HAWK E’S

HO RD E

A BATTLECORPS EXCLUSIVE UNIT DIGEST

 introduction
A BattleCorps Unit Digest is a gameplay aid designed to offer
players a glimpse into one of the myriad unnamed and un-
known national-and-smaller level military units in the Inner
Sphere. Products such as the Field Manuals and Field Reports
offer playable game notes and information about the front-
line regiments of each nation of the Inner Sphere, Clans, and
Periphery, but for each of those regiments there are a hundred
or more conventional, non-BattleMech battalions working for
no higher power than a planetary duke or corporate security
force.
Each of the units found in these small PDF exclusives is too
small to ever be in the pages of Field Manual. Each of them
may have been coopted or destroyed the day after the report
was compiled. Perhaps they were absorbed into the mainline
THE CORERULEBOOK
A CORE GAME RULES

military; perhaps they lost their funding and were disbanded;

perhaps they exist at the same time period your player group the AdvAnCed plAnetAry Conquest
A Core rules
rulebook

sits down to play a game of BattleTech or an A Time of War role-

playing campaign. Our intention in creating these reports isn’t
to increase the already-considerabe canon of BattleTech lore,
although they are official and sanctioned units, but rather to
offer you a chance to add a harmless and perhaps fun bit of
flavor to your games.
As we launch this series of free-to-subscriber content to Bat-
tleCorps, please note that the era icon and a year will appear in
each one. The unit listed existed during that era and specific
year, and may or may not have existed before or after. Unless TM

they appear in other products, they have vanished into the

mists of histrory.

Credits
BattleCorps Managing Editor
Jason Schmetzer
BattleCorps PDF Exclusive Cover Design
Ray Arrastia
Writing
Jason Schmetzer
It is the 31st century. Mankind has spread to
the stars and spawned titanic stellar empires,
each controlling hundreds of worlds across a
thousand light years and beyond. Yet the sins
of man have followed him from the cradle of
humanity.

©2010 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. BattleTech

Political machinations of feudal lords plunge
whole sectors into war; unscrupulous merchant
starship captains smuggle weapons to their
own faction’s enemies; greedy military

Record Sheets: 3085, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, ’Mech, Bat-

commanders demand tribute from worlds
they’re protecting; animalistic pirate kings
harvest high technologies and human slaves
in lightning raids; betrayals from oath-bound
allies leave honorable soldiers growing cold on

tleMech, MechWarrior and Topps logo are registered trademarks

forgotten worlds; death at the tip of knife from
a concubine turned assassin to avenge a world
and love lost: it is a time of war.

What empire will you swear allegiance to: a

and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United

warrior merchant of House Steiner; the honor-
bound samurai of House Kurita; the vat-bred
warriors of the Clans; a mercenary that fights
only for the highest bidder?

States and/or other countries. No part of this work may be re-

Choose your life in the universe: a MechWarrior
piloting the thirty-foot-tall BattleMechs that turn
the tide of any battle; a spy deep behind enemy
lines discovering critical secrets; a merchant
carrying critical supplies; a scientist unleashing

produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form

the latest cutting edge technologies?

How will you become a legend?

A Time of War rulebook contains everything you need to start

or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the

your adventure in the BattleTech universe!

THE ADVANCED SOLAR SYSTEM CONQUEST RULES

Under License From

Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other

©2010 WizKids, Inc. All Rights Reserved. A Time of War: The BattleTech RPG, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech,
MechWarrior, and WK Games are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other

than that in which it is published.

countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Printed in Canada. WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
35005 the battletech rpg
 3

hawkes horde
Hawke’s Horde was a mercenary-unit-turned-pirate that attacked several worlds of the Taurian Concordat from 3012 to 3014.
Based out of an abandoned training outpost on Laconis, the Horde struck with impunity across New Vandenburg, Landsmark, an
even as far as Samantha without meeting significant resistance. Their possession of several BattleMechs made them tougher than
most of the Concordat planetary militias could handle, although many tried.
The Horde’s tactics never seemed to display what their ultimate objective was. Their first few raids into the Concordat were little
more than resource raids: a strike on Landsmark to capture water purification equipment; a lightning-raid on Brisbane to com-
mandeer a DropShip of colonial supplies earmarked for a newly-colonized world; even two distraction terrorist attacks on New

BATTLECORPS STABLE ROSTER

Vandenburg that let them make off with two containers of BattleMech components from Vandenburg Mechanized Industries.
The detachments of Taurian Defense Force units sent to hunt them down always failed to track them back to their nest.
On Laconis the Horde based themselves on the small equitorial island of Little Idaho. Little Idaho was on the opposite side of
the world from the larger cities, and so the Horde was able to boost and land their DropShips without being seen. In fact, it was
the Horde that intercepted the cargo ships bringing a planetary sensor satellite array in 3013, specifically so the TDF wouldn’t be
able to monitor their movements. From their cantonment on Little Idaho they raided with impunity until their discovery in 3014.

