The Succession Wars

The Succession Wars Rulebook

Table of Contents

Introduction

Earlier FASA games, BattleTech, CityTech, and AeroTech, simulate combat between individual units, while BattleForce involves large-scale combat between companies, battalions, and full regiments. Now, The Succession Wars allows players to operate at the strategic level, where armies maneuver against armies, alliances are made and broken, and the object is not just to win an engagement, but to win the war.

In The Succession Wars game, five players, each representing one of the five Houses of the Inner Sphere, compete for domination. Each seeks to unite the others under himself as First Lord of the new Star League. The game is played in rounds, in which each player has a turn to move his pieces, to attack, and to perform other functions.

The game can be played with fewer than five players using the Order of Battle: 3025, and the following combinations. If only four players are in the game, one player takes both Houses Marik and Liao, and the other three players each take one of the remaining Houses. If three people are playing, one player can take both Houses Davion and Steiner, one can take both Houses Marik and Liao, and the third player can take House Kurita. Another variation with three players is for one person to take Houses Kurita, Marik, and Liao, with the other players each taking one of the remaining Houses. If only two people wish to play, one takes Houses Davion and Steiner, and the other takes Houses Kurita, Marik, and Liao. Remember that each House must be played separately in its own turn, and players must keep each House's finances and military units separate.

The first player to control four of the five House capitals wins the game. Only one player, and not a team of players, may win the game. A player is out of the game when all his Leaders are either captured or killed.

Components

The Succession Wars includes everything players need to play the game. Before reading the rules, check the contents of the box against the following list to make sure all the playing pieces are present:

1 rulebook
1 22" x 34" playing map
4 sheets of punch-out playing pieces
1 deck of 48 Event Cards
1 bundle of money (70 bills)
6 small plastic bags
2 10-sided dice

Playing Pieces

The four punch-out sheets include 620 individual playing pieces, divided into five categories. At the beginning of the game, punch out these pieces and distribute them among the players according to color and the Order of Battle: 3025 (see page 13).

Types of Units

BattleMechs. These are the best fighting units. Playing pieces represent from one to five regiments, with values based on experience and quality. All newly constructed units have the same combat value.

Conventional Units. Made up of infantry, armor, and a wide variety of other types of equipment, these units are cheap to build but do not have the versatility or strength of 'Mech units.

JumpShips. These noncombat units carry all other types of units around the board. JumpShips are rated as to how many units they can carry and are very expensive to build.

Manufacturing Centers. These are extremely expensive, nonmobile facilities required to build new units. (Each Manufacturing Center counter has a front, undamaged side and a back, damaged side.)

Leaders. These well-known personalities dictate the policies of each House. In The Succession Wars, their presence can enhance a unit's Combat Ability, and can permit friendly units to combine combat values. Leaders can also help raise additional tax revenues. Leaders' functions are described on page 11.

Game Mapsheet

The Succession Wars map shows the region of space known as the Inner Sphere. It is here that the five ruling Houses battle one another over control of worlds. The Inner Sphere is divided into areas controlled by each House at the beginning of the game. Each House is divided further into Regions. These correspond roughly to existing administrative districts. Each Region is named, and all generate tax revenues. It is between these Regions that units move, and in these Regions that they fight.

The Inner Sphere is roughly 1,000 light years in diameter, and each game round is roughly three months long.

Also included on the map is a Technology Track, and locations for the new and discarded Event Cards.

Control Markers

Counters with the colors and initials of the Houses are provided for placing on Regions to denote House control and for placing on the mapsheet's Technology Track to keep track of each player's current tech level.

Dice

Two 10-sided dice are included with the game. Each die is numbered from 1 to 0, with 0 equaling 10. A roll of the die will generate a random number between 1 and 10. All combat in The Succession Wars game is determined by the roll of one die; two dice are provided so that during combat, two players may roll at the same time.

Game Set-Up

Lay out the Succession Wars Mapsheet on a table or on the floor so that it is within easy reach of all players. The players can agree among themselves who gets which House, or they can decide by drawing or die rolls. Separate the counters and playing pieces as appropriate. Players then put their pieces on the board in the following order and as specified in the Order of Battle: 3025, page 13:

ComStar. ComStar is not controlled by any player but all players may have the chance to influence some of its actions.
Neutral Units. (Placed on the board as specified in set-ups. Periphery states start the game as neutrals, but players can bring them under their control. See Periphery States on page 12.)
House Marik
House Steiner
House Kurita
House Davion
House Liao

Each player's set-up must meet several requirements. First, all hostile border Regions must be garrisoned. This includes any border shared with another player and borders shared with neutral states. It does not include borders solely touching the Periphery.

Second, certain named units must set up in specified Regions, as shown on the initial Order of Battle.

Third, all Leaders must set up in specified Regions.

Fourth, all players receive monies equal to their initial tax base.

Fifth, all players receive four Event Cards. The Liao player receives both Death Commando cards and two others.

