Brief Description of Elementals:

Elementals are the infantry of the Clans.
They are genetically engineered to be footsoldiers and wear the Clan Elemental Power Armor Battlesuits.
They are huge, tall, very muscular men and women who train constantly in the martial arts. They also often train in their battle suits with the myomer power reduced in order to give a better work out to their body.
Because of their purpose and high death rate from combat, Elementals are bred in large numbers.
In some Clans, including Jade Falcon, they are considered more expendable, and are sometimes less respected and offered less chances for promotions or higher ranks. Clans Hells Horse and Ghost Bear have more respect toward Elementals than most Clans.
Although Elementals are agreeably the toughest warriors that the Clans' genetic breeding programs produce, the hazards of being one are extreme to say the least.
Losses amongst their ranks are always high, both in peace and war.
To become a bloodnamed Elemental is considered remarkable among the Clans, for an Elemental to become a Khan is is almost unheard of.

Elemental Warriors:

Genetically engineered and bred to wear the Clans' mighty Battle Armor, these powerfully built warriors often range in height from 6'4 to 71/2 feet, but are often known to be taller. They are incredibly fierce fighters yet they are the most cooperative breed of warriors in the Clans, they are trained from birth to be team oriented, and be part of an Elemental point.

Elemental Sibkos

Even though Elementals have the best Battle Armor in the known galaxy, they still suffer a higher rate of casualties than any other warrior breed, as has always been the case with infantry over countless millennia. Naturally, Elemental sibkos are more numerous than that of any warrior caste.

Elemental Trials of Position

This is the ultimate test that decides success as a warrior or failure as a soon to be member of the lower castes. This test also determines positions of rank later on in a warrior's career. Elementals put their speed, agility, toughness and strength to a greater test in their trials than do MechWarriors or aerospace pilots. Even when augmented with Battle Armor, an Elemental must rely heavily on his own physical prowess to succeed in his/her Trial of position, and so Elementals rarely defeat three or more opponents.
The Elemental Trial of Position proceeds in the same way as the MechWarrior Trial of Position, though the Elemental earns different ranks. Defeating one opponent means the candidate earns a place in the warrior caste: defeating two opponents earns the candidate the rank of Point Commander and places him in charge of four other Elemental warriors. A candidate who defeats three opponents earns the rank of Star Commander and leads a Star of twenty-five Elementals.

Elemental Bloodname Contests

Elemental Bloodname contests are very similar to their Trials of Position, yet they are even more vicious in nature, many of the participants choosing to fight un-augmented, even in the grand melee. Like any other caste in the Clans, Elementals have the right to fight for any Bloodname in their Clan, even if it is not a typical Elemental bloodline. It is not unknown for an Elemental to participate in a trial against MechWarriors, both augmented and un-augmented.

Elemental Tactics:

Ever since the beginning of the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere, Elementals have been in the thick of the fighting. Used by all of the Clans, they struck fear into the enemy as a type of soldier never before seen. Infantry, once thought of as mere insects compared to the giant BattleMechs used by the Successor States, had now become a deadly force to contend with. No longer unarmored and lightly armed as past infantry units had been, these types of ground pounders are able to take on a BattleMech and win, with as few as 5 troopers. Armed with deadly lasers, metal tearing claws, missiles, machine guns, jump jets and heavy armor, these warriors are a major factor in determining the course of a battle.
To get a true understanding of how the Clans employ their Elemental units, first we must analyze how these units are structured and organized for combat. Unlike the military units of the Inner Sphere, which use a 4 based system of structure, the Clans use a system based on 5.

