Battletech Shrapnel Issue 4

HEROES OF ALL STRIPES Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine celebrates bravery in all its forms on the triumphant, BattleMech-dominated battlefields of 31st century and beyond! Witness the birth of a new mercenary command in the late Third Succession War, follow a combat medic tackling a precarious injury, learn the true meaning of loyalty during the FedCom Civil War, and track down pirates on a forgotten world in the Periphery. Then don your neurohelmet and push back against the enemy with technical readouts, ghost ship sightings, in-depth technology articles, unit digests, playable scenarios, and more-all from BattleTech veterans and a squad of new authors: Jason Schmetzer Harper Brand Faith McClosky Giles Gammage Charles Gideon David Razi Marc Follin James Lee Aaron Cahall Michael J. Ciaravella Matthew Cross Ken' Horner Craig A. Reed, Jr. Eric Salzman Joel Steverson Stephen Toropov

HEROES OF ALL STRIPES Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine celebrates bravery in all its forms on the triumphant, BattleMech-dominated battlefields of 31st century and beyond! Witness the birth of a new mercenary command in the late Third Succession War, follow a combat medic tackling a precarious injury, learn the true meaning of loyalty during the FedCom Civil War, and track down pirates on a forgotten world in the Periphery. Then don your neurohelmet and push back against the enemy with technical readouts, ghost ship sightings, in-depth technology articles, unit digests, playable scenarios, and more—all from BattleTech veterans and a squad of new authors: Jason Schmetzer Harper Brand Faith McClosky Giles Gammage Charles Gideon David Razi Marc Follin James Lee Aaron Cahall Michael J. Ciaravella Matthew Cross Ken’ Horner Craig A. Reed, Jr. Eric Salzman Joel Steverson Stephen Toropov

JUMP BACK INTO THE COCKPIT! Picking up the battle standard for BattleTech fiction, Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine continues the tradition of hard-hitting stories set in the war-torn interstellar future of the 31st century and beyond. Fire up your ’Mech’s fusion reactor, secure your neurohelmet, and wade into battle with stories from the merciless front lines of the Clan Invasion and other eras, conspiracy theory articles, game scenarios, and more from veteran BattleTech authors, fan favorites, and some new recruits. Featuring: Michael A. Stackpole • Blaine Lee Pardoe Kevin Killiany • Craig A. Reed, Jr. • Chris Hussey Jason Hansa • Lance Scarinci • Michael J. Ciaravella Patrick Wynne • Aaron Cahall

FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine surges onward, waging wars that will decide the fate of the BattleMech-dominated future of the 31st century and beyond! Follow a quest for quick cash that yields unusual Star League relics. Commiserate with an aging MechWarrior convinced he is cursed with the devil’s luck—which is about to run out. Listen to the tale of how mercenary commander Ace Darwin obtained his iconic ’Mech—but how much of his story is true? Within these pages, you will visit Terra after the dawn of the ilClan era, venture into the postwar period of the Aurigan Coalition, and travel to the far-flung worlds of the Scorpion Empire in the Deep Periphery. Then you will dive into the intrigue and vice of Solaris VII in the beginning of a new, four-part serial novel. Choose your plan of attack with technical readouts, after-action reports, a deep dive into plasma technology, a treatise on covert-ops poisons, and a look at Free Worlds League politics, along with playable scenarios and more—all loaded into your autocannon by both BattleTech veterans and new voices from the Inner Sphere: Blaine Lee Pardoe Craig A. Reed, Jr. E. Clark Avery Jason Schmetzer James Bixby M. W. Hayden Mark Hill Daniel Isberner Alexander J. Roth Ken’ Horner James Kirtley Wunji Lau Eric Salzman Joel Steverson Stephen Toropov

