BattleTech 101: The Great Houses of the Inner Sphere

[@GhostBear3067]

House Kurita: When we say put a planet to the sword we are not speaking figuratively. House Davion: Liberating the Inner Sphere one political marriage and smoldering crater at a time. House Liao: You do not have to be crazy to rule here, but it helps. House Marik: Do not bother attacking us, we have that covered. House Steiner: If it weighs under 80-tons we are not interested.

[@p_serdiuk]

House Steiner: Every military problem can be solved by throwing more money at it.

[@dwdarkwing1419]

House Marik: why have enemies when you can attack yourself?

[@vonKobra]

House Steiner rule applies to Mechs and Nobels

[@Insanemage2001]

House Kurita: Wants to rule over the inner Sphere and rule over it with an iron fist House Davion: Wants to "Liberate" the Inner Sphere and rule over it with a "firm guiding hand".

[@dwdarkwing1419]

@@Insanemage2001 so wait a minute davion is just a government of Obi-Wan kenobis?!?!?! Lol

[@TheDownrankTrain]

"House Davion may not pay you well, but at least they wont bury you for no reason" "Speaking of burying people for no reason, up next is the Cappelans!"

[@robertagren9360]

Ah yes, the Communists. Noticed the soundtrack.

[@Ailasher]

@@robertagren9360 "-Sir, can I offer you a few years of a plan... -SHUT YOUR TRAP, YOU FUCKING COMMIE!!!" Ah... Good ol Cold War days, when this idiocy was prescribed in lore. Even if the rocket that sent the humans to the moon was made by the three capitalist corporations under a joint plan. While in reality the communists were simultaneously developing three "moon" rockets by competing design bureaus for one Soviet lunar landing program. Hypocrisy level truly worthy for a fedrats.

[@baker90338]

@@robertagren9360 GLORY TO ARISTOTSKA.

[@rahulshah1408]

Am I the only one pro Capellan?

[@weirdferretthing]

@@rahulshah1408 No, of course not, there's a whole Great House and intergalactic power that's absolutely full of pro-Capellans. ... At least according to the Capellans.

[@navybean57]

Oh Tex, two part 2.5 hour long presentations are never too much for us!

[@Maezhughes]

I'm the same exact way, the longer the video, the better.

[@Ratkill9000]

Amen to that one! I'll sit through a any lecture he puts together.

[@Overworkedandunderpaid]

Never ever.

[@vonKobra]

Maybe, MAYBE, it's too much for some people, or it's too much for Tex to produce fast enough for KZbin's dumb auto unsubscribe to take effect

[@Eric-ch6gq]

It's possible Tex and the BPL were the ones having trouble developing it. It's a lot of work to be done, especially by people with a tendency to stress themselves out. For me, they are great.

[@MuchKoku]

Always felt bad for Rasalhague. Barely catch their breath from fighting the samurai cosplay dorks, only to have the vat-grown gym bros come barging through their front doors.

[@azuaraikrezeul1677]

Well they had an oppurtunity ruling the draconis combine.

[@Elenrai]

@@azuaraikrezeul1677 look at it from our timeline, my kinsmen escape the weeb cult, the commieboos, and the overweight germans, helped save the galaxy, and now they got access to all that fun clan tech, all while the core territory is ruled by the most sensible of all clans... Give it another 500 years and they will have their own galaxy, any scandinavian knows that "what is lost without must be regained within"

[@geoffreyhilario9501]

almost sounds like theyre a small convention centre that hosted an anime con, fitness con then furry con, all in the same week

[@toddkes5890]

@@geoffreyhilario9501 They were a medium convention center, but the fitness con took over 90% of it, and the Furry con took the little that was left. (They started off with over 80 worlds, within 2 years were reduced to 6 worlds, then taken over by Ghost Bear)

[@frankvalentine3315]

The upside to that is my helmet collection in my dropship is always expanding.

[@frocat5163]

As a Steiner player since way back in the early 1990s, "House Steiner can and will bury you with its vast assembly lines led by pretend generals, until you give up or they get bored," is probably the most reasonable description of my House I've ever heard. Well done, Tex.

[@ckmishn3664]

As someone with the reading Steiner ability, I'm just glad I notice when I change world lines.

[@silvermknight]

Hey a win is a win whether you do so by tactics or by burying your enemies under the weight of your "Scout Lance".

[@frocat5163]

@@silvermknight Why send a Wolfhound when you have a Zeus?

[@archerbascha8757]

@@frocat5163 Why send a Zeus when you can send ten?

[@macrux152__8]

Why send 10 Zeus's when you can- Oh God, they're doing it again. They're throwing ATLAS'ES out their fucking airlocks again. If even just ONE of those fuckers lives, we are screwed.

[@THEGRUMPTRUCK]

Ghost Bear at least warned Rasalhague that they were coming, and Rasalhague challenged them to football. Even though Ghost Bear ruined them at the game there were minimal, if any, casualties as a result. Ghost Bear treated them well. Unlike the rest if the invading clans, Ghost Bear came with the idea to enlighten the Inner Sphere and try to achieve peace that way, and only fought when necessary. During Tukayyid, the Ghost Bear commander did not want to risk losing more of her forces when trying to take Spanac and Luk. She took one, advanced on the other, lost the first city to Comstar. Took the second city, and though she knew the forces Comstar had deployed could be overcome with her remaining forces, she possessed the foresight to know it wasn't worth throwing it away. In hindsight, a good idea. The invading clans were at each other's throats after tukayyid, and the Ghost bears were largely okay at defending their own territory because they didn't spend their forces down so hard. Tex, informative and fun as always. Great work you and your crew do.

[@p_serdiuk]

You forgot that Bears have families and thus are automatically more sane. And that Rasalhague with whom they ultimately merged has probably the two most chill and hard working yet militarily competent cultures of Old Earth, Swedish and Japanese. My favorite Clan.