Sixth, the Liao player has two chances to attempt to bribe another Leader at no cost, at any point in the game. Players should keep track of this themselves.

Playing the Game

Sequence of Play

During each round, players proceed in the following sequence:

House Liao
House Marik
House Steiner
House Kurita
House Davion

Each player's turn is resolved in the following order:

Fill Event Card hand to four.
Spend taxes
Movement
Combat
Adjust Technology Scale
Place new units
Collect taxes

After each player has finished his turn, a new round begins.

Event Cards

The Succession Wars game comes with a deck of 48 Event Cards, which gives players certain advantages in the game. After the deck is shuffled, each player starts the game with four Event Cards, and at the beginning of each turn he fills his hand back up to (but not to more than) four Cards.

Event Cards may be played at any time or as stated on the Card itself. If two or more players disagree about who should play their card first, the player whose turn it is must play his card first, and subsequent Cards are played according to the sequence of the round. Cards may be bought from, traded with, or given to other players. The only restriction is that a player may have no more than four Cards in his hand at one time. Certain Cards may be played only once; once played, they are kept out of the game. If the draw pile runs out, simply reshuffle the discard pile and continue. The table gives the directions and limitations of each of the Event Cards.

Sample card: "37 - Star League - Build new unit at no cost - May be played during Build Phase only."

Random Event Cards

Card Number	Description
1	Advance Technology by 3. May be played at any time.
2	Advance Technology by 3. May be played at any time.
3	Advance Technology by 5. May be played at any time.
4	Create new Mercenary unit. May be played at any time.
5	Create new Mercenary unit. May be played at any time.
6	Create new Mercenary unit. May be played at any time.
7	Contract ends. Choose any Mercenary unit. Services go immediately to bid. May be played at any time.
8	Contract ends. Choose any Mercenary unit. Services go immediately to bid. May be played at any time.
9	Contract ends. Choose any Mercenary unit. Services go immediately to bid. May be played at any time.
10	Contract ends. Choose any Mercenary unit. Services go immediately to bid. May be played at any time.

Spend Taxes

During each player's turn, he will be able to spend accumulated taxes to buy new units, upgrade existing units, rebuild Mercenary units, repair damaged Manufacturing Centers, and increase his technology level. He may spend some, none, or all of his cash on hand. Newly purchased pieces are set aside until the end of the player's turn, when they are placed in Regions containing friendly and functioning Manufacturing Centers. A player may not acquire new units unless he controls at least one friendly, undamaged Manufacturing Center. If the player has no available units to buy, he may purchase no new units.

Price List

Unit	Price in Millions of C-Bills	Number of Units Carried
Build New House 'Mech Unit	8
Rebuild Mercenary Unit	6
Upgrade Existing Unit	5
Build Conventional Unit	3
Build JumpShip	12	1
Build JumpShip	16	2
Build JumpShip	20	3
Build JumpShip	25	5
Build Manufacturing Center

Building New Units

To build a new unit, simply pay the list price from accumulated tax revenues. This price may be altered due to technology level effects. When building units from those lost in combat, the unit's new combat strength is 4.

Rebuilding Mercenary Units

Friendly Mercenary units that have been destroyed in combat may be rebuilt by the controlling player. They will appear on the board at the same time as new units. When rebuilding units from those lost in combat, the unit's new combat strength is 4.

Upgrading Existing Units

Any unit may be upgraded to a full combat strength of 4, even if it started with less. The unit must be at a Manufacturing Center at the beginning of the turn. It is taken off the board during the Spend Taxes Phase, and then placed on the board with other new units.

Technology Roll

C-Bills may be spent for a chance to increase the House Technology Level. For each chance, roll one die and consult the Tech Level Table.

Tech Level Table

Die Roll	Effect
1	No Effect
2	No Effect
3	No Effect
4	No Effect
5	No Effect
6	No Effect
7	+1 to Tech Level
8	+1 to Tech Level
9	+1 to Tech Level
0	+2 to Tech Level

Movement

All movement in The Succession Wars is made using JumpShips. Movement is determined by each player, based on the range of the available JumpShips. JumpShips have a normal movement range of three Regions (decreased or increased for lower or higher technological levels), and are rated as to the number of units they can carry at one time. They can make any number of unit pickups and dropoffs, just so long as the JumpShip never carries more units than its rating allows.

While a JumpShip may make any number of pickups and dropoffs, units may travel on only one JumpShip per turn. This is to prevent moving a unit from one side of the board to the other in one turn by transferring from JumpShip to JumpShip.

For JumpShip capacity calculations, 'Mech units occupy one space and conventional units occupy two. Leaders occupy no space, but must use a JumpShip for normal movement.

Any number of any type or combination of pieces may occupy the same Region at the same time: there are no stacking restrictions in The Succession Wars.

