With the much anticipated release of Jade Falcon units during the course of this year, I have bent my mind to this subject. We know two solid facts:

1. Jade Falcons will be the next released faction.
2. Jade Falcons will be in a 2004 expansion.

We do not know if it will be the next set. WK might try to squeeze a thrid set with the JF out in December for all we know. Also, we don't know if they will receive Faction Abilities. Given the mixed results from the Liao ones, I will put my money on no Faction Abilities. However, given the Clan penchant for 1 on 1 combat, I think there would be something similar to the Ruthlessness ability for them. Also unknown is whether or not we are talking about the true Clan Jade Falcon, or a splinter group thereof. It could be either in my opinion. The Clans exist and grow only through warfare. The fierce fighting in the Republic would call to them like a can opener calls cats.

Since Wizkids likes to combine new and old sculpts in each release, I thought I would sit down and figure out what the Jade Falcons should get. I said should, not will. We all thought that the Highlanders should get a Targe, after all. I seriously doubt that the Clans would reduce themselves to pilot anything other than a true Battlemech. While I have heard a few comments about Omnimechs you can modify with cards, I doubt that would work out very well.

So, let us see what has been released in the past that will work well for the JF. Firstly, the Thor (Summoner) and Vulture (Mad Dog) Would be perfect for them. After all, they were used quite extensively by the Clans during the Invasion of 3050. Any of the Mad Cat (Timberwolf) series could be used. The Jupiter was designed by them, and the Ryoken (Storm Crow) might be useful also. Other than that, none of the existing sculpts work very well for the JF. Most are Inner Sphere designs or old Star League refits. While I could see a second line unit having Thunderbolts, Warhammers and Phoneix hawks, I doubt that such a unit would win the bidding to be included in their invasion. I am sure any LEs of different 'Mechs could be attributed to isorla.

Tanks and other vehicles are pretty much up in the air. The Falcons were never heavy into combined arms. Perhaps in the time since the Jihaad they have learned to overcome this shortsight. I am sure we will see some very powerful Battle Armor. Perhaps something on the line of the original Elemental armor, perhaps something as powerful as the ProtoMechs.

As for SEs, I think we will see a lot of Armor Piercing and Pulse. Most likely they will have real good heat dials, due to their double capacity heat sinks. Attack values will be naturally high due to their upbringing in the Sibkos. No Trueborn warrior with an attack value of 8 or less would probably be allowed into a frontline Cluster. Heavy and Hardened armor will be prevalent. We will probably see some evade also, as some Clan 'Mechs are blindingly fast.

All this taken into consideration, I think the Falcon units will be VERY expensive. Perhaps more expensive than the Liao units. Since the Clan mentality favors Quality over Quantity, I think most light 'Mechs will start out in the 170 point range. I don't think any of their infantry will be below 20 points either. They should be designed to run in multiples of 5. While this is relying heavily on the CBT fiction, I think it is a safe assumption.

In reality it is all up to the game designers. We can express our feeling and opinions. We can tell them what units we would like to see, and what special abilities we would like them to have. Hopefully It can be arranged to that the Falcons do no dominate the Sanctioned events for Months on end like House Liao has done. Some of us *gasp* are tired of the Liao events.

Intresting.... With those JF would be exelent faction but i doubt that thay will be like that and of course WK makes some 8 attack mechs even to JF.

WK did do a better job in picking ‘Mechs for the last “outside” faction (Liao). Apart from the ICE stuff the majority of their ‘Mechs are Liao designs which make sense for them to field. Hopefully they will treat Jade Falcons the same and we will see them get a lot of their traditional designs.

Someone posted a link from a German game site discussing the Falcon characteristics. IIRC, I think it said they're going to have high accuracy and range, but low damage.

I could easily envision the JFs getting the older IS Reseen mechs. The green ranks could easily be written in the fluff that they are solamha units being supplied by Brian Caches. Wizkids has also explained why the usage of vehicles and infantry in the new Clan factions is rather prevalent. I don't remember whether they stated if the original Clans have lessened the prejudice towards conventional forces like these.