THE WAR RAGES ON! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine returns with more explosive BattleMech action from the 31st century! Experience tales of hard-won survival from the gaming world of Solaris VII, the wilds of the Deep Periphery, and the annals of Clan history. Dive deep into in-depth technology articles, technical readouts, conspiracy theories, war-game and role-playing adventures, and more—all from veteran BattleTech authors, fan favorites, and our latest enlistees: Michael A. Stackpole • Jason Schmetzer Michael J. Ciaravella • Travis Heermann Alan Brundage • James Simakas John-David Karnitz • Aaron Cahall Matthew Cross • Daniel Isberner Alex Kaempen • Tom Stanley • Chris Wheeler

CONTINUING THE FIGHT... Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine charges toward victory on the war-ravaged, BattleMech-dominated battlefields of 31st century! In these tales, a Republic of the Sphere operative undertakes a personal quest to track down a missing family member, a small, untested mercenary command faces off against vicious pirate raiders, an aging soldier strives to protect an idyllic village on a forgotten world, and Colonel Wayne Waco seeks to exact his revenge against the legendary commander of Wolf’s Dragoons. Configure your target-interlock circuits and hold the line with technical readouts, conspiracy theories, in-depth equipment and tactics articles, a planetary digest, and a glimpse into the future of the new ilClan era—all from BattleTech veterans and new authors: Michael A. Stackpole Tom Leveen Lance Scarinci Bryan Young Matt Alexander Craig A. Reed, Jr. Paul Sjardijn Aaron Cahall Michael J. Ciaravella Johannes Heidler Chris Hussey Daniel Isberner Mike Miller Eric Salzman Joel Steverson

NEVER SURRENDER… Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine brings you more heavy-hitting action and heroism in the war-torn BattleMech-dominated future of the 31st century and beyond! A young Periphery volunteer struggles against marauding pirates who have long overstayed their welcome. A small-but-growing mercenary unit faces off against a formidable foe capable of destroying their dreams. A Star League MechWarrior wrestles with an exciting career opportunity on the eve of the war that will change the face of the Inner Sphere forever. Experience the costly Jade Falcon assault on Arc-Royal, return to an idyllic paradise haunted by a specter of the past, and follow a Clan Wolf bondsman’s quest to reunite with his son. Then lurk in the shadows with more cloak-and-dagger plots in the continuation of the four-part serial novel set on the game world of Solaris VII. Arm yourself with technical readouts, playable scenarios, an in-depth look at the weaponization of gift giving in the Draconis Combine, a glimpse into Clan Sea Fox’s customer service, an article on the importance of battlefield salvage, and more—all from elite BattleTech authors and recruits who have earned their stripes: Craig A. Reed, Jr. Tom Leveen Bryan Young Julian Michael Carver E. Stephenson Auerbach Charles Gideon J. D. Neal Curtis O. Thompson Aaron Cahall Étienne Charron-Willard Matthew Cross Jim Hauser Wunji Lau Eric Salzman Paul Sjardijn Tom Stanley Joel Steverson Chris Wheeler

FIGHT WITH CONFIDENCE Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine drops you right into the action as BattleMechs and their pilots forge ahead on the battlefields of the 31st century and beyond! A rookie MechWarrior fights for independence during the Andurien Wars. The Fox Patrol finds itself on the Mercenary’s Star—and in the middle of a deal gone wrong. In these pages, you’ll travel to a distant Periphery world where a young boy pursues his dreams and witness a rare moment of unity for Clan Fire Mandrill in the Clan Homeworlds. Then return to Solaris VII once more for the conclusion of our Vengeance Games serial, and a close look at a different but familiar kind of competition on the Game World. No matter your skill at the controls, you can wade confidently into battle with technical readouts, a unit and planet digest, a playable scenario of an unusual Hell’s Horses competition, advice for aging warriors, and a historical look at the capital of the first Star League—brought to you by BattleTech veterans and a handful of new enlistees: Craig A. Reed, Jr. Bryan Young David G. Martin Jennifer Bixby Étienne Charron-Willard Alex Fairbanks Phillip Johnston Olli Rosnell David Smith Alayna M. Weathers Matthew Cross Alex Fauth James Hauser Daniel Isberner Ben Klinefelter Joshua Perian Eric Salzman