JumpShips have no combat capability. If a player manages to capture a Region with no enemy combat units (because of movement or destruction in combat), and enemy JumpShips are present, those JumpShips are considered captured and immediately fall under control of the player.

JumpShips may be destroyed intentionally, but only if combat units remain in the same Region with them. This may be done only at the beginning of any player's phase; i.e., at the beginning of any player's Movement Phase, Combat Phase, Spend Taxes Phase, and so forth.

Players may not move through Regions containing enemy combat units. Combat units entering a Region containing enemy combat units must stop and move no further (though JumpShips may move back to friendly Regions). Players may move through enemy controlled Regions (Regions belonging to but not occupied by enemy combat units) with no penalty.

Movement Examples

The Davion player has units of the Crucis Lancers and Syrtis Fusiliers in the Daniels Region. A three-unit JumpShip is also in the Region. During his turn, the Davion player is planning an attack on Liao forces in St. Ives. He may make the following moves. He loads three units of the Lancers on the JumpShip and moves to St. Ives (Move 1). He unloads the troops and moves back to Daniels (Move 2). Then he loads the remaining Lancer unit and two Fusilier units, moves back to St. Ives (Move 3), and unloads the troops.

Another possibility might be for a five-unit JumpShip in New Avalon to pick up a conventional unit and move one to Emerson. In Emerson, it picks up a 'Mech unit and moves to Daniels. In Daniels, it drops off both the conventional unit and the 'Mech unit, picks up three units of the Crucis Lancers and two units of the Syrtis Fusiliers, and moves on to St. Ives.

As these examples show, movement combinations can be quite extensive.

Combat

When enemy forces occupy the same Region (as a result of deliberate movement), combat must occur and continue until only one player's combat units remain in that Region. To resolve combat, the Attacker rolls one die for each of his own units or combinations of units. If the number rolled is less than or equal to the attacking unit's value, the Defender must choose one of his own units and remove it. After all the Attacker's rolls are completed, the Defender can counterattack. He rolls for all his units, both dead and alive, as described above. Then, all kills are removed, and each side now has the option to retreat.

The Attacker and Defender may use any available friendly JumpShips to retreat from the contested Region, with the Attacker declaring his intention to retreat first. Such retreat is possible only if JumpShips are present. A Leader alone (without any combat units) and in the presence of enemy combat units is captured. JumpShips (with or without a Leader) alone and in the presence of enemy combat units are also captured. If two forces manage to destroy each other's combat units at the same time, and Leaders or JumpShips remain, the original owner maintains control of the Region and captures the JumpShips and the Leaders. If opposing combat forces remain in the same Region after any retreats, another round of battle must occur.

Retreating units may not move into a Region occupied by enemy forces, regardless of the presence of friendly units. For retreating units to move into a Region, the Region must already be friendly controlled. A player may retreat units to a Region that he captured earlier in the Combat Phase.

Once an Attacker has eliminated all defending units and still occupies a Region with combat units, the Region becomes his. The tax revenues of that Region now accrue to him, and he may use the Region's Manufacturing Center (though he must wait one round before placing new units in a captured Manufacturing Center).

If there is a Manufacturing Center in the contested region, it may be damaged by the fighting. Determine damage by consulting the Manufacturing Center Damage Table. A damaged Manufacturing Center must be repaired before the controlling player may place new units there. If combat occurs in a Region with a damaged Manufacturing Center, another roll must be made on the table. If a damaged Manufacturing Center is damaged again, it is destroyed and removed from the board.

Manufacturing Center Damage Table

Die Roll	Result
1	No Damage
2	No Damage
3	No Damage
4	No Damage
5	No Damage
6	No Damage
7	No Damage
8	Center Damaged
9	Center Damaged
10	Center Damaged

This die roll is made by the Attacker, and, if he so desires, it may be modified in the following manner. The Attacker may use less than the stated modifier, but in no case can he use a negative modifier.

Attack Modifiers

Strength of Original Attacking Force	Modifier
1-5	0
6-10	+1
11-15	+2
16-20	+3
21+	+4

Certain units can combine factors during combat. Counters from the same unit (i.e., from the Crucis Lancers or the Sword of Light) may combine their factors when in the same Region to increase their chances of eliminating an enemy unit. For example, the 4-factor counter and the 6-factor counter of the Crucis Lancers are in the Dieron Region of Kurita space. They may make two attacks at 4 and 6, or one attack at 10 (4 + 6). If a combination yields an attack value of 10 or more, the attack is an automatic kill. Counters of different units may not combine unless a Leader with Military Ability is present.

A Leader with Military Ability may use this ability to combine any two friendly units in the same Region (House or Mercenary) up to his rating. For example, Pavel Ridzik of House Liao has a Military Ability of 2. He is able to make two combinations of two units each in the same Region.

Mercenary Leaders have the same ability, but may combine only friendly Mercenary units. They may not affect House units.

No more than two counters may be combined into one fighting force at any time.

