Flurry Cluster

A vehicle-heavy rarity among the Clan toumans, a Flurry Cluster is a type of second-line Cluster deployed by Clan Ice Hellion in the wake of the Hellion's Fury Campaign.

Overview

With Clan Ice Hellion having succeeded in quickly acquiring territory throughout the Kerensky Cluster in the wake of their campaign to assuage their loss during the REVIAL Trials, Hellion Khan Stephen Tyler realized his garrisons had been spread too thinly. In order to create new commands quickly, Khan Tyler ordered the creation of Flurry Clusters, which would include a mix of fast combat vehicles (including VTOLs and hovercraft) and the rare salvaged BattleMechs and OmniMechs.

In order to raise the warriors required to form Flurry Clusters, Khan Tyler offered commissions to all Freeborns and Trueborns who had initially failed their Trial of Position. Most Trueborns declined, seeing such a position as more dishonorable than a lower-caste assignment, so Flurry Clusters tended to be made up of Freeborn warriors. Flurry Clusters were commanded by Bloodnamed warriors deemed too old and inept to command even a Solahma unit.

On the battlefield, Flurries had be able to rapidly respond and delay an adversary unit until regular frontline or second-line units are able to arrive, a tactical maneuver known as a "Flurry Rush". Unofficially, Flurries were meant to act as cannon fodder engaging the enemy and fighting to the death. Indeed, a warrior assigned to a Flurry was not expected to live long. Because the commanders of Flurry units are considered too undesirable even for a Solahma unit, the Flurry is the last chance a Clan Ice Hellion warrior has to die honorably in battle.

Despite their intention as little more than cannon fodder, many Flurry Clusters showed signs of cohesion and even succeeded in throwing back opponents before reinforcements could arrive, in part because of the Clans chronic underestimation of combat vehicles. A number of critics cited that the Flurry Clusters went against Clan traditions, but Hellion Khans Stephen Tyler and Asa Taney reassured their fellow Khans on the Grand Council that Flurries would never appear alongside front-line 'Mechs or Elementals. In spite of this assurance, Flurries would ultimately fight beside Hellion front-line forces during both Operation ICE STORM and the Wars of Reaving.

In spite of their ad-hoc creation, Flurry Clusters were nominally organized along Clan Military Structure as Trinaries and Clusters, with the bulk of their TOE consisting of combat vehicles, with only five percent being 'Mech forces. Normally only aging or decrepit models, rare Gargoyles would often form the backbone of a Flurry Cluster, as well as newly built variants of the Piranha exclusively manufactured for the Flurries. During the 3050s and 3060s most of the Ice Hellion toumans growth was in the expansion of Flurry Clusters to all Galaxies. As of 3059 the Hellions had roughly six Flurry Clusters divided among just two Galaxies, but by 3067 each Galaxy save the spread-out Theta boasted at least the equivalent of two full Flurry Clusters.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Crusader Clans
• Field Manual: Update
• Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade
• Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade