa Loremaster will

have the information regarding these.

A player’s rank is also used to decide the skill levels of opponents during Trials of

Position as well as the skills for when players make up a force using the Quality Rating of his

Cluster. For example, if a player is assigned to a Cluster with an Elite Quality Rating the lowest

Gunnery and Piloting Skills can be 2 while a player in a Regular Quality Rated unit is no lower

than Gunnery 4 and Piloting 4. Table 1.1 outlines what the base Gunnery and Piloting skill level

is for each rank within Clan Fire Mandrill.

Table 1.1

Rank: Kindraa Leader Quality Rating: Elite Gunnery: 2 Piloting: 2

Rank: Star Colonel Quality Rating: Elite Gunnery: 2 Piloting: 2

Rank: Star Captain Quality Rating: Veteran Gunnery: 3 Piloting: 3

Rank: Star Commander Quality Rating: Veteran Gunnery: 3 Piloting: 3

Rank: Mechwarrior Quality Rating: Regular Gunnery: 4 Piloting: 4

Rank: Cadet Quality Rating: Green Gunnery: 4 Piloting: 5

-JOI�I�G A KI�DRAA-

• Once a player has sat their Trial of Position they then declare the Kindraa they wish to join.

A request for permission to join is to be made to that Kindraa's Kindraa Leader who then

must make a decision spending at least one week. This allows time to put the decision

forward to the other Kindraa members. If any existing members from that Kindraa disagrees

with the Kindraa Leaders decision they can challenge it by vote of majority. A Trial of

Grievance is allowed following standard rules. This may make the time to decide longer as

players need to schedule battles, but should be finalised within two weeks otherwise the

Kindraa Leader’s decision is final.

• Once accepted they are to pick a Bloodname from the Clan Fire Mandrill list found in the

'Field Manual: Crusader Clans'. Only 25 places are available for each Bloodname at any one

time. Players don't have to take a Bloodname, but it is every Clan warrior’s goal to have one

and competition is fierce. Bloodnames

from outside Clan Fire Mandrill are not

allowed. Should all slots for Bloodnames

be filled then a player must wait for one to

become available either by death of a

player or removal due to dishonourable

behaviour. Once a slot becomes available

all those players who want it must take part

in a Grand Melee with the winner earning

the right to have the Bloodname.

• Players who join a Kindraa will be

assigned to a Cluster by the Kindraa

Leader. The Cluster must have the same

Quality Rating or lower as the rank of the

player being assigned as outlined in Table

1.1 above. If there is no Cluster with a low

enough Quality Rating then the player is

assigned to the next highest instead. A

player must still command forces of his

rank even though he may be assigned to a

higher quality rated Cluster. For example,

if a player with the rank of Star Commander (ranked to command Veteran level troops) is

assigned to an Elite Cluster that player may still only choose forces, and use a Battle Value

total, as if he were in a Veteran Cluster. If a players rank changes, or a slot opens due to

another player’s death, then the Kindraa Leader must allocate to match the changes.

• The Kindraa Leader is the highest ranking officer within a Kindraa. There can be only one

Kindraa Leader per Kindraa. If no player has earned the rank of Kindraa Leader in the Trial

of Position then the next highest ranked player becomes Kindraa Leader. If there is a tie then

a Grand Melee involving all eligible players decides the Kindraa Leader. Note: only players

willing to take responsibility for the position of Kindraa Leader are to take the position. All

applicants must be approved by the current Loremaster and a Trial of Grievance is allowed.

• Once all this is done a player is now ready to start playing games which will earn them

Honour Points. These, and how to earn them are explained later.

-ATTACKI�G A�D DEFE�DI�G-

• 10,000 per level of unit Quality Rating is the default Battle Value total for any games.

However, players must use the lower Quality Rating Battle Value of the two forces as this

helps to reduce the size of the battles which leads to quicker games. Players are free to

choose a larger value if both parties agree. Generally this will mean that if an Elite force

faces off against a Regular then the Elite forces will be outnumbered.

• All battles are completed after a set amount of turns decided by both players before the

battle, although 18 turns is the default time. Classic BattleTech games can take sometime to

complete so it’s best to have a time limit.

• One minute per miniature is given to each player during their turn in the Movement Phase.

Failure to move within that time means the unit remains stationary. This rule is only used

once one player declares it during the game and can be done at anytime. Once declared it

cannot be refused. This is to help keep the game moving and is extremely useful in larger

battles.

• Players are not required to play by Clan Rules of Engagement, but failure to do so will have

negative Honour Point effects.

