Editing Clan Hell's Horses

{{Update Needed|[[Elements of Treason: Honor]]}}
{{InfoBoxFactions
| crest = [[Image:Clan Hell's Horses.jpg|center|Clan Hell's Horses Logo]]
| factionname = Clan Hell's Horses
| timeperiod = [[2807]] &ndash; Present
| classification = [[Clan]]
| systems = 53 (3151)<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 102–103: "Inner Sphere - 3151"</ref>
| capital = [[Csesztreg]]
| rulertitle = [[Khan]]
| military = [[Clan Hell's Horses Touman|Clan Hell's Horses ''touman'']]
| secretservice = [[Watch#Clan Hell's Horses|Clan Hell's Horses Watch]]
}}

'''Clan Hell's Horses''' is one of the original twenty [[Clans]] founded by [[Nicholas Kerensky]], named for the [[Hell's Horse (species)|Hell's Horses]] genetically engineered for the highland deserts of [[Circe]]. The Clan lives by the motto that "man comes before machine," a philosophy which values the individual soldier over whichever tool of warfare he uses. While this philosophy has resulted in some battlefield practices unique among the Clans, it also permeates other aspects of Clan Hell's Horses, such that all Clan members are treated as an integral part of the greater whole, regardless of their birth. Clan Hell's Horses are also famous for creating what would become [[Elemental|Elementals]], genetically enhanced infantry who have formed an important part of Clan warfare since their introduction.

Despite being led by [[Crusader Clans|Crusaders]], the Clan did not take part in [[Operation REVIVAL]], though it later managed to secure a number of [[Inner Sphere]] worlds during the 3070s. As a result of this exodus and the [[Wars of Reaving]], Clan Hell's Horses was sundered from the [[Clan Homeworlds]], with those who remained becoming [[Clan Stone Lion]].

The Clan remained a minor power from the post-Jihad years until the 3130s, when the rise of [[Malvina Hazen]] and [[Clan Wolf|Clan Wolf's]] migration deep into the Inner Sphere saw the Hell's Horses expand their territory and serve as increasingly unwilling allies to [[Clan Jade Falcon]]. By [[3151]] the Horses had ended their alliance with Hazen and asserted their status as an independent power in their own right, taking several planets from Clan Jade Falcon and the [[Rasalhague Dominion]]. In the aftermath of the [[ilClan Trial]], the Horses rejected [[IlKhan of the Clans|ilKhan]] [[Alaric Ward]] and his [[Third Star League|new Star League]] before expanding into [[The Hinterlands|the Hinterlands]].

==History==
{{Main|History of Clan Hell's Horses}}
===Founding===
Clan Hell's Horses was founded by [[Lieutenant General]] [[John Fletcher]], commander of the [[35th Infantry Division]] of the [[Star League Defense Force]].  General Fletcher, a staunch loyalist of General [[Aleksandr Kerensky]], took part in the invasion to [[Operation Liberation|liberate Terra]] from [[Stefan Amaris]] during the [[Amaris Civil War]].  Fletcher's loyalty to Kerensky and the ideals of the [[Star League]] would inspire him to join the [[Operation Exodus|First Exodus]] from the Inner Sphere in the wake of that terrible conflict and settle on the [[Pentagon Worlds]] to start anew.<ref name=FMCC53>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 53</ref>

For his loyalty, Fletcher was made [[Khan]] of Clan Hell's Horses, and he chose [[Colonel]] [[Patricia Cobb]], one of his most able 'Mech [[battalion]] commanders from the Thirty-fifth, as his [[saKhan]].  Together they forged their Clan into one which placed its focus first and foremost on its warriors.  For this reason they requested a smaller share of [[BattleMech]] forces in return for a larger share of [[Combat Vehicle|conventional armor]] and approval to train additional [[infantry]] from decommissioned [[WarShip]] crews.  In short order they were able to put together an impressive combined-arms army, bucking current military orthodoxy that saw the 'Mech as the supreme battlefield weapon.  While their critics foresaw the Clan's demise, the Hell's Horses' performance would eventually cast aside the myth of 'Mech dominance.<ref name=FMCC53/>