Hawke’s Hammers Hawke’s Harriers

CO: Charley Hawke CO: Tim Reyes
Lance / Regular / Questionable Reinforced Company / Regular / Questionable

The four BattleMechs that make up the Hammer are the
Horde’s real strength. Charley Hawke’s Griffin is the best-main-
tained of the four machines, while Danielle Radcliffe’s Zeus is
the heaviest. The Zeus is heavily damaged and rarely commit-
ted to battle; Radcliffe’s attachment to Hawke makes her the
obvious choice to remain behind and guard Little Idaho while
the rest of the Horde is raiding, a task her Zeus is well-suited to.
In battle the Hammers offer few tactics; before their disgrace
The Harriers are made up entirely of combat vehicles cap-
tured, stolen, or salvaged from defeated Taurian militia units.
Led by Tim Reyes, a former Free Worlds League Military armor
officer, they represent the most active combat power in the
Horde. Expendable enough to be risked in regular combat,
but powerful enough to overpower the civilian or mostly-
infantry paramilitary military units they face, the Harriers are
crewed by expatriate Federated Suns and Capellan Confedera-

BATTLECORPS UNIT DIGEST

they acted as corporate mercenaries and saw little combat. In tion deserters. Their hatred of each other often results in so-
fact, their last contract was the raiding mission that damaged called “friendly-fire” accidents that do more damage than the
the Zeus and made them turn pirate. Taurians are able to.

Hawke’s Whirlwind Hawke’s Headmen

CO: Sera Bly CO: Victoria Sbarge
Company / Veteran / Questionable Platoon / Regular / Questionable

The Whirlwind is an orphaned cavalry company that surren-
dered to Hawke on Laconis in 3011 when he arrived. Formerly
members of a mercenary armored regiment, the Whirlwind
were abandoned when their officers were arrested for embez-
zling funds from the regiment. Hawke met their commander,
Sera Bly, in a bar in Barkston on Laconis and induced them to
join his band.
The Whirlwind have the most experience of any of the
Horde’s elements, but they lack the parts to do proper main-
tenance. Of the even dozen blowers they had in service when
they joined the Horde, only seven remain active. The rest are
deadlined, waiting for parts.
The Headmen are aptly-named. The majority of them came
from Blasdel Prison on Samantha; Hawke opened the prison’s
doors when he raided the planet to distract the constablury.
A number of the former-prisoners departed the world with
Hawke and have become his own little special-operations
team.
The Headmen traditionally scout a world in advance of the
Horde’s arrival. They infilitrate in pairs and trios, acting as tour-
ists or researchers to gather intelligence for Hawke. Several
of them, including former-Lady Victoria Sbarge, were in prison
for white-collar crimes which make them very good at locat-
ing suitable loot for the Horde’s attention.
 notable personalities
Charley Hawke
Charley Hawke joined the Capellan March Militia at seven-
teen but was dishonorably discharged for assaulting a supe-
rior officer when he was twenty-two. He then joined a small,
now-defunct mercenary group who served corporate clients
in 3009. In 3010 he killed the mercenary leader and took con-
trol, before leading the mercenaries on a raiding mission that
killed more than two-thirds of them and forced the remainder
into piracy in the Taurian Concordat.
A large man, Hawke distrusts everone around him and rules
through fear and intimidation.
Special Abilities
Hawke is a Veteran-level MechWarrior, but he has a -2 TP
Reputation (Pirate). He also has the Demoralizer special ability
(see p.225, AToW)
Sera Bly
Sera Bly commands the Whirlwind, the cavalry company of
the Horde’s armored forces. She despises Charley Hawke, but
knows that he could crush her small command and everyone
in it if she doesn’t do what he says. She still retains a small
reserve of cash from her earlier embezzling scheme, but it isn’t
enough for her to let her whole command escape.
A small, lithe woman, Sera is a master of tae kwon do as well
as a notable pistol marksman. She has killed four men in duels
in the last year, mostly after they made inappropriate advanc-
es toward her. Lately she has been considering challenging
Hawke for leadership of the entire Horde as a means of escape.
Special Abilities
Sera recieves +3 bonuses to all Small Arms and Unarmed Com-
bat skill rolls. Her prickly honor manifests as a -1 TP Compulsion.
Liam Semmes
A tank commander in one of the Harriers’ Scorpion Light
Tanks, Liam Semmes is also a Taurian Defense Force agent. He
infiltrated the Horde in 3011 but has been unable to inform
his comrades in the TDF of the Horde’s location. Little Idaho
island is very remote, and his tank crewmen pay too close at-
tention for him to leave a sign when the Horde attacks. He
is considering trying to subborn Sera Bly, whose hatred of
Hawke he senses clearly.
Special Abilities
Liam Semmes’ role as a Taurian spy in the Horde’s midst gives
him a -3 TP Dark Secret. He is a Green-level Vehicle crewman,
and his tank will always move last of any Horde unit in combat.
Danielle Radcliffe
Danielle Radcliffe is a large, dark-haired woman who hates
life with a passion. She pilots a Zeus she inherited from her
father, who was a MechWarrior with the Donegal Guards. One
of the few mercenary MechWarriors to survive Hawke’s leader-
ship, she followed him to Laconis before becoming his lover.
Her Zeus is a near-wreck, with barely forty percent of its ar-
mor present and no ammunition for its missile launcher or au-
tocannon. She normally remains behind on Little Idaho island
when the rest of the Horde goes out raiding. Unbeknownst to
Hawke, she has begun an affair with one of the Horde’s hos-
tages.
Special Abilities
A Regular-level MechWarrior, Danielle suffers from the Com-
bat Paralysis Trait (see p. 110, AToW).
Tim Reyes
Leader of the Harriers, Tim Reyes enjoys his duties like few
other man. A former prisoner in Blasdel Prison, he killed the
former commander of the Harriers in a bar fight and took over
command. He commands from the turret of a Vedette tank,
gleefully firing his autocannon at anything that strikes his
fancy. He is especially adept at setting ambushes for pursuing
Taurian militia units, leading many to suspect he has previous
experience in the Taurian military.
Special Abilities
A Regular-level Vehicle crewman, Reyes recieves +2 bo-
nuses to all To-hit rolls when facing Taurian opponents. When
Hawke’s ‘Mechs are not on the field, though, any force he com-
mands suffers a -2 Initiative penalty.
Victoria Sbarge
Formely Lady Victoria Sbarge of Kenton on Sterope, she was
arrested in 3009 for embezzling government funds from the
Exchequer and sentenced to life in prison in Blasdel Prison.
While there a latent sadistic streak emerged. She was suspect-
ed in the torturing deaths of two prisoners when Hawke freed
the prisoners, and she jumped at the chance to leave with the
pirates and do, as Hawke told her, “literally anything she wants
to anyone I say.”
Special Abilities
Sbarge’s sadism manifests as a -3 TP Compulsion to hurt
anyone who disappoints or upsets her. As commander she
doesn’t tolerate any failure, and the Headmen fear her more
than death.
 5

