18 replies to this topic

[Kai Allard-Liao]

Quick question. I've read Blood of Kerensky who knows how many times. What other books out there highlight the Dragoons pre-Clan invasion? There are so many books now it's hard to keep track. And I mean novels, not Technical Readouts.

[martian]

ShadowHammer, on 07 November 2015 - 12:41 AM, said:

Quick question. I've read Blood of Kerensky who knows how many times. What other books out there highlight the Dragoons pre-Clan invasion? There are so many books now it's hard to keep track. And I mean novels, not Technical Readouts.

Charette, Robert N.: Wolves on the Border

... and of course Wolf's Dragoons (FASA 1631) sourcebook.

[Karl Streiger]

Not to forget:
Wolfpack

The ebook short novel Hector (3025era - Draggons in work for Marik)

Post 3067:
Some of the BattleTech anthology series: including short storys "Last Days of Zeta"; "Feral"; "A Thing to be done"

[Kai Allard-Liao]

Thanks guys, all good answers. I'll hunt these down.

[Shirow]

Of all the IS mercenaries the Wolfs Dragoons are my fav, wells also Kells Hounds.

[Brian Davion]

if you have at any intreast at all in the dragoons try and aquire a copy of "Wolves on the border" it's a great read. (honestly anything by Robert Charette is amazing. "Heir to the Dragon" proably counts as one of the best Battletech novels I've ever read, and I'm not even a Kurita fanboy)

[Metus regem]

Shirow, on 14 January 2016 - 05:36 AM, said:

Of all the IS Clan mercenaries the Wolfs Dragoons are my fav, wells also Kells Hounds.

Sorry had to do it, though I does irk me a bit that they got ret-coned into being Clanners....

[SnagaDance]

Metus regem, on 15 January 2016 - 03:40 PM, said:

Sorry had to do it, though I does irk me a bit that they got ret-coned into being Clanners....

They weren't ret-conned. They were carefully set up that way. Remember than any pre-4th Succession War material (or events immediately leading up to it) have never been greatly worked out in comparison to post 3020.

The novel Wolves on the Border already established Clan rituals within their unit. Jaime Wolf being described as Oathmaster, finishing the gathering with the ritual 'Seyla'. That's 1992 we're talking about.

[martian]

Metus regem, on 15 January 2016 - 03:40 PM, said:

Sorry had to do it, though I does irk me a bit that they got ret-coned into being Clanners....

FASA (and FanPro and CGL) sometimes left certain plot-hooks in their books, to be used later (or not). The Wolf's Dragoons with their "mysterious origins" were example of such plot hook.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 16 January 2016 - 04:47 AM, said:

FASA (and FanPro and CGL) sometimes left certain plot-hooks in their books, to be used later (or not). The Wolf's Dragoons with their "mysterious origins" were example of such plot hook.

And where proably always intended to be linked to the exodus fleet. I mean Natasha Kerensky was a pretty big give away, or should have been.

[martian]

Brian Davion, on 16 January 2016 - 04:04 PM, said:

And where proably always intended to be linked to the exodus fleet. I mean Natasha Kerensky was a pretty big give away, or should have been.

I think that the original intent was to simply make them well equipped mercenaries with some connection to former SLDF. Other mercenary companies had such links too. After all, the Clans debuted four or five years after the Tales of the Black Widow Company were published.

Edited by martian, 17 January 2016 - 12:14 AM.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 16 January 2016 - 11:21 PM, said:

I think that the original intent was to simply make them well equipped mercenaries with some connection to former SLDF. Other mercenary companies had such links too. After all, the Clans debuted four or five years after the Tales of the Black Widow Company were published.

that's my read too. the SLDF connection was always there. FASA just hadn't decided entirely on what the SLDF would become

[martian]

Personally I prefer units with less "fiat".

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 22 January 2016 - 07:11 AM, said:

Personally I prefer units with less "fiat".

I've slowly concluded those don't really exist. All merc units exist by pure fiat, Wolf's dragoons are awesome, cause fiat, Wilson's Hussars are hard luck, cause fiat. ultimatly everything in the setting happens cause the authors wanted it to. it's not like they roll the units out. that said I'll take my Cavilers as my merc unit of choice

[martian]

I would be hard pressed to find a similar mercenary unit as Wolf's Dragoons, with so many advantages given to it.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 26 January 2016 - 06:51 AM, said:

I would be hard pressed to find a similar mercenary unit as Wolf's Dragoons, with so many advantages given to it.

Depends on your era, post Jihad I'd say the Kell Hounds are in a better position.

[martian]

Brian Davion, on 26 January 2016 - 09:23 PM, said:

Depends on your era, post Jihad I'd say the Kell Hounds are in a better position.

Kell Hounds were practically wiped out.

On the other hand, seeing that from the greatest part rebuilt Wolf's Dragoons are mostly Elite or Veteran units (again), with the best equipment (again), and that Draconis soldiers are loving them so much that they are leaving Ryuken to join Wolf's Dragoons ... well, I feel that fiat is still strong in Wolf's Dragoons.

[Brian Davion]

martian, on 26 January 2016 - 09:49 PM, said:

Kell Hounds were practically wiped out.

On the other hand, seeing that from the greatest part rebuilt Wolf's Dragoons are mostly Elite or Veteran units (again), with the best equipment (again), and that Draconis soldiers are loving them so much that they are leaving Ryuken to join Wolf's Dragoons ... well, I feel that fiat is still strong in Wolf's Dragoons.

true, I was most meaning 3085-3030 or so yeah now adays the 'goons are good. but is that more the 'goons or who they're working for? the dracs in 3145 are apparently capable of fighting a civil war and immediatly proceeding to conquer the draconious march. Imagine if duke sandavol's offensive during the FCCW had conquered a good third of the DC, people'd be screaming bloody murder over that

[martian]

Brian Davion, on 26 January 2016 - 09:57 PM, said:

true, I was most meaning 3085-3030 or so yeah now adays the 'goons are good. but is that more the 'goons or who they're working for? the dracs in 3145 are apparently capable of fighting a civil war and immediatly proceeding to conquer the draconious march. Imagine if duke sandavol's offensive during the FCCW had conquered a good third of the DC, people'd be screaming bloody murder over that

FedSuns fans can say - and rightly so, I would say - that their defeats on the Draconis front are result of 1) being given the idiot ball in the person of Caleb Davion and 2) being betrayed by the supposed allies on Palmyra and subsequent losses resulting from it. DCMS and Wolf's Dragoons have easy work there.

Edited by martian, 27 January 2016 - 09:40 AM.