===Operation Klondike===
During the Trials for participating in the coveted [[Eden]] invasion part of [[Operation Klondike]], the Hell's Horses won a surprise victory over [[Clan Ghost Bear]].<ref>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 89</ref>  For the most part the Horses were assigned auxiliary or rear-area duties, until Khan Fletcher convinced Nicholas to assign his Clan an independent operation, the conquest of the [[Purgatory Peninsula]].<ref>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 91</ref> The Horses were able to conquer the Peninsula on their own by exploiting their enemies' tendency to focus on attacking 'Mechs to the exclusion of conventional armor and infantry. The success of the Peninsula Campaign would prove to be an apt demonstration of the Hell's Horses' combined-arms philosophy.<ref>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', pp. 91–92, 138</ref><ref name=FMCC53/>

===Golden Century===
The Horses tended to keep to themselves until they learned of the [[Elemental (Battle Armor)|Elemental infantry armor]] by [[Clan Wolf]]. Eager to obtain the Elemental armor, the Hell's Horses entered a series of Trials with Clan Wolf where the armor was put up against the infantry breeding protocols that the Hell's Horses had discovered. These gigantic warriors would be known as [[Elemental|'Elementals']].<ref name=FM:CCp54>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 54: "Golden Century"</ref> The Hell's Horses won one of the three Trials and so obtained the Elemental armor.

Other Clans challenged the Hell's Horses for the breeding rights, among them [[Clan Fire Mandrill]]. In [[2870]], [[Kindraa Smythe-Jewel]] of the Fire Mandrills used deceptive bidding tactics to give the impression of a much smaller force and won the Trial.  Kindraa Payne would take the brunt of the [[Trial of Possession]], while the Smythe-Jewels walked away with new Elemental breeding protocols and Battle Armor.<ref>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 39: "Striking from Solitude"</ref> The Horses' Khan [[Eric Amirault]] demanded a [[Trial of Annihilation]] but was denied by a Grand Council vote. As the Hell's Horses prepared to move against the Fire Mandrills, [[Clan Coyote]]'s Khan [[Manfred Hollifield]] stepped in. They too had been cheated by Kindraa Smythe-Jewel in their bid for the [[OmniMech]] a few years prior.<ref name=FM:CCp54,55>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', pp. 54–55: "Hell's Fury"</ref> A combined Hell's Horses-Coyote task force descended on the Smythe-Jewel enclave on [[Foster]] and challenged them to a Trial that saw the death of the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel. The Clans each parted with great respect for one another.  This action did much to win the Hell's Horses a good measure of respect from the rest of the Clans as well.<ref name=FM:CCp54,55/><ref>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 39: "Death of a Kindraa"</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', pp. 41–42: "Righteous Vengeance"</ref><ref name=ED:GCp9,10>''Era Digest: Golden Century'', pp. 9–10: "Bad Blood"</ref>

===The Invasion===
Though the [[Crusader]] Horses did not win a place in the invasion, they did manage to find a way to obtain worlds in the [[Inner Sphere]]. When Khan [[Vladimir Ward]] of the Wolves started the [[Harvest Trials]], Khan Fletcher convinced him to bid Hell's Horses units in contract bids (much as the Hell's Horses had done with the Coyotes) without first winning those units to the Wolves. Khan Ward agreed and ceded three worlds in the Clan Wolf Occupation Zone: [[Stanzach]], [[Vorarlberg]], and [[Engadin]] to Clan Hell's Horses.<ref>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 57</ref> During the [[Great Refusal]] on [[Strana Mechty]], the Hell's Horses fought against and lost to the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]'s [[3rd Drakøns|Third Drakøns]]. Later, the Hell's Horses raided the Ghost Bear Occupation Zone (renamed the [[Ghost Bear Dominion]]) while the Ghost Bears were at war with the [[Draconis Combine]]. The Horses attacked from their Inner Sphere holdings that they had been gifted by Clan Wolf in 3064 - this was part of a political maneuver on the part of Wolf Khan [[Vlad Ward]] to tempt the Horses into attacking the Ghost Bear Dominion, weakening both of the Wolves' rival Clans.<ref>''Test of Vengeance'', ch. 3</ref> However, after the war with the Combine ended, the Bears retaliated and seized all three of the Hell's Horses worlds, sending them back to Clan Space. Khan Malavai Fletcher's leadership was challenged and he was slain by [[James Cobb]], a Warden, who assumed the Khanship.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 13: "Armed Politics"</ref>

