OUT FOR BLOOD… Wolf's Dragoons, the most storied and elite mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere, has been utterly shattered for the first time in its centuries-long history. In 3151, most of the Dragoons listened to Marotta Kerensky and followed Alaric Ward to Terra. There, they helped him destroy the Republic of the Sphere and establish the ilClan. Four out of five Dragoons died in the fighting. The survivors were injured, shell-shocked, and finally, gravely insulted by Alaric Ward’s token payment of thirty pieces of silver. In one brutal gesture, the ilKhan did what no other enemy had ever done: He broke Wolf’s Dragoons. The decimated survivors limped off Terra to rendezvous with their remnants that had stayed behind. Colonel Henry “Hack” Kincaid, senior striker officer, is waiting when the Dragoons convoy appears, full of wrecked machines, but depleted of personnel. Kincaid is a man of reputation in the Dragoons. His word carries weight. And he hasn’t been tarnished by Terra. Three regiments and one of his irreplaceable striker battalions have all been ground to dust. All that is left now is duty. And vengeance…

UNCHARTED TERRITORY Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine is your map and compass for discovering heavy-hitting tales of BattleMech combat on the battlefields of the Hinterlands! Former Jade Falcon cadets who found a new home within the Kell Hounds are pushed to the breaking point of loyalty when ordered to hunt down Falcon holdouts. Plagued by raids and unrest, the Malthus syndicate seeks to end the rise of a charismatic and elusive Jade Falcon leader known only as the Talon. And a planetary noble desperate for protection will stop at nothing to keep the planet’s mercenary force on a permanent contract, even if that means they can never return home… In this issue, you’ll also travel beyond the Hinterlands region to help a Draconis Combine tea master undertake a treasure hunt for the fabled lost treasure of House Kurita. You’ll see rival mercenary units forced into close proximity on Small World erupt into a bitter feud with only one logical outcome: a prank war. And you’ll wander into a merciless blizzard in the Magistracy of Canopus, hoping to hunt down a pirate before the hunter becomes the hunted. The Hinterlands region of the Inner Sphere is packed full of surprises: shifting loyalties, shady characters, selfless heroes, and more. Get lost in the uncharted chaos of this region with articles forecasting the future of Duke Vedet Brewer’s Vesper Marches and the independent planet of Blue Hole, a playable campaign for Barcelona, planet digests, technical readouts, and more—all by veteran BattleTech authors and some new trailblazers: Russell Zimmerman Giles Gammage James Bixby Sam Barrett Alex Fairbanks James Hauser Ken’ Horner Bryan Young Alex Fauth James Kirtley Matt Larson Mike Miller Lorcan Nagle Luke Robertson Eric Salzman Zac Schwartz Tom Stanley Stephen Toropov

UNCOVERING THE SECRETS OF A LOST WORLD… Interstellar explorer and freelance treasure hunter Dr. Brooklyn Stevens has made the find of a lifetime—an entire planet thought lost for centuries. Jardine was supposedly wiped off the maps of the Inner Sphere during the hard-fought Succession Wars, but the verdant forested world she and her adventuring partner just crash-landed on tells a much different story. And so do its inhabitants. Dr. Stevens and her partner soon find themselves between two very different groups: one whose members are an unholy amalgamation of man and machine, the other a hardy group that lives off the land. Both groups are soon after Stevens and her knowledge about Jardine—one side to protect the planet from those that would seek to reclaim it, the other intent on killing anyone who knows of its existence. Caught between both sides, Brooklyn must uncover the mysteries of Jardine…and stay alive long enough to tell the universe about it…

WATCH YOUR SIX! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine brings you more hard-hitting BattleMech action from the heavy-metal wars of the 31st century and beyond—but don’t let your guard down! A loyal Republic of the Sphere MechWarrior must make a life-or-death decision when catastrophic news from Terra throws everything into chaos. A sheriff on a Periphery backwater planet investigates mysterious murders terrorizing a community. A desperate survivor of the Clan Invasion seeks revenge against the Jade Falcons while he still has the chance… In this issue, you’ll travel to the Hanseatic League in the Deep Periphery, where the Scorpion Empire will stop at nothing to obtain a priceless Star League-era relic. Then witness the first Marauder built in the new millennium walk off the assembly line, face a so-called zombie ’Mech arisen from the grave, and discover how to effectively weaponize a BattleMech’s operating system. No matter the situation, you can stay out of harm’s way by reviewing a most-wanted list of criminals and assassins, a roster of the Marian Hegemony’s Legion of the Dead, technical readouts, unit and planet digests, playable scenarios, a campaign set in the resource-poor wilds of the Third Succession War, and more—all by battle-hardened BattleTech authors and some new boot-camp graduates: Bryan Young Chris Hussey Marc Follin Jaymie Wagner James Bixby J. D. Neal Jeremy A. Reynolds David Stier Geoff “Doc” Swift Étienne Charron-Willard James Kirtley Matt Larson Lorcan Nagle Eric Salzman Zac Schwartz Tom Stanley Stephen Toropov Chris Wheeler