Although the Elemental point is agreeably more lethal than a standard platoon of 25 or more men, they do have less numerous ranks. As a matter of course, different tactics must be employed to maximize the abilities of Battle Armored Elementals.
One major "element" of Battle Armored Elementals is their ability to move. They are fast, capable of moving three times as fast as regular foot infantry through a combination of running and use of the jump jets built into their armor. This leads to a leapfrogging style of movement, and a result, Elemental units were quickly labeled "Toads" by the warriors of the Inner Sphere.  (Victor Ian Steiner-Davion coined the term)

However, this leapfrogging is not the only way for Elementals to get around on the battlefield. Most Clan OmniMechs are designed with special footholds and ladder type rungs for use by Elementals so that they may ride the 'Mech if the situation requires faster or prolonged movement. Generally up to a single Point may ride a 'Mech, depending upon the size and type of the 'Mech in question.
The most common tactic used by Elementals is the swarm attack, in which a Point jumps onto an enemy 'Mech, and then proceeds to rip off armor plates and vital components, firing their weapons at vulnerable spots, and also attempting to get at the pilot of the 'Mech. Unless the enemy 'Mech has a good pilot, or certain anti-personnel equipment, swarming attacks will typically succeed.
Another more sophisticated (and dangerous) strategy performed by Elementals is the Headhunter. Headhunters are Elemental stars that slip through enemy lines to hunt down and destroy the enemy's headquarters. This requires considerable skill and courage on the part of the Elementals because their suits have to be modified to carry the extra fuel required for their mission, at the expense of armor and armament. The payoff is well worth the risk, because a successful headhunter mission can take an Inner Sphere unit out of action, particularly if the unit was green and inexperienced. The chaos created by Headhunter attacks often results in the collapse of entire defensive lines, particularly when combined with a concerted push by the rest of the Clan unit.

A technician places parts of battle armor onto an Elemental warrior.

An examination of the fabulous suit, how it works, what it can do, and what it should be able to do.

Description:

First of all, the suit is tall, coming in at over 2 meters not counting the SRM-2 pack typically carried on most units seen. The suit is equipped with a small laser for one arm and a three-fingered claw for the other, with a small caliber machine gun under slung. The entire body of the wearer is protected by armor of unknown composition (most likely a ferro-fibrous/glazed composite) bearing a close resemblance to jousting armor worn by mounted Knights 1500 years ago, with heavy ballistic material covering any exposed joints. The features of the suit are dominated by a dark V-shaped view port through which the wearer sees the outside world. The armor possess no neck to speak of, having only a large stump of a head sprouting from the shoulders. The feet of the suit of Battle Armor closely resemble large and oversized bifurcated hooves like that of a horse or deer.

Nuts and Bolts:

The suit itself comes in several parts, but the first that an Elemental warrior dons is the lower leg and waist pieces. This is followed by attaching the arms to each side of the chest piece, which is then brought together and sealed in the back. Then the head unit is attached. Final assembly is the act of attaching the SRM-2 unit to the back of the suit torso. Inside the suit is a black fabric that adjusts automatically for a proper fit and also serves to insulate the wearer and to conduct the suit's medical system. The view port of the suit features a holographic display with a 360 degree view that is truncated into 160. Above and below this display are various boxes that enable the wearer to select from assorted imaging and tactical views, giving the Elemental warrior an enhanced view of the battlefield as well as data on the suit's condition, ammunition supply, and medical condition. Control of some of the displays are done with the warrior's eyes.

The weapons controls for the suit are located in the arms, where the user's hands fit into gloves that control the claw, laser, and machine gun armaments through particular finger positions that make misfires rare.

Medical System:

The Elemental suit is fitted with a medical system in case of battle damage that may be inflicted on the suit's wearer. When the battle suit is damaged in a way that wounds the warrior inside, automatic injection of pain killers relieve pain from damage to the warrior's body. That and the simultaneous injestion of stimulants help to enhance alertness and mental and physical concentration to an Elemental warrior wounded while engaged in combat.

A black gel or tar like substance called HARJEL is released from the battle armor into damaged areas - disinfecting and covering wounds to the warrior, and sealing up and supporting damaged parts of the suit.