[@mwhyte1979]

My favorite Clan the "Space Teddy Bears"---Just don't say that to their faces.

[@p_serdiuk]

@@mwhyte1979 Why tho, what do you think their kids' favorite toy is

[@mwhyte1979]

@@p_serdiuk guess it depends on who hears you say it. LOL

[@andorfedra]

I've always loved me some clan Ghost Bear. Not even mentioning that Rassalhague has the best color scheme of all the inner-Sphere Powers (despite being a rump state when the CGB took over) so I'm confident that the "merger" of the two probably created my favorite "New" power in the Inner Sphere. as long as CGB combined the Rassalhague color scheme with their icon. Shit, now I need to paint me up a mech with that look... time to do some studying... in MW5... now how do I to get a Kodiak in THAT game?

[@johndowell5572]

I needed to stop and laugh heartily at this line: "Guys, as it turns out, you can make people show up to an ambush by just asking them. Remember! Be kind, it pays dividends!" Thank you for this and the rest of this amazing writing and videography!

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

to be fair Clan wolf won, Ghost bear had a tie and overall smoke jaguar are a bunch of total assholes unlike Tex whose just an asshole

[@KMCA779]

honestly it's the delivery that makes it.

[@alexmccutcheon10]

I personally love the description of the lyran commonwealth as a lovecraftian god minding its own business before someone disturbed it and it brings down the hammer

[@bthsr7113]

My computer! My oven! /I claim this land for the honor of my family, the combine, and the Coordinator!/ You broke my stock code. You broke my Strudel. Now. I. Break. YOU!

[@Ratkill9000]

The part that is wrong is, the Social Generals of the Lyran Commonwealth do not hold any military leadership roles. It's just a title that they got. I believe Mage Leader did it best with I believe the Zeus video.

[@georgestauber2636]

The Lyran commonwealth is apparently the Lovecraftian outer god of the military industrial complex.

[@testaccount-kl2ee]

@@Ratkill9000 Social Generals as a formal position were steadily removed of power and eventually abolished by the time the 3000s rolled around, but the "Social General" problem itself still existed and in the Lyran Commonwealth the term persists as a shorthand for the use in the video, which are idiot nobles that got their military positions through bribery or relationships.

[@supersmashbro596]

i love how the mechs are portrayed as german drunks during oktoberfest. it's great.

[@z3r0_35]

The FWL starting out as what basically amounted to a TTRPG party playing in a palace somewhere is absolutely hilarious.

[@JAR792]

House Kurita: "We're a dictatorship? I'm glad you noticed!" House Davion: "Making the Sphere safe for (our strain of) autocracy!" House Liao: "How did you get access to this website?! The Maskirovka are inbound to your location!" House Marik: "Goodness! Civil war time already?" House Steiner: "Guten Tag! Consider your conquest a way to have greater access to our markets!" Comstar: [REDACTED] W.o.B.: [REDACTED BUT MORE RELIGIOUS] F.R.R.: "Jag hattar mitt liv..." T_T The Clans: "The whole Sphere must learn our peaceful ways! By force!" Republic of the Sphere: "See you, Space Cowboy." Periphery: "We're here too dammit!" Deep Periphery: "God what I wouldn't give for some content that wasn't getting conquered by the Clans..." Union of Samoyedic Colonies: "Take the nomad pill."

[@Athrun82]

Needs a bit more difference for the Periphery: Taurian Concordat: It's a Davion! there is a Davion AAARRGHHH Calderon Protectorate: Davions aren't bad Magistracy of Canopus: We like to party! Outworlds Alliance: Let''s get along friends Marian Hegemony: Ave Cesar! Now we take your planet! Circinus Federation: Arrrhhh we go plunder! Rimworld Collection: We are the one true Democracy!

[@Cyberfender1]

"House Marik: Goodness! Civil war time already?" 🤣

[@janrautenstrauch4729]

The Clans: "The whole Sphere must learn our peaceful ways! By force!" - might want to add: "Also, eugenics rule, you freeborn scum!"

[@saeyabor]

@@Cyberfender1 Never change, Clan Purple Pigeon. Never change.

[@kinagrill]

Mainwhile, Canopus - SPACE HOOKERS, CATGIRLS, DRUGS, JUMPSHIP SPACEVEGAS DEPRAVITY!

[@WarhawkTalon]

Alright, this one has changed my theories on Prof. Tex's history. I think he was from Rasalhague. And that line about how the Ghost Bears are good people, but kinda clingy? His Elemental wife did seem to have one heck of a bear hug.

[@somenerd3515]

He's from Van Zandt in the Deep Periphery. Don't worry. They rent their army. It's fine.

[@mikecampos1193]

I'm going on in something that professor's Tex father or grandfather may have fought the clans in the battle of Tukayyid.

[@TheDownrankTrain]

My theory on the creation of Van Zandt is that it was a Rimworlds Republic world before the Kerensky Blitz (hence being next to the Lyrans and having Steiner Scouts on payroll). When Clan Wolverine was purged with a decent chunk of its people unaccounted for they fled to Van Zandt and were more than happy to share stories. This is why there are elementals (or the descendants of them) living on the planet and why the BPL academy has such in-depth records on the true nature of the Clans

[@noneedtoknow07]

@@TheDownrankTrain But a brief line in the Warhammer video where Van Zandt's reaction to Star League was "What in the cinnamon toast fuck is a Star League?" I think they are pretty far removed from wider Inner Sphere politics. Not a part of something that held a centuries long grudge.

[@athos1029]

@@TheDownrankTrain I like your theory there’s only one problem. If Tex were even remotely adjacent to Clan Wolverine he probably would have a Clan Ghostbear wife. Remember the vendetta Ghostbear has against the Wolverines?