Capturing Regions

To capture an enemy player's Region, the phasing player must simply end his Combat Phase with a friendly combat unit in the enemy Region. Once this is accomplished, all benefits of the Region now pass to the phasing player. These include tax revenues, technology adjustments, and Manufacturing Centers, if present.

Combat Examples

Elements of Davion's Crucis Lancers and Syrtis Fusiliers are preparing to attack Liao troops on St. Ives. Defending Liao units include two units of the St. Ives Armored Cavalry (7 and 6) and two units of the Sian Reserves (5 and 4). Liao also has two 2-unit JumpShips present, but no Leaders. Davion chooses to combine his units in the following manner: Lancer 6, Lancer 6, Lancer 4 + 4 = 8, and Fusiliers 5 + 4 = 9. The Davion player then rolls the die four times, once for each of his units or combinations of units. In this example, he rolls 6, 7, 5, and 1. Three of the four Liao units are destroyed: only the second Lancer 6 failed to destroy an enemy. The Liao commander now makes his counterattack. He chooses to make four separate rolls, even though he could have combined the two Reserve units and/or the Cavalry units. (Combining the Cavalry units would have meant an automatic kill). His four rolls are 5, 6, 3, and 2. The Liao player's choice worked this time, as four Davion units have been destroyed. Davion elects to remove his two Fusilier units and his two Lancer 4 units. Liao, with three of his units destroyed, elects to remove all but the Cavalry 7. Each player is now faced with the choice of retreating or staying. Davion, who as Attacker must declare first, decides to stay with two Lancer 6 units. Liao decides to use the two JumpShips also to retreat the Cavalry 7 unit.

Had Davion managed to destroy all four Liao units, he would have captured the two JumpShips. Instead, he has gained control of one of Liao's Regional capitals. Liao could have stayed with one unit, but he faced certain destruction and the capture of his two JumpShips if he did so. (The two Lancer 6 units could have combined for an automatic kill).

Technology

After the phasing player resolves all his attacks, he adjusts his level on the Technology Scale. The Technology Scale measures each House's technology level, and certain actions can increase or decrease this level. Before the game starts, each player has a technology level of 0. As players increase their level, they receive bonuses in JumpShip movement, combat, and buying power. As technology levels decrease, however, players receive certain penalties.

On the Technology Scale, 'Mech price changes reflect the new costs of House units and Mercenary units, respectively.

On the game mapsheet's Technology Track, numbers with asterisks correspond to technology effects. As their tech levels change, players should move their counters on the Technology Track.

Technology Scale

Tech Level	Technology Effect
-10	'Mech prices increase to 10 and 8, and the combat ratings of all units decrease by 2
-7	JumpShip movement decreases by 1
-5	Combat ratings of all units decrease by 1
0	Players begin here
7	'Mech unit increases combat rating by 2 once per turn
10	'Mech price decreases to 7 and 5
12	Two 'Mech units increase combat rating by 2 once per turn
15	JumpShip movement increases by 1, from 3 to 4
17	Resource management adds 7 to tax yield
20	'Mech price goes down to 6 and 5
24	Combat ratings of all 'Mechs increase by 2

(The scale runs from -10 to 25; effects are printed beside the levels listed above and apply from that level onward until superseded.)

A player's tech level is modified by Event Cards and rolls on the Tech Level Table (during the Spend Taxes Phase). The following events also affect the tech level.

Event	Tech Level Change
Loss of a Regional capital or Manufacturing Center	-2
Loss of a House capital	-5
Damage to a Manufacturing Center	-1
Build a Manufacturing Center	+1
Repair a Manufacturing Center	+1
Take or retake a Regional capital	+2
Capture an undamaged Manufacturing Center	+1

Placing New Units

After adjusting the Technology Scale, the player may place new and rebuilt units on intact friendly Manufacturing Centers. They can be placed on such Centers in any number or combination. New Centers may be placed in any Region occupied or controlled by friendly forces. A new unit may not be placed in a Manufacturing Center on the same turn in which the Manufacturing Center itself is placed, or in which it is captured from another player.

New Mercenary units are formed in Regional or House capitals. Rebuilt Mercenary units are placed in Manufacturing Centers in the same way as House units.

Money

Taxes

Inside each Region on the Successor Wars map, a number is printed near the Region's name. This is the Region's Resource Value; some Resource Values are higher than others. The number shows how many millions of C-Bills may be collected from the bank during the Collect Taxes Phase of each turn by the player controlling that Region. This money can then be used to fund the House war effort by paying bribes, buying Event Cards from other players, and buying new units. Leaders with Administration Skill can increase tax revenue. Add this skill to the Region's Resource Value when determining taxes collected. Captured leaders may not use their Administration Skill.

Bribes

Bribes can be paid during any player's turn or phase of the game, and are best announced at the time when they will do the most good. See the Loyalty Rating section under Leaders.

Paying Other Players

Other players may be paid any sum to do just about anything. There is no penalty to a player who reneges on a bargain.