Operation:

Once pressure seals are locked in place, the suit powers up, and through a slight neural feedback from the wearer, the myomer lined frame responds to the electrical stimuli transmitted through the operator's own muscle tissue. The suits pressure seals can withstand the vacuum of space. Movement and dexterity of the suit are very fluid, with virtually no limitations on range of motion, with the exception of the arm mounted laser. No special controls are needed for movement (with the exception of jump jets) as the suit simply mimics the wearer's actions. An Elemental CAN use the suit without the benefit of the powered myomer skin suit, although it is extremely demanding on even the most physically fit warrior.

The jump jets are activated through either voice or glove commands, and the wearer normally must have both of the suit's feet together in a firm plant on the ground if he/she wishes to achieve a high altitude or distance. This is not necessary for jumping however. Individual jets on either leg may be fired, although resulting instability is high. Elemental warriors train regularly under such conditions, and have no problems with the execution of single fire jumping.

Internal power for the suit comes from compressed battery modules located in the suit's jump pack, with extra power coming from the torso mounted SRM-2 pack, if worn. The suit is also marginally recharged through normal movement, providing enough power to feed the visor's tactical displays and the medical system.

Necessary in case of emergency, the arm mounted laser and claw can break away from the suit in seconds. The wearer pulls on small ripcords inside the arm modules, and the seals are broken and the operator's hands are freed. Protective gloves are usually then donned, although they offer no increased hand strength.

An Elemental in bio sensor mesh, after egressing from the battle armor.