[@davep.7444]

Well, this was unexpected. A discussion of House Liao that wasn't 40% disgust and cursing!

[@brycegordon1114]

Least he still treated the clanners as they deserve. Poorly.

[@contractorFSU]

"I'm joking of course, Capellans don't have schools" That one had me rolling

[@anonymous7386]

There's about an hour and a half of material on the cutting room floor from that segment. The glories of a patient editor.

[@shadow50011]

@@contractorFSU Capellans have the best education in the Inner Sphere

[@richmcgee434]

At teh end of the day most Capellan citizens are just victims. Don't hate them for the awful state that claims to own them.

[@PopeMetallicus]

"Left hand feed for those of you who understand timing" You made my inner machine gunner really happy with that one

[@matthewbrothers2199]

I watched this with my four kids(at separate times). The 14 year old fot most of the jokes and can’t pick a faction but thinks Marik is weird. One 10 year old is a Steiner to her toenails, one 10 year old is a Clanner, and has no skin in this game but thinks Davion needs more capes. The 6 year old is here for giant robots and giant robot shenanigans, and a mild explanation of how the phone company runs a planet.

[@Alexisthewolfy]

Sounds like you've got a Merc, Lyran loyalist, a Clanner, and a Com Guard all rolled up into one house.

[@additiveartificer9365]

@@Alexisthewolfy so typical innersphere

[@Alexisthewolfy]

@additiveartificer9365 I cannot tell if you are calling me a spheriod or if you're saying that their family is the IS rolled up into one? XD

[@Questknight12]

Good man. Good man indeed.

[@Alexisthewolfy]

@@brandon_of_britain Of course. I would expect nothing less, though I thank you for the compliment.

[@upthink5665]

I thought the Capellan background music sounded familiar and yes you are absolutely right that the Capellans definitely would be right at home with Papers Please! Glory to Arostozka... I mean Capellan Confederation!

[@chesterstevens8870]

I'm gonna have to agree with Duncan on this one: as a Taurian who occasionally enjoys corndogs and can no longer get them from the burlesque girls next door, Solaris VII is really the only vacation place in the Sphere left of note.

[@Wesley-1776]

My company’s chef has a deep fryer and large amounts of sausages. We give free vouchers to Union-06s cafeteria to anyone that donates a periphery original mech design.

[@mikecampos1193]

Is it cannon that if there's a canopus cat girl that says is Duncan Fisher my dad could that be yes or no.

[@Wesley-1776]

@@mikecampos1193 I don’t understand this comment

[@dwdarkwing1419]

@@Wesley-1776 i believe hes reaching for the duncan fisher is the battletech version of Glenn Quagmire lol

[@bronsilverstring5874]

How is it you can't get them anymore if we, proud Canopians, formed Trinity Alliance with you and "Geneva suggestions" state

[@snarkyguy]

I love how the Inner Sphere map has "the phone company" for Comstar. I laughed harder than I should have.

[@Colonel_Overkill]

and god help anyone who doesent pay the bill.....

[@Charon-5582]

Space AT&T!

[@grandsome1]

Space AT&T that is also the IRS, that also doesn't have any weapon or army that I know of, because they're neutral.

[@boobah5643]

@@grandsome1 Yep, no army at all. That's why they had to call the Clans up to arrange an ambush, instead of the more traditional method of putting your army somewhere unexpected.

[@absalomdraconis]

@@boobah5643 : Yeah, all they have is Customer Service Associates. Lots of repressed grievances got aired out at Tukkayid.

[@IdToaster]

It's worth throwing out there that while Steiner's top brass is often incompetent, their lower and middle ranks usually have their heads on straight. They named one of their house omnis after the rank of Hauptmann (roughly, Captain) for a reason, after all.

[@MrAsaqe]

I would be legit scared if their upper brass is competent. Good with money and spending said money on proper training and command makes for a deadly duo with greed being the double edged sword

[@bthsr7113]

@@MrAsaqe Hence why everyone was panicking over the Steiner Davion marriage. Elevating the upper command of Lyran resources to even basic levels of competency would be devastating to everyone else. But put the most professional strategists of the Davions in command and.... well....

[@venom0825]

@@bthsr7113 God, the fedcom civil war was just depressing, they had such potential.

[@ps3nickolia12]

@@venom0825 definitely could have created a new star league under their hegemony if that hadn't happened and they played their cards right.

[@venom0825]

@@ps3nickolia12 with so many potential star league failing, kerensky must be doing barrel rolls in his grave.

[@tba113]

The Papers, Please March for the Capellan Confederation was a nice touch. Edit: The music choices throughout are pretty fantastic, honestly. The content too, obviously, but plenty of other people have pointed out plenty of awesome things there for special praise already, so I don't need to repeat that. Thank you and your team, Tex!

[@MDFification1]

One thing I kind of wish you'd brought up when talking about House Marik - Star League was as much or more their creation than Ian Cameron's creation. He was just megalomaniacal enough that they figured he wouldn't join if he didn't get to be First Lord. House Marik were the ones who figured out most of how Star League was going to actually run, and the ones who brought the other houses to the table.

[@Tekisasubakani]

He'll probably go into that if/when he does deeper dives into the houses/factions. Hopefully.

[@everyonethinksyoureadeathm5773]

The Hedgemony and FWL were as one would say allies all but on paper. So Ian worked with the FWL along with the hermit state to bring about the League. The Combine was more of a threat than the Lyrans and Davions

[@GnarledStaff]

@@Tekisasubakani ooh, tha ks for the info!

[@cracklingvoice]

Albert the Great. Ironic given that he had dwarfism. He was the guy that held Ian Cameron's hand through the first three states that were brought into the Star League.

