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35TH MECHANIZED STRIKE CLUSTER

CO: Star Colonel Ulysses Grant
Unit Status: Elite/Fanatical
Unit Nickname: The Demon Monkeys
Unit Insignia: A demonic face with flames for hair
Unit Colors: The standard Tau Galaxy scheme, flame red on the front half and ash grey on the rear half, with an undulating line of flame separating the halves


OFFICERS

Ulysses Grant

Decanted: 3113 (33 in 3146)
Homeworld: Kirchbach
Gunnery: 0
Piloting: 1
SPAs: Maneuvering Ace, Pain Resistance, Sniper

Ulysses Grant hails from a minor Bloodname originating with Clan Fire Mandrill. The Horses acquired the majority of the Grant Bloodheritages after the destruction of the Smythe-Jewel Kindraa in the mid-29th century, but rarely used them until after the Great Reavings, which had left the Horses in need of viable lineages. The Grant Bloodname House was expanded and new sibkos decanted in the early 3110s; Ulysses was a product of one of the first of these. Among the Mandrills the Grant line had always been known to produce excellent Mechwarriors, and Ulysses proved no exception. Three kills in his initial Trial of Position earned him Star Captaincy and the eye of sponsors for a Bloodname. But while he did eventually gain a Bloodname, its infamy prejudiced those of more prestigious heritages against him; they considered him an upstart whelp and forced his assignment to the 65th Mechanized Strike Cluster. While technically a frontline Cluster, it was composed largely of untalented dezgra and those who had only barely passed their initial Trial of Position. It was a dead end for Ulysses, and the fact that most of the warriors who looked down on him were also members of the Mongol movement led him to despise those who espoused its creed. He was one of Deacon Amirault's earliest allies on the Clan Council, and his undeniable mastery of the arts of war made him an obvious choice to head up the 35th Mechanized Strike Cluster when Tau Galaxy was formed.

Star Colonel Ulysses has the same gaunt features and flame-red hair as most Grants, which has inspired both the 35th's nickname and insignia. He is well-loved and respected by the warriors under his command, and off-duty he has organized a unit-wide bo-taoshi league, an ancient martial sport that emphasizes teamwork. He is also quite fond of New Caledonian Old Horse Reserve bourbon, although it does not seem to affect his skills at the joysticks of his Timber Wolf even slightly.


Zero Ravenwater

Decanted: 3128 (28 in 3146)
Homeworld: Csesztreg
Gunnery: 0
Piloting: 1
SPAs: Gunnery Specialization (Missile)

Zero Ravenwater is Galaxy Commander Amirault's protege and bred from a sibko that used Sachiko Ravenwater's genes. Obsessed with the Remembrance from a young age, he has had verses from it tattooed all over his body. Zero takes great pride in leading his Nova, which he refers to as a Herd; to him, the Balius and Buraq are the ultimate totems of his Clan, and to field the Herd in battle is to act as the Galaxy's (and the Clan's) standard-bearer. Accordingly, he ensures that the Nova's 'Mechs and battlesuits are always immaculate, glinting as though factory-fresh even during long campaigns. He has had each warrior's favorite verse from the Remembrance stenciled along their mount's flanks.


Aphrodite DeLaurel

Decanted: 3121 (25 in 3146)
Homeworld: Csesztreg
Gunnery: 1
Piloting: 1
SPAs: Jumping Jack

Star Captain Aphrodite DeLaurel is a ristar and the Cluster's executive officer. Only twenty-five years old, she is on track to become a major player in Clan Hell's Horses one day; DeLaurel is a highly influential Bloodname House within the Clan. Aphrodite is a phenomenally skilled duelist and tends to adhere to zellbrigen in all but the most dire circumstances; she often challenges assault 'Mechs and then uses her superior maneuverability to pick them apart. Her Grand Summoner, named "Gella", is perfectly suited for the young officer, the perfect blend of speed, armor and firepower for her combat style. While generally conservative overall, she is diametrically opposed to the Mongol philosophy, seeing it as a perversion of the Clan way.


