Battletech Essentials: House Steiner

The Lyran Commonwealth/Alliance are one of the major Inner Sphere factions in the Battletech Universe.  Ruled by House Steiner, they have been a major player in the political and military landscape of the Inner Sphere.  A strong mercantile tradition and industrial base have made the Lyran state an economic and military powerhouse throughout their history.  They are signing members of the Star League Accords, and one of the earliest interstellar nations in human space.  

There are several books that will help you get a better for House Steiner

Handbook: House Steiner (Comprehensive history of the house throughout most of the Battletech timeline)

Field Manual: House Steiner  (Out of print sourcebook that details military organization and famous units)

House Steiner: Lyran Commonwealth (The original sourcebook from the earliest editions of Battletech)

Combat Manual: House Steiner (Not an actual book yet, but it would fit with the sourcebooks we’ve allready seen in this series and give you options for using House Steiner forces in the Alpha Strike rules set).

There are dozens of other books and parts of books that feature House Steiner.  They are an integral part to the political and social landscape of the Inner Sphere in every era of play, and feature prominently in many different storylines, plots and adventures.  These four books should give you a solid foundation to build on for the history and background for House Steiner.  

Brief Background:  

House Steiner’s Lyran Commonwealth owes it origin to the agreement of three mercantile organizations.  In 2341, the Protectorate of Donegal, the Federation of Skye, and the Tamar Pact joined forces to encourage commercial growth.  Additional concerns about security were also added.  In 2408, after the death of the ruling Archon, Katherine Steiner assumed control and the reign of House Steiner had begun.  

House Steiner has expanded the boundaries of their stellar empire through good diplomacy, strong mercantile prowess, and when neccesary, the force of their arms.  As a heavily industrialized nation, the Lyran Commonwealth is capable of fielding heavier units in numbers than other nations of similar size.  They love assault weight battlemechs, and field them in as many formations as possible.  (A recurring joke is that some Lyran pilots joke about using the Banshee and Zeus Assault ‘mechs as scouts).  

Economically speaking, House Steiner is a powerhouse that has strong mercantile factors and industries that work very hard.  They are merchants foremost, and use money as effectively as other nations would wield battlemechs to achieve their desires.  Never count out the Lyran ability to find profit in a situation.

Militarily, the Lyran Commonwealth/Alliance Armed Forces have often been seen as less effective than their Inner Sphere counterparts.  The upper echelons of the LCAF are full of general officers that are excellent at bureaucracy and paperwork, but have very little command and combat experience.  The “Social General” phenomenon is intrinsic to the LCAF and often hampers their ability to fight wars and win battles against opponents they hold a numerical or qualitative advantage.  

Capital: Tharkad

Ruler:  Archon ___________ Steiner (depending on the era

Crest

Map

Lyran Commonwealth circa 2750

This is a very brief explanation of the Lyran Commonwealth, and i strongly suggest you take a look and dig into the various sourcebooks and ideas about the Lyran Commonwealth.  They are a faction present in every era of the Battletech Universe, and can provide you with hours of amusement and entertainment.  

Game On, Game Fans