Leaders

Leaders cannot be killed as a result of combat. If a Leader's force is destroyed, or if he is left alone in a Region occupied by enemy combat units, he is considered captured. Captured Leaders are held by the enemy, and may be ransomed back. The ransom price is entirely negotiable, but may not be more than the most expensive item in the game (a Manufacturing Center). Captured Leaders are moved instantly to the enemy capital, and are held and controlled by whomever controls the capital. Captured Leaders may be killed by a controlling enemy player at the beginning of any turn phase; i.e., before any player starts his movement or before any player starts combat. This is to prevent a player from killing captured Leaders after he has lost control of the Region in which they are being held.

Leaders are rated according to Combat Ability, Military Ability, Administration Skill, and Loyalty Rating. (Each Leader counter shows four numbers: Combat Ability / Military Ability on top, Loyalty Rating / Administration Skill below, e.g. 3/2 and 0/7 for Jaime Wolf.)

Combat Ability

This is a number added to a single attack or defense roll, if the Leader is present in the contested space. It is allowed on one combat per round in one Region.

Military Ability

This number allows any two friendly units to combine combat values if the Leader is present. The number signifies how many pairs of units may be combined in a single region.

Administration Skill

This skill raises additional tax revenue.

Loyalty Rating

This is a measure of the Leader's loyalty to his House.

A Leader may be bribed at any time. Pay ten million C-Bills and roll against his Loyalty Rating. If the roll is greater than the rating, he has been bribed, and the money goes to the bank. At this time, all the Leader's values act as negative modifiers. His Combat Ability is subtracted from rolls (rather than being added); taxes are reduced by the amount of his Administration Skill (rather than increased); and he can nullify as many unit combinations as his Military Ability allows.

If the roll fails, the ten million C-Bills go to the enemy player. Certain Event Cards may influence this roll. For instance, a Blackmail Card increases the chances of bribing a Leader.

If loyal units remain in the same Region as a bribed Leader after the first round of combat, they have the option of killing him. Otherwise, the bribed Leader takes refuge in the enemy capital for the rest of the game. He may be bought and sold just like any other Leader, but his original House can never use him again as an effective Leader. When a player controls all the Leaders of another House, he controls that House.

Mercenary Leaders act in much the same way as do House Leaders, except their Military Ability can be used to combine only different Mercenary units and not House units. When one of these Leaders is bribed, his whole force switches sides, and, if the force is in the same Region with formerly friendly but now enemy forces, it must be attacked. The Administration Skill of Mercenary Leaders is 0, because they have no influence on the tax revenues of the Regions they occupy. Mercenary units without Leaders can change sides only by the play of an Event Card.

ComStar

ComStar, the supposedly neutral quasi-religious communications order, has its own agenda in the Inner Sphere. While not controlled by any player, all players may have the chance to influence some of ComStar's actions.

ComStar controls the interstellar communications network. This network consists of hyperpulse generator stations on most of the planets of the Inner Sphere. Presently, ComStar agents are the only people who know how to run these stations. At times, ComStar may be induced to deny access to this network to a player. Called an Interdict, this denial is most commonly made against an enemy force in a specified Region. All enemy units in an interdicted Region suffer a -2 combat strength modification.

ComStar possesses its own military force based on Earth, or Terra. A player may not move combat units through Earth; if a player moves combat units into the Earth region, he must attack and be counterattacked by ComStar forces. Players may move empty JumpShips through Earth freely. Anyone who attacks Earth is immediately placed under Housewide Interdict (after the attack against Earth is resolved). This Interdict affects any attacks remaining in the current turn and all units of that House wherever they may be on the board.

Interdicts also result from Event Cards or from bribes, which are paid to the bank. For five million C-Bills, a player gets to roll on the ComStar Interdiction Table:

ComStar Interdiction Table

Die Roll	Result
1	ComStar interdicts bribing player's forces in specified region
2	ComStar interdicts bribing player's forces in specified region
3	ComStar interdicts bribing player's forces in specified region
4	ComStar interdicts specified forces in the specified region
5	ComStar interdicts specified forces in the specified region
6	ComStar interdicts specified forces in the specified region
7	ComStar interdicts specified forces in the specified region
8	ComStar interdicts specified forces in the specified region
9	ComStar interdicts specified forces in the specified region
10	ComStar interdicts both forces in the specified region

If 1, 2, or 3 is rolled and the bribing player has no forces in the specified Region, the player in that Region can choose which region will be affected.

Interdicts last until the end of the affected player's turn.

The effects of interdiction are not cumulative. The most any player could suffer because of an interdiction is the -2 combat modifier.

The player who controls Earth first increases his tech level by 10 and gains two units at no cost and 25 million C-Bills at the end of the turn. If a player loses control of Earth, he decreases his tech level by 10. The second and successive players who control Earth gain only the technology benefit. Whoever controls Earth suffers an automatic Housewide Interdict for as long as he controls the Region. A player may not relinquish control of the Region voluntarily. In order to remove the effects of the Interdict, the Region must be lost in combat to some other player.

