Editing Avalanche (Individual Sovetskii Soyuz-class WarShip)

{{otheruses|the ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class heavy cruiser|the [[BattleMech]]|Avalanche}}
{{InfoBoxIndividualSpacecraft
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| vesselname = Avalanche
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| type       = WarShip
| class      = [[Sovetskii Soyuz]] 
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The CSR '''''Avalanche''''' was a ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class heavy cruiser in initial service the [[Star League Defense Force]] and, later, [[Clan Snow Raven]].

==History==
===Clan Wolverine Annihilation===
After agents of [[Clan Widowmaker]] stole a nuclear device from [[Clan Wolverine]] stockpiles and detonated it in the middle of Great Hope, the largest Wolverine city on [[Circe]], the [[Clan Snow Raven]] ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class heavy cruiser CSR ''Avalanche'' in orbit around Circe and over the city of Dehra Dun was given authorization by Nicholas Kerensky to use nuclear weapons against the largest concentration of Wolverine forces on the planet on the 22nd of October [[2823]]. As a pair of nuclear-armed ships, designated Angel One and Angel Two, were launched from the ''Avalanche'' with an escorting [[aerospace fighter]] contingent, the [[Bismark|SLS ''Bismark'']] emerged from a nearby pirate point and moved to engage. Quickly identified as being under the control of the Wolverines, while the ''Bismark'' did exchange fire with the ''Avalanche'', the primary objectives of the ''Bismark'' were the destruction of Angels One and Two; the ''Bismark'' succeeded in destroying both ships, but not before one of the nuclear weapons was launched. The nuclear weapon detonated off-target, airbursting above the Snow Raven capital city of Dehra Dun. With the ''Avalanche'' taking increasing amounts of damage from the ''Bismark'', the Snow Raven WarShip withdrew from combat.<ref name="BOI3-56">''Betrayal of Ideals'', part 3, pp. 56–61</ref>

The ''Avalanche'' was involved in the combat in the [[Deep Periphery]] system known as [[Barbados]] that saw [[ilKhan]] [[Nicholas Kerensky|Kerensky]]'s Grand Fleet destroy the bulk of the [[Clan Wolverine Touman|Clan Wolverine ''touman'']] and kill or capture the majority of the Wolverine civilian castes. Initially kept out of the battle in accordance with the Clan honor system, the ''Avalanche'' became directly involved in the fight when the crippled ''[[Vincent]]''-class corvette [[Badger (Individual Vincent-class WarShip)|SLS ''Badger'']] deliberately blew her own engines up while in close proximity to the ''Avalanche'', with debris from the explosion inflicting heavy damage on the Snow Raven heavy cruiser.<ref name="BOI4-37+">''Betrayal of Ideals'', part 4, pp. 37–40</ref>

===Thirty-First Century===
As of [[3061]] the ''Avalanche'' was one of many [[WarShip]]s serving within the [[Clan Snow Raven Touman|Clan Snow Raven ''touman'']], and was one of ten WarShips that made up the [[Lum Garrison Fleet (Clan Snow Raven)|Lum Garrison Fleet]]. Paired with another heavy cruiser, the ''[[Aegis]]''-class [[Morning Violence|CSR ''Morning Violence]], the ''Avalanche'' was responsible for patrolling the shipping lanes stretching out from [[Lum]] to the zenith jump point and the accompanying Tivoli station located there.<ref name="FM:WCp131">''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 131: "Lum Garrison Fleet"</ref>

In [[3065]] the ''Avalanche'' was involved in the extended conflict on and above Lum, as [[Clan Steel Viper]] fought to establish an enclave on the planet and then expanded it via various [[Trial of Possession|Trials of Possession]]. When the Steel Vipers began withdrawing on the 12th of October to avoid [[Clan Jade Falcon]] simply taking former Raven holdings from the Steel Vipers, the ''Avalanche'' was one of the vessels that attacked the retreating Steel Viper DropShips and their escorts. One of the DropShips destroyed by the ''Avalanche'' was transporting [[Khan]] [[Perigard Zalman]] of the Steel Vipers.<ref name="WORp108">''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 108: "Force of Power"</ref>

The ''Avalanche'' continued to serve in the Lum Garrison Fleet until at least [[3067]], operating alongside the ''Morning Violence'' and her sister ship [[Scabbard|CSR ''Scabbard'']], the ''[[Potemkin]]''-class cruisers [[Bonaventure (Potemkin)|CSR ''Bonaventure'']] and [[Eden Rose|CSR ''Eden Rose'']], three destroyers - the ''[[Lola III]]''-class [[Bloody Talon|CSR ''Bloody Talon'']], the ''[[York (WarShip class)|York]]''-class [[Corvidae|CSR ''Corvidae'']] and the ''[[Whirlwind]]''-class [[Drake (Individual Whirlwind-class WarShip)|CSR ''Drake'']] - and the ''Vincent''-class [[Huninn|CSR ''Huninn'']].<ref name="FM:Up64">''Field Manual: Updates'', pp. 64–65: "Naval Assets"</ref>

====The Wars of Reaving====
In December [[3068]], three Snow Raven WarShips were involved in a large [[Trial of Possession]] in the Lum system called by [[Clan Star Adder|Clan Star Adder's]] [[Delta Naval Star (Clan Star Adder)|Delta Naval Star]] for control of the planet's orbital space. The resulting battle saw almost six [[Star]]s of WarShips and [[DropShip]]s, and almost seven Stars of aerospace fighters, battle each other in one of the largest naval engagements to be fought in the [[Clan Homeworlds]] up to that point. The only Snow Raven WarShip to survive the engagement was the ''Bloody Talon''; the other two Snow Raven WarShips present<ref name="WORp40"/> - subsequently confirmed as being the ''Avalanche'' and the ''Morning Violence''<ref>[http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,34533.msg806356.html#msg806356 BattleTech Developer confirms the destruction of the ''Avalanche'' and ''Morning Violence'' at Lum]</ref> - were crippled and on fire, and the [[Cho Polu|CSA ''Cho Polu'']], a ''[[Volga]]''-class transport, was destroyed, burning in Lum's atmosphere before carving large craters in the surface of the planet with its remains.<ref name="WORp40">''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 40: "Lamentations and the Raven"</ref>

==Notes==
* The destruction of the ''Avalanche'' and four other Snow Raven WarShips unaccounted for specifically by name in sourcebooks was confirmed by the BattleTech Developer [[Øystein Tvedten]] via the Catalyst Game Labs' "Ask The Writers" forum:

{{Quote|*Opens Ye Olde Tome of Warshippe*

Avalanche - Lum 3068<br>
Morning Violence - Lum 3068<br>
Eternity - Lum 3070<br>
Blue Lancer - Lum 3070<br>
Tenacity - Lum 3070<br>

With regards,<br>
Øystein|[http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,34533.msg806356.html#msg806356 Øystein Tvedten, 01 November 2013]}}

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Betrayal of Ideals]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
* ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]''


[[Category: Individual WarShips]]
[[Category: Individual Heavy Cruisers]]
[[Category: Individual Sovetskii Soyuz-class WarShips]]