[@jonathanmalone1943]

"Even when they are wrong they are almost right." Well thats a ringing endorsement from Tex

[@AaronLitz]

Federated Suns Forever! 😁

[@FrikInCasualMode]

@@AaronLitz Word, brother. Davions have their problems, but unlike other main factions they are trying to overcome them.

[@combativeThinker]

@@FrikInCasualMode I firmly believe that they are mankind’s best hope.

[@eddapultstab2078]

In fairness for Davion, standing for liberty and freedom is a great soap box to stand on, look at their neighbors and arch rivals, the kukoo for murder puffs kuritan image of literally putting whole planets to the sword, And of course the state run everything nation where you have no rights unless they say so and oh yeah the children you raised aren't even your children according to the state. The fed sun's live between two extremes of vulgarity and barbarity so the holier than thou approach is a great way to unify a people without the expensive and labor intensive political conditioning, and without the eventual backlash as well. Every fed citizen knows that kurita can will murder entire population centers just as a victory lap after conquering a planet and if the capellans conquered they are basically slaves and put into internment camps for reprogramming. It's pretty much why, the davions, have so much public, political and military support, they know the alternatives and they don't look better than the status qou.

[@bthsr7113]

@@eddapultstab2078 The only neighbors the Fed Suns really have to worry about looking worse than are the Taurians.

[@newfiegamer1037]

Gods. Hearing Duncan Fisher's voice just bursting out again brought back so many memories of a young me spending HOURS upon HOURS playing Mechwarrior 4 Merc's and fighting it out in the S7 Arena.

[@tomsimpkins1211]

"They are not evil. Just smug. And yes, that is as bad."

[@ThresherC88]

When I introduced my friends to Mechwarrior 5, they asked me: "So I'm guessing the House Kurita faction are the bad guys?" My answer? "I'd say they're moreso assholes than villains. Then again, every faction is made up of assholes."

[@kalashnikovdevil]

They're on the smellier end of the assholes depending on how you feel about mid 20th century Imperial Japan.

[@kristiankepley5944]

They’re the second most asshole of the assholes The first belong to the backstabers

[@KoeSeer]

technically the villain in BT universe is Liao and Capellan, but yeah, all of them are assholes. I mean a wedding gift from Davion marriage is basically seizing important chunk of star system from Capellan

[@kristiankepley5944]

@@KoeSeer combine: elitist assholes Federated suns: self righteous assholes Capellan: Stalinist-authoritarian assholes Merik: death to merik, glory to merik! Steiner: rich pompous assholes Space Swedish that got taken over by the clans: Vikings

[@countofarcadia]

@@KoeSeer The greatest villain is either the quite dead Rim Worlds Republic under House Amaris or the Word of Blake under a . . . Master named Thomas Marik. You can put a lot of Clanners in the villain role along with most of the Capellans. And to be fair, Hanse Davion took care of the worlds that he conquered for his wife Melissa Steiner-Davion. Industry and Infostructure improved, and I am sure that Sun-Tzu who may be Hanse's son as well due to Phone Company Meddling really appreciated that when he took a good chunk of those worlds back in the War of '57. He wasn't going to make Xin Sheng work with the couple factories and mule that his mother left him- hell most of the success of the Capellans and Mariks is due to the fact that Katherine "Backstabber" Steiner-Davion had the bright idea of pulling jumpships out for her short term laugh. In short, all problems for the Federated Suns can be laid at the feet of the worst offshoot of Hanse Davion, Katherine "Worst Daughter" Steiner-Davion.

[@cycoticmongoose]

Wow I didn’t expect to see a BattleTech video so soon after the warhammer. Make sure you’re not overworking yourself, Tex! We love the content, but not if it comes at your own expense

[@rodioncantacuzene6639]

This

[@Deadsnake989]

This. I'd love to see videos of the quality of the Warhammer video come out every couple months. But I know the inhuman levels of work required to do that. I'd much rather see Tex make quality videos for many many more years ahead. Rather than burn himself into an early 6 underground working too hard.

[@dickc.normous6369]

Quiet you. Working himself to death is what Tex does.

[@AdairTheSkull]

I am a simple man. I see BPL Battletech video, I watch it. Also I love how Discount Dan is the Pillar of Jade.

[@SgtPotShot]

I am also interested in this Fried Chicken religion

[@BlueSatoshi]

@@SgtPotShot Over in Japan it's apparently customary to order KFC for Christmas.

[@NotBCT]

@@SgtPotShot Fried Chicken Christmas in GLORIOUS NIPPON. Evidently the Space Weebs carry on this tradition.

[@eddapultstab2078]

Discount Dan also sells discount pillars of jade, not "allegedly" stolen from kuritan chambers.

[@WatcherontheWeb]

This, right here

[@CharlesInserra]

I actually love your original 2 part intro and the following 2 part primer on the Clans. However I respect that is a fk ton of effort to bring those together. Love your work and what the BPL does. Shit posting and all of the fun that comes with it.

[@LynxSnowCat]

Meow; unnecessary time stamps for those wishing to link specific video-chapters: 2:45 The Draconis Combine & House Kurita 7:06 The Federated Suns & House Davion 10:00 The Capellan Confederation & House Liao 14:02 Free Worlds League & House Marik 19:48 Lyran Commonwealth & House Steiner 25:07 Free Rasalhague Republic 25:17 & The Clans 28:25 ComStar 29:04 & Blake 29:07 The Periphery 29:10 & The Deep Periphery 29:18 ... Goatburger 31:19 ... Mech Beth 33:10 ... A Capellian joke about "A" words

[@sasha1mama]

I should tell you, Tex: listening to these BT lore vids got me to download MW5. I'm not entirely certain I'm enjoying it all that much yet, because it's been literally 20 years since I played MW4 and I barely remember what I'm doing, and I haven't reached the point yet where I can roflstomp entire lances solo like a bored Steiner at Oktöberfest, but hey, it's the thought that counts. I think. I'll ship one of these spare Urbies I found to Van Zandt for ya by way of thanks. I know you adore the little buggers.