Aeneas O'Reilly

Decanted: 3121 (25 in 3146)
Homeworld: Csesztreg
Gunnery: 0
Piloting: 1
SPAs: Multi-tasker

Star Commander Aeneas O'Reilly is another of the Clan's finest duelists. His and Star Captain DeLaurel's sibkos were both part of the class of 3139 at the Old Regret Training Facility. The two have been close friends since an early age, the two of them regularly training against each other in their off hours and honing their skills. While arguably an even better Mechwarrior than Aphrodite in terms of raw skill, Aeneas does not have quite the win record she does, due mainly to his tendency to challenge multiple opponents to duels simultaneously. As a result he graduated from the ORTF with only a single kill in his Trial of Position, and ended up in the Star of then-Star Commander Aphrodite. When Galaxy Commander Amirault poached her from the 30th Mechanized Strike Cluster, she made sure Aeneas came with her, and with a promotion to boot. Bloodnames followed for both shortly thereafter. Aeneas' codex registers nearly as many losses as wins, but some of his wins have likely come close to winning him a place in the Remembrance. With his defeat and capture of Sacha Sradac, it is rumored he will be selected to participate in next year's Branding rite on Csesztreg. Recently, Aeneas was given an experimental variant of the Vapor Eagle to test for the scientist caste; both they and he are eager to see how it fares in the field.


Omar Seidman

Decanted: 3118 (28 in 3146)
Homeworld: Kirchbach
Gunnery: 0
Anti-'Mech: 2
SPAs: Cluster Hitter

Omar Seidman is one of the last members of a dying Bloodhouse. The Great Reavings of the 3090s devastated the Seidman line, and only the rise to prominence of Domnhall Seidman (who first espoused and popularized the original Mongol Doctrine among the Horses) kept them from eventual deactivation. As a result, the Seidman line has been struggling to regain its prominence, and Omar has felt the weight of that struggle ever since gaining his Bloodname. Consistently unable to rise through the ranks due to the perception of his genetic heritage as unfit, Omar languished as a Star Commander in the Twelfth Ranger Cluster. As a result he began to take more and more suicidal risks; in 3141 he caught the attention of Deacon Amirault when his battlesuit Star annihilated a sizable and skilled pirate band in an ambush on Novo Cressidas, at the cost of most of his Star and one of his legs. After his new leg was grown, Amirault had Omar transferred to Tau and promoted to Nova Commander. With this second chance and his star hitched to Aphrodite DeLaurel's meteoric rise, Omar now throws himself into battle with the zeal and ferocity of a man reborn, fully intending to once more return the Seidman line to its former glory.


Ianthe Cobb

Decanted: 3117 (29 in 3146)
Homeworld: Kirchbach
Gunnery: 0
Piloting: 1
SPAs: Jumping Jack, Sensor Geek

Ianthe Cobb is, like her twin brother Ian, one of Tau's finest officers and Mechwarriors. Unlike her brother, she did not have anyone to rely on for patronage; instead, she had to claw her way to her position through sheer skill and tenacity. Only gaining a single kill in her Trial of Position due to an absurdly lucky shot by her second opponent, she spent years working her way first to the rank of Star Commander and then Star Captain in the decidedly non-prestigious 62nd Mechanized Assault Cluster. Highly talented but without access to the kinds of opportunities her brother had, she entered the Grand Melee during the same Bloodname tournament Ian was a contestant in. While she won the Grand Melee, in a rather impressive display, she lost in the third round of duels, never facing off against her brother. It was not until Jeronimo Cobb died in early 3145 that she was finally able to secure a sponsor on the basis of her performance in the Grand Melee several years prior. This time she won the tournament, cutting down her opponents like Patricia Cobb herself. Knowing that their lifelong competition is part of who made them both who they are today, Ian insisted that Ianthe's Trinary be added to Tau when the Galaxy was being formed. While she and her brother are still fierce rivals, Ianthe will brook no insult or attack on him from others; those who make the mistake of doing so find themselves in a Circle of Equals shortly thereafter.


Moses Ben-Shimon

Decanted: 3118 (28 in 3146)
Homeworld: Kirchbach
Gunnery: 1
Piloting: 2
SPAs: None

Like his commander, Moses Ben-Shimon comes from a Bloodname House that was revived in the wake of the Great Reavings to buoy the Clan's eugenics program as it reached its nadir. Specifically, the current Ben-Shimon lineage originates with a Goliath Scorpion Seeker taken bondsman by the Horses as they fled the Homeworlds during the Wars of Reaving. Yusuf Ben-Shimon would go on to rise through the ranks to command the Eleventh Mechanized Cavalry, one of the most elite and storied Clusters of the Hell's Horses touman. Moses strives to live up Yusuf's legacy, intending to one day command a prestigious Cluster of his own. As a relentless careerist, he has forged close ties with Star Colonel Elias Cobb, knowing he must ally himself with a more powerful Bloodname House if he wishes to work his way into a more prominent position. Moses is certainly no slouch as a pilot, either; a consummately talented dogfighter, he currently has more than thirty air-to-air kills in his codex.