In December of 3067, [[Clan Star Adder|Star Adder]] [[Khan of Clan Star Adder|Khan]] [[Stanislov N'Buta]] uncovered James Cobb's plan to invade the Inner Sphere after reports from a successful Trial of Possession against the Hell's Horses for some supplies on [[Nouveaux Paris]]. Confronting Cobb with this information, N'Buta and the Horse Khan bargained that N'Buta would keep the Horses' secret in exchange for access to the manufacturing facilities on Nouveaux Paris. The two Khans also bargained that Clan Star Adder would attack Clan Wolf's territory in the Clan Homeworlds, in order to distract the Wolves from the Horses' operations - in return, the Horses would cede [[Hoard]] to Clan Star Adder.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 33: "Absent but Present"</ref>

===Wars of Reaving and the Jihad===
In [[3068]], as part of an intelligence-gathering mission, the Hell's Horses [[91st Mechanized Assault (Clan Hell's Horses)|91st Mechanized Assault Cluster]] Trialed for and won the entire contents of the Ghost Bear Dominion Watch's database as well as three [[DropShips]]. As part of this successful operation, Horses Khan Cobb claimed Ghost Bear ''ristar'' [[Jake Kabrinski]] as a bondsman as part of a long-term plan to win an alliance with the Ghost Bear Dominion.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 34: "The Rise of the Warrior-Ambassador"</ref>

In [[3070]] Clan Hell's Horses would finally commence their migration to the Inner Sphere. Establishing a limited alliance with Clan Ice Hellion, the Horses attacked the Clan Wolf Occupation Zone and managed to secure multiple worlds from the Wolves, as well as founding a new [[Omega Galaxy (Clan Hell's Horses)|Omega Galaxy]] from Wolf ''abtakha'' who eagerly assimilated into the Horses.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 57: "Hellion Folly, Horse's Gains"</ref>

The following year of [[3071]] saw the next phase of expansion by the Hell's Horses - by April, the Horses had taken no less than twenty-nine worlds from Clan Wolf, including [[Steelton]] and [[Csesztreg]], the world that would eventually become the capital of the Horses' Occupation Zone.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 65: "Merges and Moves"</ref>

After a failed attempt by [[Clan Jade Falcon]] to take Steelton in April of 3071, that world would eventually be wrested away from the Hell's Horses in September by their erstwhile allies in Clan Ice Hellion.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 71: "The Hellion Strikes"</ref> The following month, Horses Khan Cobb and [[Khan of Clan Jade Falcon|Falcon Khan]] [[Marthe Pryde]] agreed to cease hostilities between their two Clans and instead jointly attack the Ice Hellions. By February of 3072, the Horses had taken nine worlds from the Ice Hellions,<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 84: "Icy Fire"</ref> and the matter was settled in March when a joint Jade Falcon-Hell's Horses force (including the Horses' Iota Galaxy, which had been partially relocated from the Homeworlds by this time) assaulted the Hellions' last remaining world of [[Vantaa]] and crushed the [[Clan Ice Hellion Touman|Hellion ''touman'']], all but annihilating the Ice Hellions.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 85: "Icy Fire"</ref>

However, while the Hell's Horses were going from strength to strength in the Inner Sphere, the same could not be said of the portion of their civilian castes and ''touman'' remaining in the Clan Homeworlds. The [[Wars of Reaving]] and the machinations of [[The Society]] had consumed the Clan Homeworlds, and the Hell's Horses remaining there were isolated and cut off from their leadership which now resided in the Inner Sphere. The Horses' population in the Homeworlds were easy prey for other Clans. Similarly, the Horses' territory in the [[Deep Periphery]] was under threat, and an attempt to liberate Nouveaux Paris from a Society coup ended in disaster when Eta Galaxy was badly mauled by a [[Clan Burrock]] ambush, losing nearly all but a Cluster.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 118: "Spreading Contagion"</ref> Having suffered extreme casualties, Eta Galaxy was disbanded and its remaining troops sent to bolster other damaged formations in the Horses ''touman''.<ref>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', p. 145: The Raging Horsemen"</ref>

Eventually, the Horses would be successful in carving out their own occupation zone, becoming members of the [[Council of Six Clans]]. They would join the other Spheroid Clans in cutting off all relations with their Homeworld brethren and join with Devlin Stone's coalition, lending it a Cluster of warriors.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 175: "Clan Hell's Horses"</ref>