[@mkosmala1309]

You got me to have a lot more respect for the FWL. Well done. That bit about nerd bonding is so very human.

[@swordsman1ke511]

My last playthrough of Battletech with the BTA mod made me really appreciate the Free Worlds League, as such Tex's segment on the FWL was really getting to me.

[@dawnfire82]

He left out a lot. The levels of fractious power grabbing, fratricide, and lunacy get pretty high later in the timeline.

[@RemTV]

I like that you gave the Capellan Confederation a fair shake rather than just meme it about how they're 'backstabbing communists'. great video as always

[@Deridus]

I honestly wasn't expecting it, you know? Really, who ever gives them a fair shake?

[@everyonethinksyoureadeathm5773]

The last time I did a contract for them, they tried to tell me my Drop ship was our drop ship. Then decided to sic a battalion of MacCarrons 3rd calvary division to repo the thing. Look, I took the contract it was for 8 million, my team found a SLDF Union Dropship that was in working order, minus half it's cargo content. Even after negotiating full salvage. The damn layer fees and dealing with Comstar MRB was a pain. Damn space commies.

[@jonathanswift7582]

But... they are backstabbing commies.

[@RemTV]

@@everyonethinksyoureadeathm5773 yeah well maybe you should've just served the state better because everyone in my mercenary company was granted citizenship

[@Scrubwave]

For making the Raven much can be forgiven.

[@TheSaskOtaku]

This was pretty cool to watch and especially the chunk dedicated to the purple parakeets. The part on Rasalhague gave me some level of appreciation to them and I wanna learn more on them and the Rasalhague Dominion.

[@certanmike]

they were as close to good guys as clans can get for 100 years (there is some stuff going on in 3150 in the next book that I fear may change that but no one I know plays ilclan

[@TheSaskOtaku]

@@certanmike I'm still slowly getting into Battletech so it's still a learning process for me. Plus I had an idea for a short story where someone of the Inner Sphere side of the population tries to train to join the military as a MechWarrior. Figured it would be good if I read shit first before writing something that didn't work at all.

[@certanmike]

@@TheSaskOtaku Roar of Honor is a good book to see how the member of the clan ghost bears are and sarna has some good background of for units of IS warriors that joined the Rasalhague Dominion and how the place works (they do this odd thing called vote :0 )

[@TheSaskOtaku]

@@certanmike Thank you. I will do what I can to get a copy and thankfully a print version looks quite obtainable.

[@sirflapfla97]

YES JOIN US IN THE DOMINION

[@TheAKgunner]

“Left hand feed for those who understand timing.” FINALLY!! Someone who speaks my language!!

[@TheRageaholic]

Glory to Marik! Glory to the Knights of the Inner Sphere!

[@Morec0]

Based beyond belief, Mr. Fist.

[@KMCA779]

"The house always wins" Fucking brilliant.

[@korosz9591]

Tex I can't think of a compliment that would give you and the team enough credit so here's this: you got me into this fandom and I get a dopamine shot EVERY TIME I see a new video posted.

[@sordcooper2]

What's this, a Tex talks battle tech that isn't feature length? Neat, and it's way sooner than expected! I'm down for more of these!

[@mageleader3699]

Really liked this one. Did my boys in Rasalhague justice. Shame that they've been so thoroughly squashed to the point where they aren't even recognizable anymore.

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

what are you talking about they are fine Ghost bear is treating them well.

[@cogwheel6076]

@@sheilaolfieway1885 yeah. But that’s ghost bear. There weeiiiird

[@testaccount-kl2ee]

That's just their 8-ft tall Elemental gf about to give them a broken pelvis.

[@300lbsNick]

Sir this is a Wendy's. also love the mariachi music. reminds me of Camacho's Caballeros (yes I know they are FWL)

[@DrunknBraindead]

Perfect timing Tex, just was on the look for something to fall asleep to. Nothing hits as good as a deep calm voice and facinating documentaries.

[@kaiomai]

I am so happy that I am not the only one. For me it is either David Attenborough or mo fuggin TEX!

[@bkane573]

To short tho. Wildly inconvenient to wake up every half hour because it stopped and I had to restart it.

[@Lightman0359]

I love your humorous but accurate take on Battletech lore. While my character was a former Space AT&T bill collector turned merc [how else would I have a functional BL-6KNT?], I was not a Blakeist, and ended up contracting under the Explorer Corps. In my campaign, the horrible Battletech cartoon was not only ComStar propaganda to make the clanners look dumb(er), it was misdirection for my unit Death From Above, made up initially of a former AFFS pilot in a Centurion, a nutty DCMS pilot in a bright magenta Panther, the only good Capellan in a Catapult and my Black Knight. Our madlad Catapult actually performed the art from the Mechwarrior TCG card "death from above" and tapdanced on the hood of a Masakari. That in silhouette became our unit crest.

[@grandsome1]

Ah, so that's where that unaccounted BL-6KNT went, uh? *sound of c-bill being deposited mysteriously to my account*

[@Lightman0359]

@@grandsome1 Mine was essentially the prototype, upgraded form a BL-7 using clan salvage, then given a sword and later TSM. I'd blast away with my 2 salvaged clan ppcs until the TSM kicked in, then cut off heads until I cooled down

[@GhostBear3067]

Funny thing is the Battletech animated series was made canonically a propaganda cartoon aimed at children, produced by the Tharkad Broadcast Company. Even funnier, to me anyway, is that Adam Steiner is an actual Lyran noble and military officer so I like to imagine he HAAAAAATES that cartoon.