Periphery States

Surrounding the Inner Sphere are a number of smaller states with varying degrees of military power. These Periphery states begin the game as neutrals, but throughout the game, their allegiances can be swayed by money. As soon as any phasing player declares his intention to seek control of a Periphery state, the players bid for control, starting with the phasing player. Other players may make bids or pass, going around the table in order of play. A player who passes may not bid later. The highest bidder pays the money stated to the bank, puts a control marker in the appropriate territory, and controls the state.

Once a player gains control of a Periphery state, he may move and attack with that state's forces just as if they were his own. If another player captures the Periphery state's Region, he gains control of those Periphery forces.

Periphery state armies cannot be rebuilt, and Periphery Regions yield no tax revenues.

Mercenaries

Mercenaries have become a necessary evil for the rulers of the Inner Sphere. They provide a cheap source of combat 'Mechs, but they can disappear unexpectedly or even switch sides. Each House begins the game with a predetermined number of Mercenary units. These move and fight just as House units do. They can be rebuilt at a lower cost than House units. Certain Event Cards may sway the loyalty of Mercenary units, however. Event Cards 7 through 11 allow a player to end the current contract of any player's Mercenary unit. The services of this unit then go up for bid, with the highest bidder paying the bank and gaining control of the unit. If the Mercenary unit is alone in a Region, any tax revenues pass to the controlling player. Any JumpShips in the Region are considered captured.

If there are opposing units in the Region, the bribing player may want to move his new Mercenary unit out intact, without combat. If he does not, combat must occur. At the opposing player's option, combat may occur immediately.

There are five Mercenary Leaders in the game. Their original House affiliations, Combat Abilities, Military Abilities, Administration Skills, and Loyalty Ratings are in the table.

Mercenary Leaders

Mercenary Leader	Combat Ability	Military Ability	Administration Skill	Loyalty Rating
Jaime Wolf of Wolf's Dragoons (Kurita)	3	2	0	7
Archie McCarron of McCarron's Armored Cavalry (Liao)	2	2	0	7
Nathan L. Armstrong of the Eridani Light Horse (Davion)	2	3	0	7
Mitch DeChavilier of the 12th Star Guard (Steiner)	2	2	0	7
Thaddeus Kusaka of the 21st Centauri Lancers (Marik)	2	2

Order of Battle: 3025

Each House unit lists the combat values of its counters. "Available for Initial Placement" counters are placed at set-up; "Not Available for Initial Placement" counters are not placed at the start of the game. The Set-Up Region column gives where the unit is placed.

House Davion Order of Battle

House Units	Available for Initial Placement	Not Available for Initial Placement	Set-Up Region
Davion Guards	7, 5		Achemar
Avalon Hussars	4, 2	4	New Avalon
Syrtis Fusiliers	5	4	New Syrtis
Deneb Light Cavalry	4	4	Free Set-up
Crucis Lancers	6, 6, 4	4	Free Set-up
Ceti Hussars	5	4	Robinson

Mercenaries	Combat Values	Set-Up Region
Eridani Light Horse	5	Free Set-Up
Lindon's Company	1	Free Set-Up
Miller's Marauders	1	Free Set-Up
Team Banzai	3	Free Set-Up
Illician Lancers	5	Free Set-Up
12th Vegan Rangers	7	Free Set-Up
Redfield Renegades	4	Free Set-Up
Waco Rangers	4	Free Set-Up

JumpShips (Free Set-Up): 1 5-unit JumpShip; 2 3-unit JumpShips; 2 2-unit JumpShips; 1 1-unit JumpShip.

Manufacturing Centers: Robinson, New Avalon, Achemar, Point Barrow.

Davion Leaders (C = Combat Ability, M = Military Ability, A = Administration Skill, L = Loyalty Rating)

Leader	C	M	A	L	Set-Up Region
Hanse Davion	3	2	5	*	New Avalon
Michael Hasek-Davion	1	1	3	3	New Syrtis
Ran Felsner	2	3	0	7	with Crucis Lancers
Olivia Fenlon	0	0	4	8	Point Barrow

*Leader cannot be bribed.

House Kurita Order of Battle

House Units	Available for Initial Placement	Not Available for Initial Placement	Set-Up Region
Sword of Light	5, 6		Free Set-Up
Night Stalkers	4	4	Free Set-Up
Proserpina Hussars	8	4	Free Set-Up
Legion of Vega	3	4	Lothan
Rasalhague Regulars	5, 4		Rasalhague
Pesht Regulars	4, 2		Pesht

Mercenaries	Combat Values	Set-Up Region
Wolf's Dragoons	5, 5, 5	Free Set-Up
McGee's Cutthroats	2	Free Set-Up
Brion's Legion	1	Free Set-Up
Amphigean Light Assault Group	4	Free Set-Up
Lone Star Regulars	4	Free Set-Up
St. Cyr Heavy Assault Group	4	Free Set-Up

JumpShips (Free Set-Up): 1 3-unit JumpShip; 3 2-unit JumpShips; 2 1-unit JumpShips.