Descriptions of Some Individuals: Lincoln Osis, IlKhan This Elemental of the Clan Smoke Jaguar has had an impressive career. Once thought dead in the fighting on Tukayyid, Khan Osis returned from the grave and has just recently been elected ilKhan of the Clans. Not much is known about his days before becoming Khan, but he first comes into the spotlight commanding Jaguar forces in the initial assaults on Periphery and Combine worlds. Khan Osis in the beginning was able to stay out of the politics of the invasion of the Inner Sphere. But shortly after the tragic death of ilKhan Leo Showers, Lincoln Osis dove headlong into them by working with Khan Chistu of the Jade Falcons to cause trouble for Clan Wolf Khan Ulric Kerensky. Failing to frame Ulric for the ilKhan's death, Osis and Chistu then decided to nominate the Warden Khan of Clan Wolf as the new ilKhan, a move that they hoped would neutralize Ulric's opposition to the invasion. After sweeping brutally through many Combine worlds, and the preparations for the assault on Luthien completed, ilKhan Kerensky gave the honor of overall command to Khan Osis. Osis was overjoyed. Not only would his warriors finally get the true test of their mettle that they deserved, but the success of the campaign would give him the political and military clout to challenge Kerensky for the position of ilKhan. Osis, although having planned well for the Luthien conflict, did not count on the sudden appearance of the Kell Hounds and Wolf's Dragoons. The defeat was complete, and Osis and the Jaguars boarded their dropships with nearly 50% losses. Hopes for glorious battle did not dwindle however, as ilKhan Kerensky announced the coming proxy battle for the most coveted trophy of the entire invasion, Terra. Khan Osis rejoiced in having the honor to be the first to set foot on Tukayyid. He believed that Comstar's Com Guards would be easy pickings because ComStar had only shown the Clans its pacifist side. Leading the Jaguar's Alpha Galaxy into the Dinju Mountains near Port Racice and Dinju heights, Khan Osis' campaign went well initially with only modest resistance from the green Com Guards 50th division. Confident of victory, Osis and his forces marched into the pass that sheltered the target cities and the hidden Com Guard's heavy 299th division. Charging through the pass, the Jaguars suddenly found themselves confronted with not only the 299th, but the 323rd Com Guard division. The ambush was devastating, and in the ensuing melee a Com Guard Mechwarrior picked off Khan Osis with a well placed laser shot against Osis' battle armor. Khan Lincoln Osis of the Smoke Jaguars was dead. Star Colonel Brandon Howell was elected Khan shortly after the Clans' defeat on Tukayyid, only to be shocked with the news that Khan Osis had survived the battle, apparently rescued during salvage operations on Tukayyid. Howell graciously accepted his leader's return by taking the position of saKhan instead. Still without an ilKhan, the Khans of the Clans returned to Strana Mechty to vote for their next leader. Through clever engineering by Vladimir Ward of the Wolves, and Marthe Pryde of the Jade Falcons, Osis was elected ilKhan of the Clans on November 19, 3058. It remins to be seen if ilKhan Lincoln Osis can emerge from the ever rising tide of politics unscathed. Taman Malthus, Star Captain Taman Malthus is a powerful man, large even for an Elemental. The only Malthus to remain in the Inner Sphere after Twycross, Taman was assigned to garrison duty on the world of Alyina. This assignment offered few opportunities to win glory or to restore honor to the Malthus name, and so when Demi-Precentor Khalsa ordered Taman to hunt down and capture a Federated Commonwealth officer named David Jewell, Malthus jumped at the chance. Jewell proved how dangerous he was by defeating one of the Elementals, and Star Captain Malthus decided to earn honor by battling this warrior in single, unarmed combat. Malthus and his Point stalked Jewell through the jungle. When they finally cornered him, Taman Malthus challenged Jewell to single combat, and Jewell accepted. They began to fight, both men holding their own, but eventually Malthus appeared to be gaining the upper hand. Demi-Precentor Khalsa arrived in a ComStar helicopter gunship, interrupting the fight, slaughtering two of the Elementals and capturing the rest, including Malthus. Jewell had fallen off a ridge and was presumed dead. This unexpected attack heralded the start of Primus Myndo Waterly's "Operation Scorpion." Outrage by ComStar's treachery, Taman Malthus swore to kill Demi-Precentor Khalsa, and got his chance when Jewell, who had survived the drop, arranged a jailbreak. After disposing of the Demi-Precentor, Taman discovered that David Jewell was actually Kai Allard-Liao, the man who single-handedly annihilated the Falcon Guards on Twycross. Joining his respected foe in alliance against the dishonorable forces of ComStar, Star Captain Malthus, Kai, and the remaining members of Malthus' unit retrieved their Battle Armor and attacked the ComStar compound, liberating the Clan prisoners there and decimating the