Gerard Grimheald

Decanted: 3121 (25 in 3146)
Homeworld: Kirchbach
Gunnery: 1
SPAs: Jumping Jack, Sandblaster

The latest ristar of Bloodname House Grimheald, Gerard comes from a sibko similar to that of Constantin Fletcher, using a Lankenau genefather legacy to breed for officer qualities; given that Gerard and five other members of his sibko have all gone on to become Blooded frontline Star Captains, House Grimheald sees the experiment as a resounding success. Gerard himself is fairly unconventional for a ProtoMech officer, preferring to use hit-and-fade tactics rather than simply swarming opponents without regard for casualties, like most Clans' ProtoMech doctrine calls for; the imported Hippogriffs used by Grimheald's command Star often empty their ammo bins and retreat from the field before the enemy ever manages to fire on them. Gerard is, like Rory Mitchell of the 231st and Leroy Brown of the 116th, a survivor of the Timkovichi incident, though he served with the Eighth Horde Cluster. Similarly angered by what he saw there, Gerard has sided with fellow Tau officer Lana Grimheald in the internecine struggle between the Mongol and anti-Mongol camps that currently consumes the House.


TACTICS

The 35th Mechanized Strike rarely relies on subtlety when it comes to tactics. Like the Jade Falcons of old, they prefer to throw themselves at the greatest concentration of enemy strength and count on their superior fighting prowess to secure victory. However, when it comes to zellbrigen dueling they are extremely canny about choosing their duels to maximize their tactical advantages, often stringing out heavier opponents and pulling them into heavy crossfire from supporting tanks and battlesuits.

[Unit Abilities: The Demon Monkeys are more comfortable on the offensive; anytime they are the Attacker in a scenario, they receive a +1 Initiative modifier.]


TO&E

Supernova Alpha
Timber Wolf
Star Colonel Ulysses Grant
Gunnery [0], Piloting [1], Maneuvering Ace, Pain Resistance, Sniper

Gargoyle
Mechwarrior Jibril
Gunnery [2], Piloting [2]

Mad Dog Mk. IV
Mechwarrior Giacinto
Gunnery [1], Piloting [1]

Ebon Jaguar
Mechwarrior Seda
Gunnery [2], Piloting [3]

Nova
Mechwarrior Ihsan
Gunnery [1], Piloting [3]

Elemental (Fire) Point
Point Commander Motono
Gunnery [0], Anti-'Mech [2]

Elemental (Fire) Point
Point Commander Don
Gunnery [3], Anti-'Mech [2]

Elemental (Fire) Point
Point Commander Hendrik
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [4]

Elemental (Fire) Point
Point Commander Riza
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [4]

Elemental (Fire) Point
Point Commander Imre
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [3]

-----

Balius
Nova Commander Zero Ravenwater
Gunnery [0], Piloting [1], Gunnery Specialization (Missile)

Balius
Mechwarrior Tyrone
Gunnery [0], Piloting [4]

Balius
Mechwarrior Carl
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Balius
Mechwarrior Mircea
Gunnery [1], Piloting [3]

Balius
Mechwarrior Naima
Gunnery [3], Piloting [1]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Noelle
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [1]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Angela
Gunnery [0], Anti-'Mech [2]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Christian
Gunnery [0], Anti-'Mech [4]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Jules
Gunnery [2], Anti-'Mech [3]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Meqran
Gunnery [3], Anti-'Mech [3]

-----

Buraq Point
Nova Commander Armando
Gunnery [0], Anti-'Mech [3]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Evelin
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [1]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Cheol
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [3]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Gulser
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [2]

Buraq Point
Point Commander Jung
Gunnery [2], Anti-'Mech [4]

Axel Heavy Tank IIC (XL)
Point Commander Thaqib
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Axel Heavy Tank IIC (XL)
Warrior Elima
Gunnery [3], Driving [4]

Joust Medium Tank BE700
Point Commander Tuluhan
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Joust Medium Tank BE700
Warrior Dong
Gunnery [3], Driving [5]

Enyo Strike Tank (LBX)
Point Commander Semavi
Gunnery [1], Driving [4]

Enyo Strike Tank (LBX)
Warrior Untung
Gunnery [3], Driving [2]

Enyo Strike Tank (LBX)
Point Commander Harshini
Gunnery [3], Driving [2]

Enyo Strike Tank (LBX)
Warrior Hong-quan
Gunnery [3], Driving [5]