Manufacturing Centers: Benjamin, Arkab, Luthien, Pesht.

Kurita Leaders

Leader	C	M	A	L	Set-Up Region
Takashi Kurita	2	2	4	*	Luthien
Vasily Cherenkoff	2	2	2	6	Dieron
Subhash Indrahar	1	2	2	7	Luthien
Theodore Kurita	1	2	2	8	Lothan
Isoroku Kurita

*Leader cannot be bribed.

House Steiner Order of Battle

House Units	Available for Initial Placement	Not Available for Initial Placement	Set-Up Region
Lyran Guard	10, 8, 5	4	Free Set-Up
Lyran Regulars	5, 3, 3	4	Hesperus
Skye Rangers	9	4	Skye
Royal Guards	5	4	Tharkad
Winfield's Brigade	2		Free Set-Up
Donegal Guards	8, 5, 5	4	Adjacent to Donegal

Mercenaries	Combat Values	Set-Up Region
Hansen's Roughriders	2	Free Set-Up
Barett's Fusiliers	1	Free Set-Up
12th Star Guard	5	Free Set-Up
Narhal's Raiders	2	Free Set-Up
Richard's Panzer Brigade	2	Free Set-Up
Raymond's Redcoats	2	Free Set-Up
Hsien Hotheads	1	Free Set-Up
Greg's Long Striders	1	Free Set-Up

JumpShips (Free Set-Up): 1 5-unit JumpShip; 1 3-unit JumpShip; 2 2-unit JumpShips.

Manufacturing Centers: Tharkad, Odessa, Hesperus, Skye.

Steiner Leaders

Leader	C	M	A	L	Set-Up Region
Katrina Steiner	2	2	4	*	Tharkad
Melissa Steiner	0	0	2	*	Tharkad
Frederick Steiner	1	2	2	5	Donegal
Edward Regis	2	3	0	7	with Lyran Guard
Margaret Aten

*Leaders cannot be bribed.

House Marik Order of Battle

House Units	Available for Initial Placement	Not Available for Initial Placement	Set-Up Region
Fusiliers of Oriente	8, 4	4	Oriente
Defenders of Andurien	8	4	Atreus
Regulan Hussars	6, 3	4	Regulus
Marik Militia	3, 4, 4, 4, 3		Free Set-Up
Stewart Dragoons	3, 1	4	Marik
Orloff Grenadiers	2, 1	4	Ryerson

Mercenaries	Combat Values	Set-Up Region
21st Centauri Lancers	3	Free Set-Up
Smithson's Chinese Bandits	3	Free Set-Up
Fuchida's Fusiliers	2	Free Set-Up
Martian Cuirassiers	2	Free Set-Up
Langendorf Lancers	2	Free Set-Up
Clifton's Rangers	3	Free Set-Up
Head Hunters	3	Free Set-Up
Carson's Renegades	3	Free Set-Up

JumpShips (Free Set-Up): 1 3-unit JumpShip; 3 2-unit JumpShips; 2 1-unit JumpShips.

Manufacturing Centers: Marik, Oceana, Regulus, Atreus.

Marik Leaders

Leader	C	M	A	L	Set-Up Region
Janos Marik	1	1	4	*	Atreus
Thomas Marik	0	0	4	*	Earth
Christopher Halas	2	2	4	7	Oriente
Catherine Humphreys	1	1	2	3	Atreus
Beauregard Waslewski

*Leaders cannot be bribed.

House Liao Order of Battle

House Units	Available for Initial Placement	Not Available for Initial Placement	Set-Up Region
Capellan Hussars	6	4	Free Set-Up
Northwind Highlanders	8	4	Free Set-Up
Chesterton Reserves	5, 5, 3, 4		Free Set-Up
St. Ives Armored Cavalry	7, 6	4	St. Ives
Sian Reserves	5	4	Free Set-Up
Tikonov Reserves	5, 4		Free Set-Up

Mercenaries	Combat Values	Set-Up Region
McCarron's Armored Cavalry	6, 5	Free Set-Up
15th Dracon	2	Free Set-Up
4th Tau Ceti Rangers	3	Free Set-Up
Bullard's Armored Cavalry	4	Free Set-Up
Hampton's Hessens	3	Free Set-Up
St. Cyr's Armored Grenadiers	2	Free Set-Up

JumpShips (Free Set-Up): 3-unit JumpShip; 2-unit JumpShip; 1-unit JumpShip.

Manufacturing Centers: Sian, Capella, Tikonov.