local Com Guard forces. Taman Malthus' respect for Kai Allard-Liao increased during this exploit, and ComStar's defeat on Alyina went far toward restoring honor to the Malthus bloodname. So much in fact that the newly elected ilKhan Elias Crichell had asked for Malthus to be his second in a challenge made by Khan Vladimir Ward of Clan Wolf. While on Solaris in 3056, Kai Allard-Liao's family had been held prisoner by Tormano Liao. At Kai's request, Taman Malthus and a star of Elementals had come from their garrison at Joppo to rescue Kai's family. Taman welcomed the opportunity for combat and to assist a fellow warrior, especially since it involved safeguarding Kai's family, a very high honor. Little is known about Taman Malthus after this period, it is assumed that he participated in the Refusal war between The Jade Falcons and the Wolves, and it is known that he was still around afterwards, but his name does not appear on the 3058 Unit Summary for the Jade Falcons. This may be an omission due to the fact that the Falcons were undergoing major personnel problems at the time. Revision as of November 19, 3059- Taman Malthus now listed as Star Colonel of the 2nd Falcon Jaegers, Iota Galaxy. Unit consists of 5 Trinaries. Based at Romulus/Seiduts. Unit logo is of an Elemental fighting alongside a Centurion Battlemech. Jodi, Star Commander Star Commander Jodi was a common child-laborer in the mining pits of the Wolf Clan's northern continent when she came to the attention of Star Colonel Mellan Radick, then commander of the Third Battle Cluster. Her physical strength rivals that of an Elemental, even though Jodi is half a meter shorter. The only blemish on a promising career is Star Commander Jodi's paralyzing fear of space travel. Though Jodi proved an excellent infantryman and showed great intuitive skills on the battlefield, attempts to cure her fear of space travel have not been successful. After five years of service and hundreds of trips into space, she still must take strong psychomalleable drugs to control her phobia, drugs that have a definite effect on her leadership abilities early in a planetary campaign. Jodi died in the fighting on Tukayyid. Marijoan Shaw, Star Captain Star Captain Marijoan Shaw is 3 meters tall and weighs 200 kilograms, a physique that makes her stand out even among her fellow Elementals. As imposing as she is physically, Star Captain Marijoan Shaw is equally gentle off the battlefield. She has gained a reputation in the Galaxy for her beautiful singing of the 22nd-century Arabian spirituals she favors. On the battlefield, however, she is a terror. Marijoan Shaw has been responsible for four solo 'Mech kills, a Wolf Clan record. Hannibal Sradac, Star Captain This red haired giant of a man represents a rarity in the Clans. Traditionally, few Elementals have risen above the rank of Star Commander. The usual reason given is that Elementals cannot keep up with 'Mechs in a battle, and so infantry officers cannot effectively lead a battle. However, the Clans hold the unspoken opinion that so much attention has been given to breeding huge mountains of muscle that the intellect must inevitably have suffered. Star Captain Hannibal Sradac is proof that this silent prejudice is wrong. Not only is the captain an able commander of troops and knowledgeable in tactics, but he is also a historian of the ancient Star League society. His troops have performed up to the highest standards under his command. In the event that a battle moves too swiftly for him to keep up on foot (a rarity), Captain Sradac has been known to hitch a ride on the shoulder of one of his 'Mechs. Edick This Elemental was one of the contestants for the Ward Bloodname, which Phelan sought out just prior to the battle of Tukayyid. Being paired off against each other, Phelan being the hunter and Edick the hunted, Edick chose an industrial sector on the planet Lothan. By attempting to lure Phelan's Mercury towards a nearby building, Edick had hoped to use it as a huge bomb, as he had released natural gas into its interior. Unfortunately this plan backfired on Edick, and allowed Phelan to move up on his way towards achieving a bloodname. Jason, Star Captain Star Captain Jason is one of a handful of freebirth Elemental warriors in Clan Jade Falcon. His mother was a member of the laborers caste; his father was an Elemental trueborn who tested out of warrior training and joined the scientist caste. His father's influential friends and a purloined suit of Battle Armor allowed him to take a Trial of Position. He faced enormous prejudice early in his career, and has worked hard to overcome it, using diligence and intelligence to earn the rank of Star Captain and command of Trinary Delta, 89th Falcon Striker Cluster, Peregrine Galaxy. Jason was wounded in the fighting on Tukayyid. Denard Devereaux, Star Colonel Star Colonel Denard Devereaux is something of a legend among the Elementals of Clan Nova Cat. Like many before him, he had won a bloodname and the right to fight in the front lines of the Clan advance into the Inner Sphere. First as a Star Commander, then as a Star Captain, he had