unit special abilities

Hawke’s Horde STAR LEAGUE ERA CLAN INVASION ERA JIHAD ERA
In any scenario where the Horde faces a Taurian militia force,
they recieve a +2 Initiative bonus if they deploy BattleMechs
and the militia does not. If they deploy only vehicles, they re-
ceive only a +1 bonus.

BATTLECORPS STABLE ROSTER

If during any scenario Charley Hawke’s Griffin is disabled,
destroyed, or forced to withdraw, the entire Horde will imme-
diately retreat.

SUCCESSION WARS ERA CIVIL WAR ERA DARK AGE

Hawke’s Hammers
The Hammers should begin every scenario with 1D6 round
of ammunition missing from each ammunition bin. Roll 1 1D6
for each critical slot of ammunition.
In addition, the Hammers player may roll 1D6 before the
start of play. On a result of 5 or 6, he or she may place Rad-
cliffe’s Zeus per Hidden Unit rules (see p. 256, TW)

Hawke’s Harriers
When rolling units randomly, reroll any result that yields a
hover or VTOL combat vehicle. In addition, in any scenario
RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TABLES
where the Harriers begin with at least two platoons (8 vehi-
Hawke’s Horde1 (3013)
cles), they recieve a +1 Initiative bonus.
No Harrier vehicle may weigh more than sixty tons.

BATTLECORPS UNIT DIGEST

Roll Hover Wheeled Tracked
1 Savannah Master Skulker Hunter
2 Harasser Packrat Goblin
Hawke’s Whirlwind
3 Saracen Striker Vedette
When rolling units randomly, reroll any result of Green or
Elite on the Random Experience Table (see p. 273, TW) unless 4 Scimitar Striker Manticore
the unit is the designated commander of the Whirlwind in the 5 Saladin Hetzer Bulldog
scenario.
6 Savannah Master Hetzer Galleon
In addition, the Whirlwind may field only hover vehicles. For
every unit, roll 1D6; on a result of 6 roll 1 5-point damage block Mechs
to the Front Hit Location. GRF-1N Griffin
CDA-2A Cicada
Hawke’s Headmen DRG-1N Dragon
In BattleTech games the Headmen deploy as one Foot Rifle ZEU-6S Zeus
Platoon of Regular experience.
In A Time of War role-playing campaigns, treat the Headmen
as the Renegade Warrior sample character (see p. 100, AToW).