[@Lightman0359]

@@GhostBear3067 We got the idea from that bit of lore, adding another layer to the derp onion. Like that episode of Stargate where SG-1's human friend from another planet starts subconsciously remembering their adventures together and makes the in-universe "Wormhole X-treme", but instead of shutting it down, the military brings SG-1 in as consultants, for plausible deniability.

[@arsenalxa4421]

@@GhostBear3067 The actual Nicolai Malthus tried to sue for libel. When the judge ruled in favor of the TBS Nicholai tried to issue a batchall on the judge and was ordered held in contempt of court. The funny thing is the cartoon wasn't too far off the mark on how he was as a person.

[@timebrain3188]

Not gonna lie, wasn't expecting this video so soon, thought it'd come after the Charger... still, super excited!

[@Servellion]

I just love how that map just has Comstar's territory labeled as The Phone Company

[@Okada_Caelun]

I feel a minor letdown is It wasn't said that the full title of the Kuritan leadership is "The Coordinator of Worlds". Gives some insight into what the position thinks of itself, and why they might choose such a title rather than something more conventional like "Emperor"

[@CharlesUrban]

Thanks for the lesson, Professor. I knew next to nothing about the Free Worlds League, and this helped a great deal. And Duncan Fisher is always welcome...even though this is how I learned that Canopus has banned trans fats. I didn't think that Canopus banned anything besides abstinence.

[@brendaneichler5480]

Trans fats rights!

[@AaronLitz]

I've been into BattleTech since '92 and even I didn't know a lot of the Free Worlds League stuff, like the rulers geeking out together. I guess I've just never read enough about the FWL.

[@Bluehairedgirl89]

At the risk of starting a complaining session, it’s the same way with me. When I first got into Battletech I was really interested in the Free Worlds League as a faction. But they have very few books written from their prospective and a lot of their fluff just feels pretty mediocre. They have a bad habit of getting treated like “the other faction” in the constant conflicts between Steiner, Davion, Liao, and Kurita. And then of course they became the Marik civil war meme and they’ve been kinda pigeon holes as that. I don’t think they’ve ever really gotten a fair shake, but I am a bit of a fan girl so I’m a bit bias.

[@Threadsinger]

I was just thinking how best to explain the high-level lore of the Battletech universe to friends moving on from Warhammer/WOW. That's some shady and impressive psychic-lostech you got there on Van Zandt.

[@jonathantoohey4035]

This was absolutely perfect as a primer for my players. Been reading battletech since I was 5, collected a few things, over the years and just got started with the table top. In fact the interest really rose when I watched Kohlberrto's Discount Tukkayid, but that's beside the point. Several of my players have requested something like this, and while I linked them the frankly amazing civil war vids, this really gives a nice cultural view on the different houses. Tex, thank you for these well put together videos, it's so much fun listening to your explanations, and I appreciate the care you use in collecting the information within. You and the legion are amazing.

[@joemomma2189]

These diverse cultures make me appreciate my group- I got a basket case of a mercenary group. My guy who runs his 'Starlight', which is a Marauder (MAD-5D), Lore who operates 'Motherbear', a Warhammer (WHM-6Rb), Ryan who operates our most FREAKING EXPENSIVE MECH- His 'Twilight', which is a No-Dachi (NDA-3X), Gilstone who uses his 'Teleia' which is an Ares (ARS-V1A) and is our long range, and our latest member Nidela who uses an Urbanmech which she calls 'Littlefoot' (It's a IIc Variant). We all come from pockets all over the sphere (and in Lore's case beyond), but like us in real life, we as our characters manage to make the most of our collective parts to be a good rag-tag unit. Our story is pretty freaking cool as well. Battletech is expansive and large, and you can make a thousand stories on a thousand worlds in any of the great houses, periphery, or clans, and you'd STILL have more to do. Really Tex- thanks for showing newbies the ropes and bringing in more people by the day, you guys in the BPL deserve WAY more attention than you get.

[@bthsr7113]

How is your freaking ARES not the most expensive?

[@joemomma2189]

@@bthsr7113 in our story, the Ares was a...well, no way to put it- we stole it. After Alaric snubbed the Wolf Dragoons (our company had ties with them, my character more personally)in the story we did, we hit them and hard. Gilstone's mech got fucked (he had a good mech too- his Crusader (CRD-5M) he named 'Jacques') and he needed a new mech. Guess which Mech that was? Every time he kills a clanner now, he yells out 'That's for Jack!'

[@bthsr7113]

@@joemomma2189 yea, but... Upkeep

[@StarlightSocialist]

I approve of your mech name choice!

[@joemomma2189]

@@StarlightSocialist Starlight is my baby :3

[@cburger4life144]

“They’re frequently not evil, just smug. And yes, that’s just as bad.” I’m fuckin dying 😂

[@thisnamewerx0350]

I was watching something else, but within 23 sec I'm now watching this

[@canis2020]

Same. I want to know so much about battletech but it's all over the place. I know there is Sarna, but it's not this clean.

[@Dr-Weird]

Yes

[@BlueGrimgrin]

Man. Imagine having some opaque high handed communications company that answers to no-one deciding what can and cannot be said for vague and obscure reasons. Praise Susan.

[@ImperatorZor]

The Dunkleosteus was a seven meter long armored predatory placoderm fish from the late Devonian Era (380-359 million years ago) with massive powerful jaws and in place of teeth blade like extensions of the skull.

[@ObsidianDragon7030]

Saw a Fossilized Skeleton of one once at a museum. Would NOT wanna swim with one.......

[@leandersearle5094]

I have no idea how this is related to anything. Now shut up and take my like.

[@nathanielgrey4091]

My favorite extinct non-tetrapod chordate.

[@Soladrin]

I have its skull tattoo'd on my upper body lmao

[@FullmetalOrk]

Placoderms are cool

[@gruntmastergames2626]

I like to imagine ComStar threatened to make Kurita's Internet history public, so they left raselhaug alone.