Those Hell's Horses who survived the Wars of Reaving in the Homeworlds were accused by their brethren of being tainted due to the Horses' involvement with the [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile|exiled Wolves]] and [[Kell Hounds]] mercenary unit. [[Zeta Galaxy (Clan Stone Lion)|Zeta Galaxy]] Commander [[Magnus DelVillar]], the senior remaining Horses officer, countered these claims by pointing out that none of his warriors had actually been to the Inner Sphere themselves. After a hard fought [[Trial of Refusal]], the Grand Council motion to [[Trial of Abjuration|Abjure]] the bulk of Clan Hell's Horses was upheld, as was the [[Rite of Absorption|Absorption]] by [[Clan Star Adder]] of the "untainted" Horses in the Homeworlds. However, Adder Khan Stanislov N'Buta was impressed enough with the Horses' conduct that he offered DelVillar an alternative, and in short order [[Clan Stone Lion]] was formed from those Horses remaining in the Clan Homeworlds.<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', pp. 146–149</ref>

===Dark Age===
Having firmly established their Occupation Zone - carved out of former Wolf, Jade Falcon and Ice Hellion territory - the Hell's Horses found themselves trapped between powerful neighbors.<ref name=ER3145p60>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 60</ref> During the [[Dark Age]], a tactical doctrine was developed by the Horses: the "[[Mongol Doctrine]]". The Doctrine, initially proposed during the 3080s by one [[Star Colonel]] [[Domnall Seidman]], emphasized the rapid use of light vehicles and 'Mechs to engage in hit-and-run tactics, drawing foes into position for heavy and assault-class 'Mechs and vehicles to strike. This was practiced by the [[1st Horde Cluster (Clan Hell's Horses)|First Horde Cluster]], a command granted to Seidman to test his new Doctrine. The Doctrine, as Seidman envisioned it, became popular among the Horses - however, a radical reinterpretation of the Mongol Doctrine used by Clan Jade Falcon, led by the infamous Galaxy Commander [[Malvina Hazen]], focused less on the tactical use of light assets and instead on the psychological impact of subjecting enemies to maximum brutality in order to weaken their morale and that of their allies.<ref name=ER3145p60 /> This "perversion" of the Mongol Doctrine enraged some Horses: in 3136, a Horse Galaxy commander, ''ristar'' [[Tristan Fletcher]], traveled to the planet [[Skye]], challenging Hazen to a [[Trial of Possession]] for the Mongol Doctrine.<ref>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 100</ref> Both commanders fought in tanks, and Fletcher was defeated and slain by the Mad Falcon.<ref>''A Rending of Falcons'', p. 28</ref>  In November [[3139]], Malvina Hazen's forces staged a Trial of Possession for the agricultural worlds of [[Romulus]] and [[Harvest]]: "accidentally" starting fires at great expenses to their lands, threatening the Horses' worlds with the prospect of famine, forcing the Horses' Khan to form an alliance with the Falcons, named the [[Golden Ordun]].<ref>''A Bonfire of Worlds'', p. 65</ref>

The Horses' Khan Gottfried Amirault, sent only parts of his ''touman'' to fight with the Falcons, keeping their losses low, but helping them conquer a large swath of the Commonwealth.<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 154</ref>

However, as a result of the failure to take the planet and Hazen's inability to prevent the Horses' departure, the Horses' Khan dissolved the Ordun and the Clan returned to their Occupation Zone, having fully abandoned their erstwhile Jade Falcon allies by the end of the year.<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 150</ref>

After successfully extracting themselves from the Golden Ordun and thereby annulling their alliance with Clan Jade Falcon, the next steps for the Hell's Horses were to reclaim the Mongol Doctrine from their former allies. In late 3146, saKhan Lassenerra devised a plan to do exactly that.<ref name=SFp44>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 44</ref> The following year, the first phase of Lassenerra's plan (which would become known as [[Operation NOYAN]]) would begin. After its success, he then outlined his plans for Phase Two of Operation NOYAN - an incursion against the Jade Falcons themselves. Taking several planets from the Falcons, the Hell's Horses Clan Council declared Operation NOYAN a success and set about preparing themselves for Malvina Hazen's retaliation. However, the "Chinggis Khan" was otherwise engaged, and the anticipated attack never came.<ref name=SFp44 />

===ilClan Era===
Following the success of Operation NOYAN, the Hell's Horses Khans resolved to use the momentum from NOYAN for a further push into Jade Falcon territory. In the process, Khan Amirault uncovered information that the Jade Falcons were on their way to [[Terra]] en masse. The Horses' Khan had his own plan to conquer the cradle of humanity - however, since Khan Amirault did not know how to breach the defenses of the [[Fortress Republic]], they decided to take what they could from the Jade Falcon occupation zone with the newly declared [[Operation STAMPEDE]] out of retaliation for their manipulation of the Hell's Horses and their Mongol Doctrine.<ref>''Hour of the Wolf'', p. 98</ref>