I want to see the true Jade Falcon clan, not some half baked version of them. I want them to be true to their heritage -- merciless and powerful.

We dont know this as fact

mind you its fairly good speculation...and im sure that if its Jade Falcon it will have house abilities like they said all new "houses" will have abilities

Icy =)

Two quick points.

1. The liao ICE made sense at first. Remember that Liao had supporters inside the repulic boarders, and those supporters just grabed what they could.

2. Draddog already said that the germen artical was bull.

Any hoo....

I doubt the Jade Falcons will have a one-on-one rule. They got sick of the IS mechwarriors "playing falcon", and decided to not worry about honar when fighting "barbarines" pretty early in during the clan invasion.

Perhaps bonuses against units with the Command SE. After all, they often focused their attention on commanders and such.

"if we can't cut off the enemy's head, we cut off his arms instead."

Also, I've heard that Jade Falcon doesn't use vehicles. I've seen nothing to prove otherwise, and there's none metioned in their source book.

We do know this much as fact. Check out the last sentence in this article.

No offense, but shouldnt the Falcon's specials be in damage and accuracy. If I remember right the Innersphere were gutted by the Clans weapons and targeting computers. Remember that even during the Clan invasion the Lyrans had the big Mechs and a bunch of em at that and that's who the Falcons took on the most.

The clans were feared because of their insane range advantage over inner sphere. Remember inner sphere had no ER (extended range) anything before the clan invasion. Clans had extended range ppcs and large lasers that outranged everything the inner sphere had. Clan mechs are also notably more agile and manueverable in general than IS mechs of same size. Although all clan ER weapons also did more damage than the IS versions. Actually, clans were pretty much better in every aspect than inner sphere, but there were lot fewer of them. So giving them overall better units that cost more would sound right approach.

Fluff wise, I can't see any Clan with low damage values. Not just because of their superior tech but because clan warriors tended to gravitate towards mechs with insane damage output even if it meant being unable to fire all of them without shutting down. Just look at the Nova Prime (aka. Blackhawk). It was used in all of the clans. Now, aside from CBT fluff, long range and high attack with low damage is a pretty sound design paradigm and does a sufficient job of representing the deadly accuracy and long ranges of clan tech.

None of their traits will really matter in the dark age. Yes the clans are better in almost everyway but do have weaknesses, but to inner sphere fans this doesn't matter. They have been beliving that things have evened out between the IS and clans or will ever since the invasion began. If the jade falcons are still drastically better we will here complaining that will probally be louder than the one for the mad cat 2 sculpt by IS faction fans.

After reading the Way of the Clans book though (one of the best btech books I have read) I can believe the Clans are still that good. There is no way all that training could produce warriors that weren't superior to Inner Sphere warriors. I really hope they give them the stats and point cost these warriors deserve but something deep down inside of me tells them they won't. But the rereleasign of the Jade Phoenix Trilogy is a good sign I think.

I wonder if the Jade Falcon units will heavily favor energy, long range weapons like the SC faction. I could see JF mechs with 16" ranges with attack values in the 10-12 range w/IT. Guess their vents and heat dials will be similar to DF and SC. Hopefully they have speed like DF and SC, but the armor of Liao/HL but all this at the expense of high point cost. Maybe the Loki and Masakari will make an appearance. I still bet the reseen Battlemaster makes it to this set.

I see the Jade Falcon's being much like the Dragon's Fury...High attack and ranged damage values...quick movements/infiltrate...low defenses. The difference would be, light on the close-in combat (not much brawling, agility, etc.) and better ranges.

I would expect to see:

Unique Turkina
Unique Vulture or Catapult

Non Unique Jupiters and Thors maybe even a Puma!

They will be light on assault vehicles but heavy on Transports, Repair Vehicles, MASH Units, and infantry...in short they will be a Mech heavy army!

Speculation of course!

Catapult!? I doubt it. probly see some thors and lokis though.