Enyo Strike Tank (LBX)
Point Commander Noburo
Gunnery [3], Driving [2]

Enyo Strike Tank (LBX)
Warrior Hazan
Gunnery [3], Driving [5]



Trinary Beta
Grand Summoner
Star Captain Aphrodite DeLaurel
Gunnery [1], Piloting [1], Jumping Jack

Savage Wolf
Mechwarrior Samesona
Gunnery [0], Piloting [4]

Karhu
Mechwarrior Felician
Gunnery [1], Piloting [3]

Mad Dog Mk. IV
Mechwarrior Czeslaw
Gunnery [1], Piloting [3]

Mad Dog Mk. IV
Mechwarrior Magda
Gunnery [2], Piloting [3]

-----

Vapor Eagle XR
Star Commander Aeneas O'Reilly
Gunnery [0], Piloting [1], Multi-Tasker

Conjurer
Mechwarrior Ilker
Gunnery [3], Piloting [2]

Griffin IIC 8
Mechwarrior Jorge
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Shadow Hawk IIC 8
Mechwarrior Pin
Gunnery [2], Piloting [2]

Clint IIC 2
Mechwarrior Vicente
Gunnery [0], Piloting [2]

-----

Gnome (LRM) Point
Nova Commander Omar Seidman
Gunnery [0], Anti-'Mech [2], Cluster Hitter

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Arnost
Gunnery [3], Anti-'Mech [2]

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Jawahara
Gunnery [3], Anti-'Mech [3]

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Unver
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [2]

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Frantz
Gunnery [2], Anti-'Mech [3]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Agnes
Gunnery [2], Driving [2]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Emin
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Yudum
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Eva
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Pavlik
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Abazza
Gunnery [3], Driving [3]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Iona
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Janakiraman
Gunnery [4], Driving [4]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Zenobio
Gunnery [2], Driving [5]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior John
Gunnery [4], Driving [4]



Trinary Gamma
Mad Cat Mk II 5
Star Captain Ianthe Cobb
Gunnery [0], Piloting [1], Jumping Jack, Sensor Geek

Ursus II
Mechwarrior Fakir
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Ursus II
Mechwarrior Ilhan
Gunnery [3], Piloting [4]

Champion C
Mechwarrior Helemano
Gunnery [2], Piloting [4]

Champion C
Mechwarrior Besa
Gunnery [3], Piloting [3]

-----

Arcas
Star Commander Nealon
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Phoenix Hawk IIC 4
Mechwarrior Thoa
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Rifleman IIC 8
Mechwarrior Tomokazu
Gunnery [3], Piloting [2]

Griffin IIC 8
Mechwarrior Zai-shuo
Gunnery [2], Piloting [2]

Griffin IIC 8
Mechwarrior Kian
Gunnery [2], Piloting [3]

-----

Gnome (LRM) Point
Nova Commander Tahsin
Gunnery [0], Anti-'Mech [2]

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Sergiu
Gunnery [0], Anti-'Mech [3]

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Masinisan
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [3]

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Emanuela
Gunnery [1], Anti-'Mech [3]

Gnome (LRM) Point
Point Commander Waldemar
Gunnery [3], Anti-'Mech [3]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Theo
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Datu
Gunnery [2], Driving [5]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Geomar
Gunnery [3], Driving [5]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Eilinora
Gunnery [4], Driving [3]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Quinton
Gunnery [2], Driving [5]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Urian
Gunnery [4], Driving [4]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Clemente
Gunnery [2], Driving [3]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Shannon
Gunnery [4], Driving [4]

Enyo Strike Tank
Point Commander Adrian
Gunnery [3], Driving [3]

Ku Wheeled Assault Tank (IFV)
Warrior Kaihe
Gunnery [3], Driving [4]



Trinary Delta
Ostrogoth
Star Captain Moses Ben-Shimon
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Ostrogoth
Pilot Sam
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Jagatai
Point Commander Sadik
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Jagatai
Pilot Frank
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Visigoth
Point Commander Theodor
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Visigoth
Pilot Verdiano
Gunnery [3], Piloting [4]

Turk
Point Commander Ludo
Gunnery [2], Piloting [2]

Turk
Pilot Franz
Gunnery [2], Piloting [3]

Wusun
Point Commander Xhemil
Gunnery [2], Piloting [3]

Wusun
Pilot Mansoor
Gunnery [3], Piloting [3]

-----

Visigoth
Star Commander Sebastien
Gunnery [1], Piloting [2]