By then, the Horses were in an almost civil war situation, with both Khans fighting each other for power. Trials between castes, for one or another, were almost ripping the Clan apart. A third faction emerged around a young Star Captain, [[Peter Cobb]], one focused in uniting their Clan.<ref>''Elements of Treason: Honor''</ref>

Initially devised as a plan for the Hell's Horses push on Terra, then mothballed after Malvina Hazen's claiming of the Mongol Doctrine, Operation Stampede was repurposed as a plan for attacking the Jade Falcon territory now left exposed by the Falcons' rush to Terra. Khan Amirault, sensing the opportunity to secure a large amount of near-undefended Jade Falcon territory, ordered several waves of attacks into the Falcon Occupation Zone. However, after knowing that the Falcons have abandoned their worlds, the Khan stopped the invasion and turned Stampede into a dash to [[Terra]], but they arrived too late.

After Clan Wolf's final victory in the [[ilClan Trial]] made Alaric Ward [[ilKhan]] and Clan Wolf the [[ilClan]], a delegation from the Hell's Horses arrived on Terra led by the Horses' Khan and saKhan. Angry at the Wolves for denying his Clan the opportunity to fight on Terra, Amirault stated that he did not recognize Ward as ilKhan and claimed that the Wolves had unfairly denied the Hell's Horses a chance to become the ilClan, while at the same time "inviting" Clan Jade Falcon to Terra to participate in the planet's conquest. Amirault then demanded a Trial of Refusal against Ward - Ward responded by pointing out that the Wolves were under no obligation to invite the Hell's Horses to Terra, nor had the Horses earned the right to such a consideration.<ref>''Hour of the Wolf'', p. 360</ref> Ward then stated that there would be no [[Circle of Equals]] between himself and Amirault because, as ilKhan and [[First Lord of the Star League]], he had no equal. Amirault, in response, declared that the Hell's Horses would not stand for such an offence<ref>''Hour of the Wolf'', p. 361</ref> and the Horses' delegation publicly declared their nonrecognition of the new ilKhan's authority before the assembled Clan representatives during Ward's coronation as First Lord.<ref>''IlClan'', p. 109</ref>

In order to prepare themselves for the inevitable hostilities with Clan Wolf, Khan Amirault and saKhan Lassenerra turned Stampede again as a plan to conquer the rest of the former Jade Falcon Occupation Zone, within which several petty kingdoms were already forming.<ref>''Tamar Rising'', p. 58: "A Fateful Summons"</ref> Despite initial success, these efforts met with failure as the Hell's Horses were dealt a series of embarrassing defeats at the hands of several Jade Falcon remnants and pirate raids, specifically their defeat when assaulting the [[Alyina Mercantile League]] Shipyard of [[Butler]] and their failure to crush the last Jade Falcons at the [[Battle of Sudeten (3152)]].<ref>''Tamar Rising'', pp. 63–67</ref>
As a consequence, saKhan Lassenerra accused Khan Amirault of squandering the Hell's Horses position through his hesitancy and overcautiousness, and killed him in a Trial of Position, thereby becoming the new Khan.<ref>''Tamar Rising'', p. 68: "The Consequences of Caution"</ref> The Hell's Horses were back under the leadership of a true warrior.<ref>''Tamar Rising'', p. 93: "Fulk Lassenerra"</ref>

==Culture==
Clan Hell's Horses' philosophy of valuing the individual's role in the greater whole permeates all levels of society.  While caste and birth prejudice still exists within the Clan, it is kept in check by ongoing efforts which extol cooperation among and within all Clan castes.  This unity extends from the lowliest laborer toiling in the factories to the Khans themselves, and none are held in less esteem than is earned.  Even [[freeborn]]s and ''[[solahma]]'' warriors are given respect where other Clans would tolerate or mistreat them; only ''[[dezgra]]'' warriors are exempt from this rule.<ref name=FMCC58>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 58</ref><ref name=MWG>''MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans'', p. 23</ref>

