Bosch's All the 'Mechs

The Scorpion Empire caused the Blackout. No, seriously. Hear me out. The evidence is circumstantial, and in some cases one must make some leaps of logical faith, but it rings true. So here's the facts, as we know them. Just before the Wars of Reaving, Clan Goliath Scorpion trialed for and won the entire Eridani Light Horse contingent on Huntress. Many of the former SLDF troops were accepted as bondsmen, then quickly elevated to warrior status. The Scorpions have always had a fetish for historical artifacts, and the Light Horse were a living artifact; a unit that could trace its history directly to the first Star League. This became a point of contention during the actual Wars of Reaving, but Clan Goliath Scorpion claimed that all of these Inner Sphere warriors had perished in combat. This was a lie. At least one former Horseman may have been seen in Nuevo Castille during the conquest of that region, and in any case the Scorpions were caught using genetic material from these troops ...

The Draconis Combine, ruled by House Kurita, is widely regarded as the most militaristic empire in the Inner Sphere. This isn't really accurate; all of the Great Houses are expansionist and field the largest armies they can produce and support. The Combine just doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. Most of the "modern" Combine's societal and military traditions stem from a deliberate cultural shift during the Star League period. The then-Coordinator believed that his Japanese heritage had saved him from an assassination attempt. He issued a series of edicts that transformed the state to one that resembled an idealized version of Imperial Japan...though exactly which  Imperial Japan is up for debate. For example, it has a strong federal military and mandatory conscription like in the 1930s, but true feudal samurai also exist. While most nobles in the Combine are therefore based on ancient Japanese positions and titles, some families exist from befor...

Model: Marauder MAD-3R (Custom) Mass and Tech Base: 75 tons (Heavy) / Inner Sphere Miniature Source: Legendary MechWarriors II Paint Scheme: Draconis Combine Duke Ricol's Personal Guard Notable Pilot: Duke Hassid Ricol (3020s) or Abdoun Ricol (3150s) All paints used are from Army Painter unless otherwise noted. The upper torso and arms were given a coat of Kurita Red (AKA Blood Red Speedpaint) and the legs got a coat of Widow Black (AKA Grim Black Speedpaint 2.0). Details include Parade Chrome (AKA Shining Silver), Death Commando (AKA Deep Gray), Steiner Blue (AKA High Lord Blue Speedpaint 1.0), and Bounty Hunter Green (AKA Shamrock Green Speedpaint 2.0). The base was painted with Apple Barrel Matte Black.

Model: Wolverine WVR-6R Mass and Tech Base: 55 tons (Medium) / Inner Sphere Miniature Source: BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat & Beginner Box (1st version) Paint Scheme: Draconis Combine Duke Ricol's Personal Guard Notable Pilot: n/a All paints used are from Army Painter unless otherwise noted. The upper torso and arms were given a coat of Kurita Red (AKA Blood Red Speedpaint) and the legs got a coat of Widow Black (AKA Grim Black Speedpaint 2.0). Details include Parade Chrome (AKA Shining Silver), Death Commando (AKA Deep Gray), Steiner Blue (AKA High Lord Blue Speedpaint 1.0), and Bounty Hunter Green (AKA Shamrock Green Speedpaint 2.0). The base was painted with Apple Barrel Matte Black.

Model: Charger CGR-3K Mass and Tech Base: 80 tons (Assault) / Inner Sphere Miniature Source: Legendary MechWarriors II Paint Scheme: Draconis Combine Duke Ricol's Personal Guard Notable Pilot: n/a All paints used are from Army Painter unless otherwise noted. The upper torso and arms were given a coat of Kurita Red (AKA Blood Red Speedpaint) and the legs got a coat of Widow Black (AKA Grim Black Speedpaint 2.0). Details include Parade Chrome (AKA Shining Silver), Death Commando (AKA Deep Gray), Steiner Blue (AKA High Lord Blue Speedpaint 1.0), and Bounty Hunter Green (AKA Shamrock Green Speedpaint 2.0). The base was painted with Apple Barrel Matte Black.

Model: Griffin GRF-1N Mass and Tech Base: 55 tons (Medium) / Inner Sphere Miniature Source: BattleTech Beginner Box Paint Scheme: Draconis Combine Duke Ricol's Personal Guard Notable Pilot: Sigtrygg Poulson All paints used are from Army Painter unless otherwise noted. This miniature was initially sprayed with Pure Red. At first, it was given a wash of Citadel Color Nuln Oil and the legs were partially painted with Army Painter Matt Black. After several years, the legs were finished with Apple Barrel Matte Black and the entire miniature was given a heavy drybrush of Apple Barrel Matte White. The upper torso and arms were given a coat of Kurita Red (AKA Blood Red Speedpaint) and the legs got a coat of Widow Black (AKA Grim Black Speedpaint 2.0). Details include Parade Chrome (AKA Shining Silver), Death Commando (AKA Deep Gray), Steiner Blue (AKA High Lord Blue Speedpaint 1.0), and Bounty Hunter Green (AKA Shamrock Green Speedpaint 2.0). The base was painted with Apple Barrel Matte Bl...