Turk
Pilot Hyesun
Gunnery [2], Piloting [2]

Turk
Point Commander Jannicke
Gunnery [2], Piloting [3]

Turk
Pilot Silja
Gunnery [3], Piloting [2]

Jagatai
Point Commander Allan
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Jagatai
Pilot Chien-shih
Gunnery [3], Piloting [2]

Jagatai
Point Commander Archibald
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Persepolis
Pilot Benedito
Gunnery [3], Piloting [3]

Ammon 2
Point Commander Peony
Gunnery [2], Piloting [2]

Ammon-XR
Pilot Philip
Gunnery [3], Piloting [3]

-----

Tyre 3
Star Commander Salvatore
Gunnery [1], Piloting [3]

Tyre 3
Pilot Serhat
Gunnery [1], Piloting [3]

Tyre 3
Point Commander Erasmus
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Tyre 3
Pilot Marwa
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Tyre 3
Point Commander Tomoe
Gunnery [2], Piloting [2]

Tyre 3
Pilot Huysus
Gunnery [3], Piloting [3]

Tyre 3
Point Commander Eliseo
Gunnery [2], Piloting [3]

Tyre 3
Pilot Harith
Gunnery [3], Piloting [3]

Tyre 3
Point Commander Katina
Gunnery [1], Piloting [4]

Tyre 3
Pilot Amir
Gunnery [3], Piloting [2]



Trinary Zeta
Hippogriff Point
Star Captain Gerard Grimheald [1], Jumping Jack, Sandblaster
Warrior Marioara [1]
Warrior Te-Anu [1]
Warrior Judit [2]
Warrior Yun-fat [1]

Hippogriff Point
Point Commander Chika [1]
Warrior Manuel [2]
Warrior Neha [2]
Warrior Teune [1]
Warrior Odell [3]

Hippogriff Point
Point Commander Hewitt [2]
Warrior Katsumi [2]
Warrior Eski [2]
Warrior Jae-hyung [2]
Warrior Anis [2]

Hippogriff Point
Point Commander Sachi [1]
Warrior Hayal [3]
Warrior Tsuginori [3]
Warrior Rickey [3]
Warrior Phung [3]

Hippogriff Point
Point Commander Lumir [1]
Warrior Tess [2]
Warrior Chito [2]
Warrior Anke [2]
Warrior Joong [2]

-----

Procyon (Quad) Point
Star Commander Xavier [1]
Warrior Giorgis [2]
Warrior Radoste [2]
Warrior Emmett [3]
Warrior Genco [3]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Odysseus [1]
Warrior Terry [1]
Warrior Ferid [2]
Warrior Yvan [1]
Warrior Mac [2]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Nees [1]
Warrior Helen [1]
Warrior Sobeslav [1]
Warrior Kynthia [3]
Warrior Lateefa [3]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Dharr [1]
Warrior Zotico [1]
Warrior Jean-Marie [3]
Warrior Kamalamaya [1]
Warrior Feng [2]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Faizah [1]
Warrior Augustin [3]
Warrior Sayid [1]
Warrior Murilo [2]
Warrior Blanca [2]

-----

Procyon (Quad) Point
Star Commander Bedric [1]
Warrior Xiong [1]
Warrior Suzana [1]
Warrior Yong-sung [2]
Warrior Akar [3]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Doraisvami [1]
Warrior Taryn [2]
Warrior Lienhard [1]
Warrior Gelana [3]
Warrior Paul [3]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Jack [1]
Warrior Douggie [1]
Warrior Pervin [3]
Warrior Clayton [2]
Warrior Peroz [3]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Satenik [1]
Warrior Rodney [3]
Warrior Kolya [2]
Warrior Juhaina [2]
Warrior Offet [2]

Procyon (Quad) Point
Point Commander Jinrich [1]
Warrior Michelle [3]
Warrior Hoang [2]
Warrior Genet [1]
Warrior Bakir [3]



Transport

DropShips
Union-C-class Death and Gravity
Outpost (3070)-class Black Dog
Outpost (3070)-class No Quarter
Outpost (3070)-class Trampled Under Foot
Arcadia-class Final Terms
Arcadia-class Sticking Point
Arcadia-class Last Offer
Titan-class Pallas
Outpost Defender-class Aaron Cobb
Nagasawa-class Break Even
Nagasawa-class Full Refund
Mammoth-class Empiricist

JumpShips
Odyssey-class Tiresias
Odyssey-class Calypso
Odyssey-class Laertes