SOLARIS ARENA'S and
STABLE'S
Solaris Cirty originally had the only arenas, but soon many smaller
towns such as Xolara, Nowhere, and Sophia built small 'Mech arenas and
sponsored their own games between local MechWarriors. Seeing this as a
way to expand the influence and interest in the Solaris City games, the
big promoters devised a system that would include combats in other cities,
while reserving greatest prestige for those in Solaris City
All Arena's were assigns a class based on their facilities The lower
classes of arena would serve as a king of training ground for the more
prestigious arenas. As most small towns could only field contestants in
industrial exoskeletons, these matches were designated Class One, the lowest
level possible. Recruits from smaller towns were allowed to progress to
Class Two, or light BattleMechs, and so on.
This system kept the focus on the Class Five arenas of Solaris
City, while allowing the smaller arenas to become an element in the overall
structure of the games. Once this scheme went into effect, the curret dueling
circuit was born.
|
ARENA
CLASSIFICATIONS
|
|
| Class |
|
'Mech Type |
| 1 |
|
Exoskeleton |
| 2 |
|
Light |
| 3 |
|
Medium |
| 4 |
|
Heavy |
| 5 |
|
Assault |
| 6+ |
|
Open |
These categories are less strict than they might appear. An arena may
host fights of any class as long as the nearest facility of that class
gives permission. Despite the fact that higher-rated areanas have the right
to deny this permission to other arenas, they rarely do so.
The charactersitics of an arena limit the type of fights that may take
place there. A 100-meter-square clearing on the edge of the Vacaville,
for example, is a poor venue for an assault 'Mech fight, and would probably
only feature matches between exoskeletons. The Open-Class arenas of Solaris
City, however, can and do sponsor fights of every class.
The road to Solaris City and the Open Class is a long one, often taking
a decade or more. Those few who breathe the rarified air of Valhalla or
Hangar 66, two well-known haunts of accomplished MechWarriors, are the
unquestioned elite of the Solaris circuit, easily on a par with the best
military Mechwarriors of the Inner Sphere.
MAJOR STABLES
The neo-feudalism of the stables grates on the independent soul of
many MechWarriors. Though the alternatives are precarious, many favor them: MechWarrior
cooperatives. Dozes exist on Solaris, including the Black Lions, the Dispossessed,
the Renegades, the Hangmen, and the Valkyries. Bands of independent MechWarriors
who own allegiance only to each other, these cooperatives provide mutual
assistance and protection. They are, in effect, employee owned stables.
Life in a cooperative is not easy. Cooperatives have difficulty getting
bookings at major arenas, which can put them in a tight cash-flow situation.
Fearing the competition or that their own MechWarriors may leave for the
freer lifestyle of the independents, established stables also put pressure
on cooperatives. Criminal syndicates often see stables as easy pickings
for protection and extortion, demanding a cut of profits or that the group
throw a major contest. Some cooperatives give into this pressure, moonlight
by doing odd jobs for syndicates.
All the same, Mechwarrior cooperatives continue to eke out an
existence. their 'Mechs are usually poor, their members generally
ragged and ratty, and their incomes low. But, as their members are fond
of saying, they are at least free men and woman, holding their heads high,
unfettered by the chains of the stable system.
MAJOR COOPERATIVES
| Black Lions |
The Dispossed |
Hangmen |
Renegades |
Valkyries |
SOLARIS STARPORT
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1997
Created by 
Wolf
Pack Inc, Friday, August 29, 1997
Most recent revision Friday, October 17, 1997