House Kurita (Battletech)

The Draconis Combine is another of the major political states in the Inner Sphere in the Battletech Universe.  Founded in 2319 by Shiro Kurita, The Combine is a military powerhouse that owes it existence to the quality of its armed forces and the determination of its leaders..  Unlike most of the other major powers, the Draconis Combine is a military dictatorship, with final authority and power resting with the office of the Coordinator.  The Coordinator is a hereditary position, handed down within the Kurita line (there have been a couple of exceptions, but those prompted major internal conflicts). Like the other successor states, the Draconis Combine is a signing member of the Star League Accords (Actually, the first signer, as a political concession from the First Lord).  

There are several books that will give you a much better feel for the Draconis Combine.

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

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

House Kurita: Draconis Combine (The original sourcebook from the earliest editions of Battletech)

Combat Manual: House Kurita The primary sourcebook for using House Kurita forces in the Alpha Strike rules set).

There are dozens of sourcebooks, scenario packs and novels that feature House Kurita and can give additional information about them for those of you that are feeling explorative.  A lot of the early sourcebooks and fiction for the battletech universe depict the Combine as the “bad guys” they can be seen as the bad guys who are just menacing and dangerous enough for the “good guys” to outsmart, outfight and otherwise outmatch.  Take the early depictions with a grain of salt, and remember that their perspective may not jive with what you’re reading in other places.  

Brief Background:

The Alliance of Galedon between the worlds of Galedon V and New Samarkand was rechristened the Draconis Combine in 2319 by its new leader Shiro Kurita.  He mobilized military power to conquer neigboring star systems.  The Kurita family used military power to craft their realm, and on multiple occasions have been on the brink of conquering their interstellar neighbors.  

Culturally, the Combine underwent a series of cultural reforms modeled on the culture of Feudal Japan.  Soldiers became samurai, and the nation moved towards a complete cultural reformation, that by the fall of the Star League, there were deeply held traditions of honor and duty that brought the Draconis Combine significant successes on the battlefield.  The Draconis Combine is extremely conservative, compared to its neighbors, and for a majority of its existence, noble and upper class men dominate most spheres of daily living in the Combine.  Most attempts to reform this extremely conservative society are met with violent backlashes and terror groups.  

House Kurita has built the Draconis Combine on the belief that conquest is a perfectly viable strategy to expand its domain.  It maintains extremely well trained military units with disciplined troops across all of its borders, and is an extremely aggressive, tenacious opponent.  From the lowest infantryman all the way up to a battlemech regimental commander, the samurai of the Draconis Combine will perform above and beyond the call of duty to maintain their honor.  

Capital: Luthien (New Samarkand)

Ruler: Coordinator ________________ Kurita (The Von Rohrs dynasty briefly took control before a particularly blood coup removed them from power)

Crest:

Map (circa 2751, prior to the coup)

This is a very brief explanation of the Draconis Combine, and i strongly suggest you take a look and dig into the various sourcebooks and ideas about the Draconis Combine.  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