Politicking is mostly shunned by the Hell's Horses, even at the [[Grand Council]] level where the Khans see their duty in leading their Clan as more important than backroom bargaining.  As far as Clansmen go the Hell's Horses are seen as docile and unswervingly obedient to the chain of command, making their Clan far more stable than others where internal power plays are the norm, though this lack of personal initiative has hampered their efforts to expand beyond their already-considerable Homeworld enclaves.  Their use of contract warfare, allowing warriors of different units or even Clans to include each other's forces in a single bid, would seem to run counter to this idea, however the Hell's Horses view it as a strategic matter to ensure victories that go beyond the Clan's own concerns.<ref name=FMCC58/><ref name=MWG/>

===Post–Migration to the Inner Sphere===
Following their migration into the Inner Sphere, the Horses managed to establish good relations with the native Spheroid populations of their worlds. Ruling with a lighter hand than the Wolves and Jade Falcons, the Horses tend to keep to their "DropShip cities" (semipermanent camps) and turn a blind eye to the sizeable black market in Spheroid luxuries in exchange for their authority remaining unquestioned. While thus effectively separate societies, the Clan and its native Spheroid subjects work together as partners in keeping their "nation" running smoothly. However this leniency has also been taken advantage of by disaffected natives, particularly in the former Wolf-controlled worlds.<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 151: "Clan Hell's Horses"</ref><ref name=ER3145p60 />

===Cooperation===
The Horses' spirit of cooperation is a large part of the Clan. Warriors and lower-caste members work well together to accomplish their goals. As for warriors, freeborns and ''solahma'' can also work together on the field. Their spirit of cooperation is no more apparent in their ritual known as the [[Branding Ritual]]. In this ritual, warriors are required to work in groups of six while hunting for their totem animal on the world of Niles. Success in doing so will give the warriors the '''Mark of the Horse'''. Failure due to a lack of cooperation will result in being branded with the '''Mark of Hell''', where people will be noted of their shame.<ref>''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', pp. 61–63</ref>

===Trial of Renewal (August 22)===
Before Founding Day happens, the Alpha and Omega Keshiks meet in mock combat against each other. This holiday goes with the shifting of other Keshiks on Strana Mechty. The event is broadcast on Niles, where other Clans may watch the Trial ensue. The winner of the Trial will be selected to lead their Clan's delegation for [[Founding Day]].<ref>''The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky'', pp. 7–8, 50</ref>

===The Mad Stampede===
The [[Mad Stampede]] was a new tradition among Clan Hell's Horses in the Inner Sphere. It consists of a race of several wheeled or-hovercraft vehicles on a planet which doesn't belong to their Clan and usually held by an enemy. The Horses sometimes ask for ''[[safcon]]'' before landing a single [[DropShip]], refusing to explain their acts to the locals, almost ensuring that these will attack the racers, to make it a more interesting and difficult race. The winners obtain  great prestige.<ref>''Shrapnel'' #9: ''Chaos Campaign Scenario: The Mad Stampede''</ref>

==Military==
{{Main|Clan Hell's Horses Touman}}
[[File:Clan Hell's Horses Warrior.jpg|right|thumb|Hell's Horses Warrior with tank]]
Clan Hell's Horses incorporate a number of unique features into their military doctrine which sets them apart from other Clans, most notably their use of conventional [[infantry]] and [[Combat Vehicle|armor]] even in front-line units.  Their model of combined-arms warfare means roughly two-thirds of all 'Mech [[Star]]s are part of a [[Nova (unit)|Nova formation]], while all vehicle Stars contain an equal number of infantry [[Point (Clan)|Points]].  As a result their ''touman'' numbers fewer 'Mechs than normal but make up for it in a disproportionate amount of infantry and support.

The Clan is also unique for instituting the official ranks of [[Nova Commander]] and [[Nova Captain]] to command Novas and [[Supernova (unit)|Supernovas]].  The existence of such ranks also means more positions for warriors to fight over in a [[Trial of Position]] and means many more warriors are found in the middle ranks than in other Clans.