[@Rick586]

Old Theo's been watching some... *dishonorable* things.

[@limbonlegs1662]

I think they have a lot of HPG traffic between house kurita and canopus

[@IloveOtherPplsMsry]

How to make rank in each house; Kurita: Follow the rules Davion: Creative thinking Liao: Be batshit insane Marik: Earn through merit Steiner: Open your checkbook

[@TheAngriestGamer.]

Wounded Warriors. Total raised: $1,776.00 1776$ LMAOOOOOO thats so perfect for this cause its not even funny.. Yes they deserve much more.. but to have it land on that number is amazing. PS thanks tex and crew for making these awesome videos =)

[@john88benson]

For some reason the "trundling out of planet killers for public display" tickled my funny bone. I just envision some house noble tugging a 2786 Fat Man equivalent out of a self storage unit on a hand cart.

[@bthsr7113]

Followed by a parade of more nobles dragging more WMDs

[@TheMonk72]

"Just happily making money and strudel..." I'm dying here. Steiner in a rich, tasty nutshell.

[@edinalewis4704]

Always a good day to hear from Duncan “Fuckin’ Nailed it” Fisher!!!!

[@TheVekuRommel]

The "left-handed for those who understand timing" joke still makes me giggle.

[@archmagosdeciuskronen1501]

I deserted from the Capellan Armed Forces due to toxic leadership in my armored company, I fled to Canopus, now I have a Cat girl that repairs my guns and feeds me General Tso's chicken

[@TheSquic]

Short(er), punchy, clever, and fast paced. A video that covers it's subject matter in enough detail to give an overview, and in such a way that it leaves one hungering for a more in-depth deep dive! The editing was brilliantly done, with the cuts in ALL the right places, and the pacing to the tone of an engaging report rather than a dry lecture. I'd like to call extra attention to the slide cuts which not only look fantastic, but do a great job in cutting otherwise still or near-still shots in without breaking the mood. Another masterclass from everyone involved. Bravo!

[@FaceIntoKeyboard]

Hell yes. Praise z0rg!!! Edit: The MechBeth excerpt at the end was damned fine work. Lift a glass for the man, the myth, the legend, George Ledoux!

[@Kmkilch22]

I absolutely love that you used the "Papers, Please" intro theme for the Capellan Confederation 🤣🤣

[@HawkeBM]

This really helps with knowing what the Houses are like. I know it's unlikely, but would love to see detailed videos related each of the Houses one day. But for now, this changed my stance on which house to side.

[@fatcoyote2]

Surprise Tex Talks Battletech is surprisingly succinct. Surprised supplicants are seemingly satiated.

[@ErinPalette]

I've never been a fan of the Clans. I think one of the greatest injustices done to the BT universe was how quickly we jumped from post-4th Succession War to the Clan Invasion. I feel like the 3030s weren't given a chance to breathe, much less develop as a setting, before suddenly it was 20 years later. The FRR was as much a footnote within the game itself as it was within the chronology of the setting.

[@eddapultstab2078]

My personal belief that the lawsuits put a wrench in their plans and were forced to fast forward, including making all the factories that made the unseen explode in stupid fashion.

[@ErinPalette]

That makes an unfortunate amount of sense. Fkn' Carl Macek.

[@bthsr7113]

The clans pose interesting issues, but the turnaround between events is a bit frantic, especially for poor Rasselhague. I mean, Swedish/Japanese speaking space Vikings who also have IKEA. That is just gold for a fun faction! Add on that they're a bugger state, and you could do a lot with them.

[@ErinPalette]

I'm not sure what a "bugger state" is, but regardless I find the term hilarious.

[@bthsr7113]

@@ErinPalette I meant to type buffer.

[@DarkKnightCuron]

Looking forward to the vid on the periphery :D

[@pythagoras2301]

It's like my old lance commander told me, : watch your heat, shoot straight, and never ever cut a deal with a Kuritan."

[@mykin3945]

I think this is the first time anyone talked about my Free Worlds League and not describe it as a continuous dumpster fire that just won't go out. I mean, there is truth to the dumpster fire description. But it is nice to hear it described in non-dumpster firey terms. Reminded me of why I'm still proud of my home corner of space, warts and all.

[@devalk_]

5:22 we must also not forget the rarely talked about 6th pillar, The Silicon Pillar of the Bad Dragon

[@NoahChinnBooks]

One of the things I love about Tex's take on the BT universe is how closely it matched my own back when I played as a kid. Like coming home ;)

[@Lesbian.Monster.Hunter]

As a canopian, I agree with the brief gloss over of how we fucked over the "anything is for sale" house

[@captainspire9094]

It was worth every C-Bill to hear George, Duncan his way into glory.

[@garthantash]

I have had an affection for House Steiner all the way back to when Crescent Hawks Inception was first released. After I was able to buy some books years later, I memorised just about every page of any mercenary book and then developed my ongoing affinity for Canopus. I look forward to see how Tex tackles the periphery states and the jumbled spaghetti mess of Battletech's history of mercenary companies.

[@ELPMCFlashFrame]

Yet another wonderfully put together project, a great layman's guide to the Inner Sphere. You guys are doing the fandom proud.

[@johntrotter7372]

Condensed battletech goodness, nailed it out of the park. New favorite video.

[@rifleman2c997]

Discount Dan being the Pillar of Jade is perfect.

[@walt_man]

If you remember only one thing form this! It's that *STICK food, is the FOOD!* By-the-yard!

[@MrSaywutnow]

You're right, Tex - the music you chose for the Capellans is a perfect fit. It was actually bugging me that I couldn't figure out where it was from, despite it sounding so familiar. Glory to Arst.......errrm Liao.

