Elemental

Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field Elementals are the armored infantry troopers of the Clans. Elementals are genetically bred to be the largest and strongest of the three common Clan warrior phenotypes. They wear battle armor that gives them tremendous strength, protection, and mobility. The armor also allows groups of Elementals to damage, or even destroy, 'Mechs. Elementals are some of the best soldiers in existence. They follow difficult training, which differs from one Clan to another. Only a few members of each sibko "test out" to become true Elementals.

While respected for their prowess, few Elementals attain the post of Khan. This is because Trials are fought individually and few are the Elementals who can successfully take on a 'Mech in single combat. Lincoln Osis was one of those few, eventually attaining the rank of ilKhan.

Elemental armors

When the Inner Sphere first encountered Elementals, it was thought these might be alien invaders due to the odd look of the different suits they generally bear. Elementals usually fight with Elemental (battle armor) but the late 3050s and 3060s gave way to newer suits that are also worn by Elementals such as the Gnome, Undine, Sylph, and the so-called Clan Battle Armor.

Some Clan Nova Cat's Elementals have been seen fighting with Draconis Combine Kage Battle Armor; also many Clan Elementals have been seen wearing batle armor of Inner Sphere origin such as the Cavalier, Hauberk, Longinus or Purifier Battle Armor refits. In 3138, some Wolf's Dragoons Elementals were seen sporting a brand new kind of armor: the Black Wolf Battle Armor.

Elemental armors bear incredible weaponry for their size, and can also take tremendous punishment with first aid and drug administration systems, giving an Elemental the ability to survive heavy wounds while the armor is able to seal-off the opening. The most known system is HarJel, included in the Elemental battle armor.

Clan Organization

Under the Clan military organization system, a Point of elementals consists of five warriors. A Star is composed of 5 points, a total of 25 elementals.

Clan tactics

The Clans can lay claim to some of the best BattleMechs ever created, but the strength of the Clans is also due in part to their Elemental Stars. Thanks to their powerful battle armors, Elementals are usually feared due to their alien size and suit appearance, and they use this fear against their enemies.

Elementals are often seen with OmniMechs, to create combined arms assaults, and Clan Omnis usually sport pods on which Elementals can hang or sit.

One of the most commonly used tactics, developed during the Clan Invasion, is called "Headhunters". Elemental Stars infiltrate enemy lines, supported by Clan OmniMechs, look for officers or headquarters and use surprise to destroy the command chain in a lighting-fast attack, creating chaos in enemy lines. Clan Wolf even developed a variant of the Elemental Battle Armor for just this purpose. Elementals are also feared because just a few of them can destroy an entire 'Mech, swarming the hull of the enemy BattleMech, ripping off sheets of armor and firing their weapons at point-blank range.

Inner Sphere equivalent

No Inner Sphere equivalent exists. Each state has its own infantry and battle armor units, but the breeding protocols used to create Elementals are not known by the Successor States. It is doubtful that these protocols would be used even if they were known. The only way for the Inner Sphere forces to compete directly with Elementals is through development of more powerful battle armor.

However, the Grey Death Battle Armor is one of the best challengers the Inner Sphere can offer, but these armored soldiers lack the strength and size an Elemental has.

More recently, new types of Battle Armor have been created to face Elementals, like the Inner Sphere Standard battle armor, designed for normal human, and, 80 years after the first Clan invasion, most of the Great Houses possess battle armors that try to equal armored Elemental results, with the help of some Elemental-designed-for armor that have been refitted (like some rarely seen Gnome Battle Armors) but still lack Elemental-like soldiers.