== Bloodnames ==
{|class="wikitable" width='800' style="background: #gray; text-align:center; border: 1px solid black;"
! colspan="5" | Founding Bloodnames:<ref name="H:OKp35">''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 35: "Origins of the Bloodnames: The Clans' Founders</ref>
|-
| Allychuk
| Amirault
| Anu
| Bolt
| Brown
|-
| Budõlin
| Burns
| Camejo
| Cobb
| Cooper
|-
| DeLaurel
| Dudzinsky
| Dwelley
| Fletcher
| Grimheald
|-
| Houan
| Iler
| Johnston
| Kebede
| Lassenerra
|-
| Liang
| Mazzoni
| Mendoza
| Mitchell
| Moiseyev
|-
| Murphy
| Neely
| O'Reilly
| Peck
| Priddy
|-
| Purchase
| Ravenwater
| Rickard
| Robinson
| Rowbotham
|-
| Seidman
| Steding
| Thompson
| Weißenborn
| Zuijdweg
|-
! colspan="5" | Exclusive Bloodnames Post–Operation REVIVAL:<ref name="FM:CCp53">''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 53: "Clan Hell's Horses Exclusive Bloodnames"</ref>
|-
! General
! MechWarriors
! Elementals
! Aerospace Pilots
! ProtoMech Pilots
|-
| Cobb
| Amirault
| Cooper
| Bourjon
|
|-
| DeLaurel
| Lassenerra
| Fletcher
| Dudzinsky
|
|-
|
| Mitchell
| Houan
| Dwelley
|
|-
|
| Ravenwater
| Seidman
| Johnston
|
|-
! colspan="5" | Exclusive Bloodnames Post–Wars of Reaving:<ref name="WoRp195">''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 195: "Bloodnames of the Council of Six Clans"</ref>
|-
! General
! MechWarriors
! Elementals
! Aerospace Pilots
! ProtoMech Pilots
|-
| Cobb
| Amirault
| Cooper
| Dudzinsky
| Grimheald
|-
| DeLaurel
| Mitchell<sup>*</sup>
| Fletcher
| Dwelley<sup>*</sup>
| Johnston<sup>*</sup>
|-
|
| Ravenwater
| Houan<sup>*</sup>
|
|
|-
|
|
| Seidman<sup>*</sup>
|
|
|-
! colspan="5" | Shared Bloodnames Post–Wars of Reaving:<ref name="WoRp195"/><br>(Column titles signify the other Clans with which the Bloodnames are shared)
|-
! Diamond Shark
! Ghost Bear Dominion
! Jade Falcon
! Snow Raven
! Wolf
|-
| Hawker
| Hawker
| Icaza
| Lassenerra
| Hawker
|-
| Vewas
| Icaza
| Mehta
| Vewas
| Lankenau<sup>x</sup>
|-
|
| Lankenau<sup>x</sup>
|
|
| Mehta
|}
<sup>*</sup> This signifies a Bloodname with a Bloodcount of five or less active Bloodrights<br>
<sup>x</sup> This signifies a Bloodname with genefather rights only

==Rulers==

===Khans===

See: [[Khan of Clan Hell's Horses]]

===saKhans===

See: [[SaKhan of Clan Hell's Horses]]

===Loremasters===

See: [[Loremaster of Clan Hell's Horses]]

