Bruderkampf

Bruderkampf ("Brother-fight", a German term also used for infighting in general) is a promotional scenario pack to supplement the BattleTech boxed set. It was solicited by Ulisses Spiele GmbH, the German BattleTech licensee, from authors Michael Engel and Thomas Kunert of tabletopblog.de.

The 16-page booklet was handed out for free, and was also made available for free download via Ulisses' homepage as a PDF file.

The imprint names Catalyst Game Labs as the publisher, gives copyright to the Topps company, and credits Ulisses for the German edition only.

Content
Bruderkampf was designed to teach new BattleTech players. It contains a mini-campaign (a series of six connected scenarios) of increasing complexity that do not require the players to possess any additional products beyond a single boxed BattleTech starter set; the scenarios are designed to be played using only the maps and BattleMechs from the box.

The campaign introduces Leon Garcia, a 22-year old TBT-5N Trebuchet pilot from Shiro III in the Duchy of Andurien, and his younger brother Hernando Garcia, who pilots a HBK-4G Hunchback. They are the sons of Alfredo Garcia, co-owner and CEO of Grumman Amalgamated, an important arms manufacturer and supplier to the armed forces of House Marik. Leon, the first-born, gets preferrential treatment from their father and joins the 5th Defenders of Andurien. Hernando meanwhile is somewhat neglected in his brother's shadow and has to work harder to prove his worth. He joins the mercenary unit Steel Brothers.

The campaign is undated, but circumstantial evidence implies it to take place during the late Succession Wars era, most likely around the beginning of the 31st century (prior to the Duchy of Andurien's secession from the Free Worlds League after the Fourth Succession War and implicitly also prior to the signing of the Concord of Kapteyn).

Szenario 01 - Prüfung
Concluding their MechWarrior training, the two Garcia brothers have to fight their academy trainer piloting an Awesome with live weapons. Physical attacks are not allowed. To graduate, they need to bring him down in 12 rounds.

Leon's Trebuchet has its armor penetrated and its reactor shielding breached. To save his brother, Hernando rams the trainer&mdash;thereby saving Leon but disqualifying Hernando, which in turn causes a rift between the brothers.

Szenario 02 - Piraten!
As a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Leon's first assignment in the 5th Defenders of Andurien is to guard a supply cache in a mock battle together with a Quickdraw. However, a pirate lance from the periphery (Clint, Commando, Panther, Spider) decides to use the opportunity and steal the valuable spare parts and ammunition crates.

Although the Clint is destroyed, the pirates manage to escape with two of the crates. Leon considers this a shameful failure on his first assignment.

Szenario 03 - First Blood
The Steel Brothers (in the employ of the Duchy of Andurien) are sent to retrieve the stolen crates. Hernando in his Hunchback and a Banshee engage a pirate Enforcer, Commando, Panther and Whitworth during a sand storm.

They succeed, and only the Panther manages to withdraw.

Szenario 04 - Pfadfinder
Independent of each other, the Garcia brothers are sent out to retrieve the intact communication module (possibly referring to a Collapsible Command Module) of an enemy Cyclops following the destruction of a House Liao command lance in the recent months' fierce battles for Shiro III. Both 'Mechs avoid using their lights for this night mission, which is complicated further by Liao mines and artillery.

Hernando prevails and secures the module for his mercenary unit, which leads to a falling-out between the Steel Brothers and their employer, the Duchy of Andurien. The mercenaries flee towards the Magistracy of Canopus.

Szenario 05 - Feuer aus der Tiefe
The fleeing mercenaries are brought to battle on Cursa by Leon's pursuing unit.

The extreme environmental conditions (sand storm, earthquake, magma flows) gradually get worse and soon separate the warring parties, forcing the duelling brothers to end the battle.

Szenario 06 - Ruf des Blutes
Three surviving 'Mechs from each side face off again on another (unnamed) planet, nearer to the Magistracy. In the middle of the battle, six House Liao 'Mechs (also survivors from Shiro III) combat-drop onto the battlefield to vanquish the battling Marik forces.

When a Liao Cyclops moves to kill Leon, Hernando charges the heavier 'Mech in a maneuver reminiscent of the one he used back at the academy exam. This time, he saves his brother's life and also rallies the Marik and mercenary units for a narrow victory against the Liao attackers. Re-united, the brothers and their units leave on two Leopard DropShips.

Canonicity
Although an official product that was made under a valid license, the scenario book does not meet the criteria for canon because it was not published in English. As a consequence, it should be regarded as apocryphal instead.