always been at the head of force participating in the thickest part of the fighting. New Clan warriors were eager to fight under the leadership of this legend-in-the-making. Then came Tukayyid. Without proper logistic support, the Nova Cats had been routed off the plantet by the Com Guards in less than a week. It was the Nova Cat Clan's worst defeat and their lowest moment. Only the failure of the Jade Falcons two days later and the exploits of Denard had made the shame bearable. Harassing the enemy in a series of bold maneuvers, Denard's star of Elementals had kept up the pressure on the Com Guard forces throughout the engagement. Popular accounts said Denard had lived in his armor for that whole week. In the end, however, it did not matter. The Clan was defeated, and Denard was lifted off the planet with the final star of defenders. Desperate for a hero, the Nova Cat Khans had decided Denard was their man. Tales of his exploits and his prowess grew and multiplied until it was hard to say where truth left off and fiction began. Clan Nova Cat had a new hero, and their faith in themselves was repaired, at least in part, by the exploits of that hero. Possibly wishing to completely forget the past, Clan Nova Cat promoted Denard Devereaux to Star Colonel, but only in command of a second-line cluster on the world of Courcheval. Denard felt this promotion was a permanent blow to his life as a warrior, fearing that he would never again get to lead troops into battle against the Inner Sphere. Resigning himself to his fate, Denard awaited just one chance to prove himself to his Clan. The arrival of the mercenary unit the Black Thorns presented such an opportunity in July of 3057. The Mercenary Black Thorns had crashed on Courcheval in a botched raid attempt. Learning of the Thorn's existence, and that of their still-intact but heavily damaged dropship, Star Colonel Denard Devereaux hatched a daring plan to seize the Inner Sphere dropship and use it to launch a surprise raid on the nearby Kurita world of Wolcott. Unfortunately for Denard, the mercenary commander Jeremiah Rose proved himself the better man, defeating Denard's 'Mech forces piecemeal and then later besting him ( Jeremiah Rose cared little for Clan Honor, and electrocuted Denard with an innocent looking puddle of water and an Electric torch ) in a Circle of Equals. Star Colonel Denard Devereaux died after Rose drove a screwdriver through his eye. (yuk) Thrace, Star Captain Star Captain Thrace served as aide to Star Colonel Denard Devereux on the Nova Cat captured world of Courcheval. During the conflict with the Black Thorns on the planet, Thrace was captured by the mercenary unit, only to be released by her captors just before they went off-planet. Thrace returned to her unit in disgrace, a warrior returned without being taken as bondsman to the mercenaries. Paul Moon, Star Colonel Paul Moon took part in the Smoke Jaguar's invasion of the Inner Sphere, participating in attacks on planets Jeronimo and Marshdale, and headed the storming of Idlewind. Paul also participated in an ill-fated attack on Luthien, where despite their own courage, the Smoke Jaguars lost. From the very first time they met, Star Colonel Paul Moon hated Star Captain Trent, and the strain of Moon's manipulations would eventually would drive Trent to become a traitor. Paul Moon did all that could to destroy him and went out of his way to slow Trent down: including making moves to block his further rise in rank, refusing to support his quest for a Bloodname, continually insulting him, and supporting Jez for Trial of Bloodright. He later helped in sending Trent away from the front lines and the occupation zones and into a dezgra unit on backworlds, and relegating him to a solahma. Paul Moon lost a leg while trying to kill Trent in battle. His leg was repaired by Jaguar physicians, and he was among the Smoke Jaguars who were not compelled to recede from the battle against the Inner Sphere forces of Operation Bulldog. Paul Moon received command of the staying forces and attacked armies of task Force "Serpent". However his command did last not for long as he was very soon was wounded by an artillery impact which destroyed his right hand and a shoulder. He was captured by Comstar, whose physicians saved his life. He is now under the care of Comstar. Selima, Star Commander Selima is a Jade Falcon Elemental, who in a Clan that does not hold much respect for Elementals and rarely offers them command, has made it to the Rank of Star Commander. Selima is a very resourceful, and courageous individual. He often puts his own life at risk to save others, and to help a battle run more efficiently. When Star Commander Selima served during the Battle of Tukayyid he saved lives during hasty bridge construction operations, and rescued MechWarrior Diana from the cockpit of her downed Warhawk while Aidan Pryde defended them alone, just before the Jade Falcon dropships left and Comstar 'Mechs crushed Aidan's lone Timber Wolf and overrode the area.

A Clan Wolf Elemental

Evantha Fetladral of Clan Wolf

An Elemental with "tatoo" circuitry embedded in his skin.