RECRUITS WANTED! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine transports you to the blistering, hard-hitting BattleMech conflicts that ravage the war-torn future of the 31st century and beyond! A young Jade Falcon cadet must prove her mettle in a Trial of Position against a cunning opponent if she is going to become part of her struggling Clan’s future. Elite aerospace pilots from the Outworlds Alliance and the Snow Ravens meet in a clash for the ages, and a veteran wielding only an implement of peace stands up to defend his home against unusual invaders. In this issue, you’ll sign up for a notorious mercenary unit and fight through your first day on the job. You’ll jockey to be first across the finish line in a hovertank race fraught with danger. You’ll chase the glory days of a once-noted BattleMech manufacturer in a quest to reinvigorate a declining enterprise and secure your birthright. Will you defeat your demons from the Battle of Tukayyid during battle with would-be conquerors? Will you escape from murderous cartel members, or succumb to the elements in the unrelenting, sun-beaten desert? Load your chamber with technical articles, a Northwind Highlanders unit digest, a MechWarrior’s catalog of cockpit must-haves, a snow-filled RPG adventure, a BattleForce scenario, and more—all by BattleTech veterans and new enlistees: Tom Leveen Bryan Young Russell Zimmerman D. G. P. Rector W. T. Brown James Hauser Chris G. Lane R. J. Thomas Phillip Johnston Alayna M. Weathers James Bixby Étienne Charron-Willard Matthew Cross Wunji Lau Eric Salzman Tom Stanley Stephen Toropov

ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine is your go-to source for brutal, heavy-metal BattleMech action across the battlefields of the 31st century and beyond—and now it’s bigger than ever before! This special double-size issue is jam-packed with the true currency of the Inner Sphere: mercenary troops! To reclaim a priceless personal memento, the Gray Death Legion must teach a young noble an invaluable lesson. The Northwind Highlanders, facing the loss of everything they hold dear, must defend their homeworld by forcing House Davion to pay in blood for every centimeter they gain. When the Crescent Hawks discover a lost family member might still be alive, they will stop at nothing to find her and bring her home. In this issue, you’ll search for the fabled city of gold in the former Rim Worlds Republic, witness the Kell Hounds interview a new recruit with an unusual connection to Morgan Kell himself, and learn the trials and tribulations of a novice mercenary on a long-haul space journey for the first time. Experience the true cost of losing a personal ’Mech in battle, evade competing mercenary units fighting over your secret cargo, and raid a lost vault for invaluable treasure on behalf of a prestigious collector. Whatever the job, there’s always soldiers of fortune ready to sign on the dotted line, and they can build their legend with content such as advice articles on how to run a mercenary unit and negotiate favorable contracts; Unit and Planet Digests for intel on the competition; technical readouts on unique ’Mechs; various downtime entertainment options; playable scenarios to test your tactical chops; and much more—all by veteran BattleTech authors and a new addition to the roster: Michael A. Stackpole Bryan Young Chris Purnell Jason Schmetzer Daniel Isberner Alan Brundage James Kirtley Robin Briseño James Bixby Giles Gammage Jason Hansa James Hauser Tom Leveen David Martin Lance Scarinci Jaymie Wagner Russell Zimmerman Alex Fauth Stephan Frabartolo Johannes Heidler Ken’ Horner Wunji Lau Lorcan Nagle Eric Salzman Zac Schwartz Ed Stephens Stephen Toropov

THE GAUNTLET IS THROWN… Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner have united two Great Houses of the Inner Sphere in a marriage that upsets the balance of power among the stars. Though some hope this may bring an end to centuries of war, Maximilian Liao of the Capellan Confederation has enlisted the aid of two highly placed Davion traitors to destroy Hanse Davion and the Federated Suns from both within and without. But in the distant star chambers of the Capellan March and Draconis Combine, the warlords of Maximilian Liao are honoring a different and more deadly vow: to wage an unholy war that threatens to rip apart the vulnerable worlds of the Federated Suns. As Davion ’Mech commander Andrew Redburn and his mercenaries streak into battle, an explosive clash of metal and men signals the return of a formidable foe. Interstellar legend Yorinaga Kurita has returned to stake his claim as the most bloodthirsty warrior of all. For both men, it is do-or-die combat that could ensure the triumph of a glorious new alliance—or result in total annihilation…