==Inter-Clan Relations==
{| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center;
|-
!Clan Name
!Symbol
!Relationship
!Reason
|-
|'''[[Clan Ghost Bear]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Ghost Bear logo.png|100px]]
|Ally
|The Horses were responsible for the death of Ghost Bear Khan [[Kilbourne Jorgensson]], which sent the Ghost Bears into a fury. Afterward, the Horse-Bear feud would last until the early 3070s when the Hell's Horses and Ice Hellions invaded the Inner Sphere. They would broker a peace between the Ghost Bears to end all hostilities between the two Clans.
|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center;
|-
!Clan Name
!Symbol
!Relationship
!Reason
|-
|'''[[Clan Fire Mandrill]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Fire Mandrill.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
|Clan Fire Mandrill views the Horses in full contempt for the death of Kindraa Smythe-Jewel (unaware of Kindraa Payne's involvement). This feud would last for generations until their destruction in the Wars of Reaving.
|-
|'''[[Clan Jade Falcon]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Jade Falcon.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
|During the Dark Age and ilClan eras, the Hell's Horses would become at first unwilling allies, and then outright enemies to Clan Jade Falcon. Malvina Hazen's perceived corruption of the Horses' prized Mongol Doctrine, her slaying of the Horses' Galaxy Commander Tristan Fletcher, and her manipulation of the Horses' into forcing them to join her frenzied attacks against the Lyran Commonwealth and Clan Wolf during the later 3140s would give rise to significant enmity towards her and her Clan amongst the Horses. After she was wounded and put in a coma during the fighting on Hesperus II, the Horses took the opportunity to withdraw from their alliance, reverse Hazen's pollution of the Mongol Doctrine, and repeatedly conquer Jade Falcon worlds left behind by the Falcons' push towards Terra in [[3151]].
|-
|'''[[Clan Wolf]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Wolf logo.png|100px]]
|Enemy
|Clan Hell's Horses held good ties until the Great Refusal. Horse Khan Malavai was slain by his successor, who invaded Clan Wolf worlds in revenge for his Clan's manipulation during the Jihad Era. These hostilities would continue well into the Dark Ages when the Horses claimed the Wolf Clan's former occupation zone after the creation of the Wolf Empire in Lyran territory and after the [[ilClan Trial]] when Horse leadership refused to recognize Alaric's claim as ilKhan after feeling that the Wolves robbed their opportunity for an important battle.
|-
|'''[[Clan Ice Hellion]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Ice Hellion.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
|Clan Ice Hellion was the first ally of the Horses due to being part of Asa Taney's [[Home Clan Coalition]], until the Harvest Trials and Great Refusal broke those ties. A decade later, Ice Hellion Khan [[Raina Montose]] would ally with the Horses again to plan for an invasion into the Inner Sphere. Unfortunately, the "alliance" of Clan Ice Hellion did nothing to benefit either Clan. There were no signs of cooperation shown between the two, instead the Ice Hellions angered the Horses to such an extent that the Horses turned on them. This would ultimately lead to their downfall.
|-
|'''[[Clan Coyote]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Coyote.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
|With Clan Coyote, their alliance would grow when the deceit of Clan Fire Mandrill's Kindraa Smythe-Jewel was exposed. It was found out that the Kindraa had used dishonorable tactics against the Hell's Horses and Coyotes to get ahold of both the Elemental gene-type and OmniMech technology respectively. This would call for both Clans to create an alliance to punish the Kindraa, ending in their destruction. Both Clans gain the Smythe and Jewel Bloodnames and grew into a long-lasting friendship between the two. Though the Coyotes and Hell's Horses have different philosophies, they still respect each other and call themselves "honored comrades". These relations would change in the mid 3070s after the Clan civil war that [[Wars of Reaving|separated the Clans as a whole]]. The Horses would sever all ties with the [[Home Clans]] (which the Coyotes were part of), while the Coyotes would switch their friendship to the Horses' offshoot, the Stone Lions.
|}

==Era Specific Data==
===3062===
'''Hell's Horses Demographics'''<br />
Affiliation: Crusader<br />

'''Clan Space Worlds: '''<br />
[[Bearclaw]] (30 percent)<br />
[[Eden]] (31 percent)<br />
[[Hoard]] (10 percent)<br />
[[Kirin]] (100 percent)<br />
[[Strato Domingo]] (35 percent)<br />
[[Niles (Clan System)|Niles]] (100 percent)<br />
[[Tiber (Clan system)|Tiber]] (50 percent)<br />
[[Tokasha]] (13 percent)<br />
Capital: Niles<br />

Population (Clan Space): 95,317,000 ([[3060]])<br />
Population growth rate: 2.1 percent (71/50)<br />
Self-Sufficiency Index: 93 percent<br />

'''Leaders:'''<br />
[[Khan]]: Malavai Fletcher<br />
[[saKhan]]: Tanya DeLaurel<br />
[[Loremaster]]: Helena Fletcher<br />
Scientist-General: Mohamed (Kepler)<br />
Merchant Factor: Sonja<br />
Master Technician: Amanda<br />
Senior Laborer: Jan<br />

'''Military:'''<br />
Clusters: 37<br />
WarShips: 10<br />

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
<div class="desktop-3-col">
* ''[[Betrayal of Ideals]]''
* ''[[A Bonfire of Worlds]]''
* ''[[The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky]]''
* ''[[Era Digest: Golden Century]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Crusader Clans]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
* ''[[Historical: Operation Klondike]]''
* ''[[Hour of the Wolf]]''
* ''[[IlClan (sourcebook)|IlClan]]''
* ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]''
* ''[[MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans]]''
* ''[[Objectives: The Clans]]''
* ''[[Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade]]''
* ''[[A Rending of Falcons]]''
* ''[[Shattered Fortress]]''
* [[Shrapnel #9|''Shrapnel'', issue #9]]
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3150]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: Golden Century]]''
* ''[[Test of Vengeance]]''
* ''[[Turning Points: Tokasha]]''
* ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]''
</div>


[[Category: Clans]]
[[Category: Factions|Clans, Clan Hell's Horses]]