Luthien (scenario pack)

Luthien covers one of the pivotal battles of the initial Clan Invasion, the Battle of Luthien of early 3052 when Clan Smoke Jaguar and Clan Nova Cat launched a joint assault on the Draconis Combine's capital world.

The scenario pack contains a double-sided boardgame map that was not published elsewhere. One side depicts a part of Imperial City on Luthien, used for one scenario from the book. The other side depicts the Kado-guchi Valley; this map is used for a large battle under simplified rules vaguely similar to BattleForce.

It also introduced three new BattleMechs, the Hankyu, the Nobori-nin and the Cauldron-Born.

Written from an omniscient perspective ("Novel fiction") and not as an in-universe document like most sourcebooks, the Luthien scenario pack became somewhat infamous for numerous factual errors. Many individual bits of information from Luthien have since been identified as false and have been superseded by other information from subsequent canonical sources. (See also Canonicity section.)

From the back cover
"Humiliated by their defeat on the planet Wolcott, the warriors of Clan Smoke Jaguar have returned to the Inner Sphere to avenge themselves against the armies of the Draconis Combine. Bolstered by Clan Nova Cat, the invaders have massed an invasion fleet of new OmniMechs, battle-armored Elementals and aerospace fighters to destroy the Dragon.

Their target? Luthien, the Black Pearl, capital of the Realm and home to the Imperial Palace.

Luthien lets you join the action as these fearsome invaders square off against the Combine's most elite MechWarriors and some of the Inner Sphere's finest mercenary units in an epic battle of the Clan Wars.

Luthien is a BattleTech scenario pack that includes a detailed history of the Battle of Luthien, personality profiles and MechWarrior statistics for major players in the engagement, game statistics for three new OmniMech designs, and two full-size BattleTech mapsheets of the Imperial City and the Kado-guchi Valley."

Canonicity
The Luthien scenario pack is known for containing numerous factual errors. Line Developer Herbert A. Beas II once made a statement to the effect that certain products including this one are considered "secondary sources" by the writers staff, but this should not be construed to mean they are not canonical. It is standard procedure in cases of conflicting information to treat later publications as accurate over earlier publications. "And, if Sarna used the Luthien scenario pack as a resource there, the fact is, that book proved to be so riddled with errors, it--like First Edition Periphery and Objective Raids--is now seen by our staff as a "secondary source": Canon only in areas where it does not clash with other canon."

- Herbert A. Beas, BattleTech Line Developer, 08 Jul 2012

Contents

 * Introduction
 * How to Use this Book


 * History
 * Know Thine Enemy
 * A Strange Alliance
 * Invasion Renewed
 * Jaguar Prepares
 * Unlikely Allies
 * Planning Strategy
 * Davion Betrayal?
 * Final Preparations


 * Personalities
 * Theodore Kurita
 * Shin Yodama
 * Narimasa Asano
 * Takashi Kurita
 * Morgan Finn Kell
 * Jaime Wolf
 * Dorian Wirth
 * Severen Leroux
 * Lucian Carns


 * Scenarios


 * Battle of Luthien
 * Special Forces
 * New 'Mechs
 * Table of Organization
 * The Cat Springs
 * Into the Fire
 * First Skirmish
 * Trojan Horses
 * Sword Play
 * The Wave Breaks
 * Dogfight
 * Hounds' Teeth
 * Back Stab
 * The Sheep Fight
 * Black Thunder
 * Blind Man's Bluff
 * In the Dark
 * Cat and Dragon
 * We Are the Anvil
 * A Samurai's Death
 * Street Fighting
 * Valley of Death
 * Kado-guchi Valley Rosters


 * New 'Mechs
 * Hankyu
 * Nobori-nin
 * Cauldron-Born