• Players are free to use 3D terrain or

map set hex sheets. A standard game

uses two hex maps with each player

selecting what map they want. Once

they are laid out both players roll 2d6

to see who decides which edge their

forces move on. 3D terrain is set up by

both players together, but should

contain mostly open terrain. Again,

both players roll 2d6 to see who

decides which edge their forces move

on. The Loremaster can override

choices to create the battlefield, unless that player is involved in the battle.

• Only standard level equipment from Total Warfare is allowed to be used. Custom designs are

not allowed unless it is a signature unit used by a player taking to the field personally and

they have paid the cost to pilot such a unit.

• A player can request to see an opponent’s record sheets at anytime.

• There is no limit as to how many games you can play in a month, but all games must be

played at the Tabletop Gamers Association club rooms for the scores to stand and be applied

to a players Honour Points total. This is to promote more games at the club and to help the

league grow.

• Should a problem occur during play then the Loremaster, or someone agreed to by both

parties should the Loremaster be in the current game or not available, is required to make a

decision which will stand. Usually this will result in loss of Honour Points by those found in

the wrong. There is no chance for a Trial of Grievance.

• No miniature substitutions. This is to reduce confusion, especially for newer players.

• The Trial of Possession event will officially begin at 10:30am unless other details have been

provided.

• Players who take to the field personally use their Cadet Piloting and Gunnery skill, not the

Quality Rating value of the unit they are assigned to. This will mean that a player who has

not spent Honour Points to upgrade will have a Piloting Skill of 5 and a Gunnery Skill of 4.

-HO�OUR POI�TS-

Honour Points are a measure of an individual’s success in battle as well as their

personal magnetism within a Kindraa, indeed even Clan Fire Mandrill. After each battle this total

is adjusted depending on how well the player faired. Honour Points can be traded in for benefits

during the year. Table 1.2 lists what can be gained along with its cost. Benefits cannot be

purchased during a battle, only before or after.

Table 1.2

Benefit Cost

Increase rank by one (e.g. Mechwarrior to Star Commander). 300

Custom configured signature unit (standard equipment only). 300

Gunnery reduced by one (e.g. Gunnery 2 drops to Gunnery 1). 200

Piloting reduced by one (e.g. Piloting 2 drops to Piloting 1). 100

It should be noted that once a player buys the custom configured signature unit they are

able to use it for any battle they personally take part in, other than the yearly Trial of Position.

These all require approval beforehand from the Loremaster and should have the Battle Value

worked out and clearly written on the record sheet. Using a program like Heavy Metal Pro is the

easiest way although full rules for assigning weapon Battle Values to units is in BattleTech: Tech

Manual. Table 1.3 lists the Honour Points that can be earned from each battle.

Table 1.3

Win +10 Points

Draw +5 Points

Loss +0 Points

�ot breaking Rules of Engagement +10 Points

Breaking Rules of Engagement -40 Points

Perform Physical Attack -10 Points

Deliberately targeting pilot/crew -20 Points (per attempt)

Challenge below threshold§ -20 Points (per challenge)

Used less Battle Value than opponent* +/- 5 Points per 100 Battle Value.

Took part in the battle personally and:

Won the battle. +10 Points

Survived the battle. +5 Points

Lost the battle. +0 Points

Died in battle. Restart as a Cadet with 0 Honour Points.

§ Only a BattleMech/Omni-Mech weighing no more/less than 20 tons is considered a fair

challenge. This is referred to as the threshold. A challenge can only be made outside the

threshold without receiving the points penalty if there are no other BattleMech/Omni-Mech

opponents not currently engaged.

* If you win the battle you have the points added to your total. A draw or loss will result in the

points being subtracted from your total instead. Basically you were seen as overconfident!

-Dezgra Points-

Certain situations may make a duel void, even if strict adherence to the rules of

engagement is in force. Players are to use the following simple system or rules to judge these

situations. The penalty system is intended to enforce the idea that dueling 'Mechs must actively

fight one another for the duel to be valid. Because Clan warriors call people without honour

Dezgra, the penalties are referred to as Dezgra Points.

Each of the infractions listed below earns the violator a single Dezgra Point, unless the violator's

opponent declines the penalty (which he might do if he decides that the action was tactically

appropriate). No dueling 'Mech can earn more than one (1) Dezgra Point per End Phase.

• If a dueling unit intentionally moves out of its opponent's line of sight, the unit earns one (1)

Dezgra Point.

• If a dueling unit has line of sight to its opponent but intentionally fails to fire at the enemy,

the unit earns one (1) Dezgra Point. (This guideline assumes that at least one shot must be

possible, meaning that the enemy unit is within the firing arc of the weapon being fired.)

• If a dueling unit intentionally ends the Movement Phase out of the firing range of all its

weapons, the unit earns one (1) Dezgra Point.