[@weaselwolf]

This is great! I'd be happy to get more of these shorter, lighter videos covering broad subject backgrounds. I love a good feature-length deep dive, but I know how much work those are and they can be a little dense for showing to newbies. But this? This is perfect for showing my mech-curious friends

[@hitomisalazar4073]

Ah, missing one of my favorite details about Raselhague however. That over their long Draconis Combine rule... they developed a new language. Swedenese. Swedish and Japanese as a hybrid language. Swedish Japanese. Japanese Swedish. I... I have no idea what that language would sound like. But it amuses me to no end that it was a primary language.

[@FrikInCasualMode]

It's Japanese, but with ümlåüts in every word.

[@combativeThinker]

@@FrikInCasualMode My God.

[@richmcgee434]

@@FrikInCasualMode The new kanji characters all look like stylized axes and viking longboats and helmets and stuff.

[@Rick586]

Signature dish: riceballs with a core of meat. Or maybe meatballs with a core of rice?

[@richmcgee434]

@@Rick586 Nah, kraken-based sushi. :)

[@FirstLast-cg2nk]

I'd love to see a video series on the Succession Wars, especially about the one that started because of wedding china. No, I am not kidding, and yes, it becomes even more ridiculous with context.

[@Ripster40]

Loved it. Honestly a good 30 minute video explaining the main IS factions in the game.

[@MMMmyshawarma]

Christmas KFC in Japan is nuts. I was just working there for a year and looked to get in the action, nope, have to reserve your chicken for the 25th dec.

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

I like that the Paper's Please theme is playing while showing the Capellan Confederation. It is a modern classic.

[@scottjuhnke6825]

"This is Duncan..." U was thoroughly enjoying this, and then....You went right over the top. BRAVO! I say, Bravo to you, Sir!

[@theblackpantslegion]

TO NOT OVERSHADOW HIS OWN MAJESTIC ACHIEVEMENT - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpyqZGl5pcyhaKs - HE DID THIS OUT OF CARDBOARD.

[@mikehendon7327]

Tex, some food for joy: KZbin linked me here from one of the Lego Star Wars shorts. LEGO. STAR. WARS. The algorithm is black and blue, and weeping red and bitter tears.

[@chriswarner8906]

"To our right, because space has that..."😂😂😂

[@readwatchlisten2863]

We need another Battletech 101. This was too good to be only one episode.

[@RealArcalian]

Way sooner than I expected! 18:18 Not to mention the fact that it was a dissafected Marik Captain that founded Canopus in the first place

[@TheDownrankTrain]

If you wanted to do a more in-depth video on each of the great houses, may I humbly suggest doing a video on a core mech of each houses military? For example: Zeus/Banshee for House Steiner (Banshee I feel is a more interesting mech in terms of its history and ties into the Steiner habit of falling ass-backward into success) Vindicator for Liao Dragon/Panther for Kurita (Both are quintessential Draconis mechs, the Dragon is more iconic but the Panther plays a larger role in the Combines Light-centric doctrine) Enforcer for Davion Hermes II or a remake of the Awesome video for Marik Since these mechs are an integral part of the military doctrine of their respective houses no doubt an in-depth exploration of said houses to determine the geopolitical, ideological and economic factors that lead to those particular machines coming into prominence is warranted.

[@bbsamik1999]

This make this the design philosophy and engineering prefrences of each state to explain why they fight how they fight

[@robertivey7644]

Davion has signature mechs at pretty much every tonnage. They even designed a few for Steiner like Wolfhound and Hachetman.

[@TheDownrankTrain]

@@robertivey7644 True, but I feel like the Enforcer is a quintessential Davion mech.

[@bthsr7113]

There's an argument to be made for the Jenner being one of the most iconic Combine mechs. It's also just a very nasty light who you never want to see put to full effect in numbers by an enemy. Honestly doesn't make the Totem Mech concept seem so crazy/

[@apokalypsecow9756]

Tex, thanks as always for providing enjoyable content. Amazing how quickly you and your team put this together, though I suppose this one probably didn't require as much research, given your familiarity with the setting.

[@TheCoyote808]

As a long time ComGuards/ComStar fan, I appreciate your discretion when speaking of the Blessed Words of Blake as taught to us by Conrad Toyama. Your bills will be waived for this discretion. We hope that there will be no future issues when speaking of the much vaunted Words of Blake or ComStar in the future.

[@MrAsaqe]

blakebepraised.exe

[@karirostin8351]

Benedictus Blake. Benedictum Nomen Sanctum eius. Benedictus Toyama Conrad, verus homo, et in Sanctis.

[@jfangm]

COMSTAR! BLAKE! Goddamn Space AT&T autocorrect.

[@OrigamiShinigami]

These videos are amazing! I was laughing throughout the entire Marik/FWL section at the background music choices and description. Never gave those guys much heed, but you've made me a fan!

[@sempermilites87]

A shorty, but a very well done goody. Thank you Tex and the BPL. Keep up the awesome work.....oh, and don't forget to pay that HPG bill for Mr. Fisher. I don't think he's the type to pay half. xD

[@SUBARCTICPSYCHO]

You must be conducting astral projection on your fans, because for some reason your Battletech videos kept coming to mind today and I'm greeted by this as soon as I get home. You won't get away with this illegal mind control Mr. Tex.

[@matohibiki]

It's perfectly legal mind control. Pay your telcoms bill, or get Focht.

[@Cousin_Uli]

Given the state of the rest of the inner sphere after the clan invasion ground down, Ghost Bear and Rasalhague lucked out with each other.

[@evananderson1455]

Holy shit... That "shitpost" by Duncan at the end was beautiful lol

[@ElectronNinja]

The newer "memelord Tex" delivery of lines is awesome. Compared to the earlier Tex Talks, it comes off awesome as the guy "yeah...I've seen all the stupid shit. Let's point and laugh together as we walk through this comedy of errors together". 10/10