Liao Leaders

Leader	C	M	A	L	Set-Up Region
Maximilian Liao	2	2	4	*	Sian
Pavel Ridzik	3	2	1	8	Tikonov
Candace Liao	0	0	3	7	Capella
Charles Ling	1	1	3	7	St. Ives
Karl Yadi

*Leader cannot be bribed.

Neutral Set-Up

Neutral	Available Units
ComStar: Terra Garrison	7, 7, 7, 7
Bandit Kingdoms: Garrison	5, 5
Bandit Kingdoms: JumpShip	1 1-unit JumpShip
Outworlds Alliance: Garrison	5, 5
Outworlds Alliance: JumpShip	1 1-unit JumpShip
Circinus Federation: Garrison	5, 5
Circinus Federation: JumpShip	1 1-unit JumpShip

First Succession War Scenario

"You have cruelly stripped me of my title as Protector, my position as Commander, my honor as a loyal supporter of the Star League. You have turned a solemn victory against tyranny even more bitter, and you have tainted the innermost dreams of many believers. I will not oppose you, but neither shall I support you. I have been your friend and Guardian for three decades; I shall be no more."

With these words, Aleksandr Kerensky opened the door for what has come to be known as the First Succession War. The date was 17 February 2784.

Everyone knows the events that led up to armed conflict, and no one can blame any single individual for what followed (as all bear responsibility). The First Succession War saw each of the five Houses of the Inner Sphere at roughly the same strength, both economically and militarily. The number of 'Mech forces had been controlled for years by Star League Decree. The lowering of trade and other economic barriers during the golden age of the Star League had led to each House's prosperity. Territorial disputes had been arbitrated by the Cameron First Lords for years.

By 2786, the Houses of the Inner Sphere had spent five years building up their forces and bidding for the services of the Regular Army units left behind after Kerensky's dramatic exit. It was during this time that the five Houses divided up the worlds of the Terran Hegemony, while ComStar took Terra for itself. In December of 2786, Minoru Kurita was the first to proclaim himself First Lord of the Star League, and the other House Lords quickly followed suit. To press each claim, fighting erupted along all borders.

The main Succession Wars game takes place in 3025, after the five Houses have achieved different strengths through 240 years of almost continual warfare. This scenario, however, takes place at the beginning of this period of wars, when each House is evenly balanced, and no player (such as Liao) starts with a handicap.

All rules for this scenario of The Succession Wars are the same as for the main game, with the following important exceptions.

Sequence of Play

Each player rolls one die; the one with the lowest roll sets up his playing pieces first. The player with the next lowest roll sets up next, and so on. All garrison requirements must still be met. Leaders and JumpShips may be set up anywhere. All Event Cards are placed in the deck. House Liao receives no special benefits in this scenario.

The first round of play consists solely of Mercenary purchases. Place all Mercenary unit counters in a pile. Each player draws units from the Mercenary pile, and then all players bid for their services. Once each player has done this, play begins with full turns. When a player draws a counter belonging to a Mercenary unit that contains more than one counter, all the counters are up for sale. This means it is three times more likely that a player will draw Wolf's Dragoons, with three playing pieces, than another Mercenary unit with a single playing piece. If the unit's normal strength is less than 4, change its fighting strength to 4.

A Mercenary Phase is also added to each player's turn. Before each turn, the phasing player draws a unit from the Mercenary pile, and that unit's services then go up for auction.

Military Units

All units in the counter mix may be built at a strength of 4. Only initial units may be rebuilt to their prewar strength with the play of the appropriate Event Card. There is a limit to the number of JumpShips and conventional units, and this is imposed by the counter mix. If a player wants to build a unit and none is available, he will have to wait until one is destroyed in combat before he can build it.

Leaders

The names and abilities of the various House Leaders active in the First Succession War are listed in the table. (*Leader cannot be bribed.)

House	Leader	Combat Ability	Military Ability	Administration Skill	Loyalty Rating
Davion	John Davion	2	2	3	*
Davion	Richard Davion	1	2	3	*
Davion	Vance Gentry	1	1	2	8
Davion	Ernest Hapala	2	1	1	8

Additional Rules

The attacker may not reduce his number of forces in Manufacturing damage rolls. (Before the shortage of technology became critical, armies did not care if they destroyed Manufacturing Centers.)

There are no initial alliances, and any deals can be made.

Card number 15 is placed in the deck and can be played at any time.

There are no Periphery state or ComStar units on the board.

Any time a force is entirely destroyed in combat, any friendly JumpShips in the region are also eliminated. (Again, armies did not care.)

Event Cards 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 can be used to draw a neutral Mercenary unit and place it up for bid at any time.

Order of Battle: 2786

The tables list the Order of Battle of the five Houses of the Inner Sphere as of 2786, at the dawn of the First Succession War. This differs from the Order of Battle: 3025 in that no Mercenary units are included in the House armies. These units come into play during the Mercenary Phase of each player's turn.

Each House starts the game with 25 regular military units.