If a dueling 'Mech accumulates three (3) Dezgra Points, it is clear that the duel is

dishonorable, and so it becomes void in the End Phase of the turn in which the third point was

earned. Once a unit has accumulated three (3) Dezgra Points, any Clan unit may freely fire on it

for the remainder of the scenario without violating the dueling rules.

-Khan & saKhan-

Due to the unique nature of Clan Fire Mandrill each Kindraa has a Kindraa Leader which

is the rank of Galaxy Commander in other Clans. The Kindraa Leader is basically a Khan but

holds no power over the other Kindraa within the Clan. However, even Clan Fire Mandrill needs

to have at least some form of Clan Khanship in place, if only as a show of unity to outside forces.

At the end of each year players are chosen to fill the rank of Khan, saKhan, and

Loremaster. Only one player from each Kindraa with the rank of Kindraa Leader is able to apply

for the position of Clan Khan or saKhan. Each of these members vote a first(Khan) and

second(saKhan) choice for who they want from the other Kindraa Leaders, including themselves

as a single choice if they wish. Once a Khan and saKhan have been chosen by vote a Trial of

Grievance is allowed following standard rules should there be any disagreement found valid by

the Loremaster. If there is still a tie the Loremaster decides.

During events that call for the Tabletop Gamers Association to play against those outside

of the club the Khan and saKhan are in charge of assigning whatever needs doing. Although, it

does also mean that they are guaranteed a place in the fighting while others will need to fight

Trials to obtain limited placing spots.

-Loremaster-

To become Loremaster, the current Loremaster must choose to stand down. Any players

are then free to apply at the end of each year with a winner decided by a Trial of Bloodright.

Anyone who wishes to become Clan Loremaster must never have held the position of Khan or

saKhan and may hold the position only once in their career. Loremaster is considered a position

of great respect as they usually decide what happens within the Clan should the current Khan

and/or saKhan be unable to perform their duties as required. Also, they are generally great

warriors of skill due to

the nature of

competition for the

position. Being the

Clan’s Loremaster does

give that player a lot of

power, but they must

still answer to the Khan

and saKhan. Although,

every member of the

Clan knows how useful

the information a

Loremaster holds

regardless of how high

of rank they are so there

is always a measure of

respect.

The Loremaster is responsible for maintaining the league. It is the single most important

and time consuming responsibility and should not be taken lightly. In the event that help is

needed it will fall to the Khan and saKhan to assist with issues that arise.

-�otes-

Clan Fire Mandrill is the Tabletop Gamers Association official faction when using Clan

forces and will be displayed during Inter-club events. Inter-club events can have limited places

which is why having the position of Khan, saKhan, and Loremaster can be a huge advantage as it

guarantees a place in these events.

The player with the most league points at the end of the year is the winner. Points spent

to gain increases in Rank, Piloting, and Gunnery skills, purchasing a custom signature unit, and

any other bonuses do not count to this total, only what is left at the end of the league year so

players need to decide if spending the points at the right time will pay off. Points not spent will

not carry over to the following year and will in fact be removed from the players Codex. All

players start the league each year with zero (0) Honour Points

In all cases, players are not to waste time trying for high positions unless they are

prepared to do the correct work and spend enough time to perform the required duties during the

year. Also, should the player die while they take the field in battle to earn more Honour Points,

or as part of the Trial of Position then they are removed from their current position and begin

again as a new Cadet. Should this happen they are again entitled to apply for the position of

Khan, saKhan, or Loremaster as they are technically a new warrior entering Clan Fire Mandrill.

The position of Loremaster will always be held by Adam Jones and can be taken up by

him again at anytime should he surrender it. As a Catalyst Games Labs Demo Team Member and

a founder of the Tabletop Gamers Association he has an obligation to keep the league operating.

Every so often, during the beginning of a TGA club day, the Loremaster will choose a

random player from the league to be ‘Defender’ of a special Trial of Possession battle. The first

battle played against this player on the day will earn double the normal Honour Points result to

the ‘Attacker’. Every other player in the league is allowed to bid against one another for the right

to be the ‘Attacker’ in the Trial of Possession. The procedure is as follows:

• Loremaster chooses ‘Defender’ at random from players present on the day.

• Players sit/stand together in a circle.

• The ‘Defender’ chooses the Battle Value of the force they will use following the usual

limits set out for unit Quality Rating. This value will not be adjusted should someone of

a lower rank win the bidding. As ‘Attacker’ that player is awarded more forces for this

battle only.

• The Loremaster chooses a player at random by way of dice to begin the bidding for

‘Attacker’. Bidding continues to the left until only one player remains who bid the

lowest.

• ‘Attacker’ and ‘Defender’ move to a board set up using the rules for regular Trials and

play.