Hello.
As you may be aware, the upcoming crop of Dark Age files being worked on by Catalyst Game Labs will reportedly be capped by an upcoming ilClan sourcebook. At this point, there has been no major clue or hint given as to exactly who the ilClan will be; or, in fact, if the term refers to what one would normally presume it to (i.e. with a Clan victorious at Terra). If I'm not mistaken (and I may well be on this one), there seems to have at least been a clarification of who it won't be; no "dead" clans, and no Abjured Clans (as in, clans Abjured prior to the Wars of Reaving, such as the Nova Cats or the Wolves-in-Exile).
In any case, it seems that the events of this particular sourcebook will have a profound enough effect as to allow for the next great leap forward into the uncharted waters of the 3250 era.
If one were to assume that things are what they appear to be on the label (that we are indeed talking about a Clan taking, and holding, Terra), who would you consider to be the most likely candidate for the role of ilClan?
Personally, if there is to be such a dramatic shift, I would sooner see it coming from the Homeworlds (and/or a suitably prepared launchpad in Hansa space), bringing with it the kind of "off-camera" developments which would enable it to take the Inner Sphere by storm, and still have the werewithal to stay there once Terra has fallen.
Yes, the Wolves and Falcons are closest to Terra as of 3145; but I can't say I'd be overly excited about seeing either Alaric or Malvina secure the grand prize, plus I would imagine the re-built RAF giving both factions pause for thought once the Fortress walls come back down.
As I would see it, the Republic, Wolves, and Falcons would drive each other to exhaustion; leaving all three (and the Lyrans) vulnerable to a wave of invasion coming in from Hansa space, through and over the Rim Territories (which, unlike the Barrens' micro-states, would not have Clan-sponsored fortifications built up to act as speedbumps).
And given the kind of logistical planning which the Star Adders would put in to such a campaign (especially if they retained their position as the pre-eminent Homeworld Clan by 3145), they would be the Clan one would most expect to prepare the kind of resources needed to capture Terra and ensure that they could properly hold it.
(And from an out-of-universe perspective, I feel that rewarding the success of The Wars of Reaving by driving the surviving Homeworld Clans' narrative into the heart of the Inner Sphere would not only count as a more dramatic break from previous eras than simply having the Wolves or Falcons dget there; but could allow the kind of advancements already shown to have been "adopted" from the Society to feed into the long-term process of developing whatever new-generation technolgies we would see when 3250 rolls around.)
So, while I fully expect to be proved otherwise, I would consider the Star Adders to be my best bet for ilClan.
