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Purpose The Trial of Position (ToP) allows a member of the Clan to advance in rank, and it tests a broadening range of piloting and leadership skills as one is promoted through the touman. The ToP can be called by any Warrior who wishes to advance to a position directly above him in the organizational roster. The Keshik may also call for a ToP to fill any open positions in the touman. Finally, the ToP is the method by which retired or reservist Warriors re-enter the Clan touman via the Minus-One Testing Program described separately, below. Rank Designations There are eleven rank designations within the leadership hierarchy of CDS. A Warrior may advance by ToP or by field promotion through the first eight ranks. The top three ranks are positions within the Diamond Keshik which are filled by Clan vote (in the case of Khan) or by appointment by the Khan (saKhan and Galaxy Commander). The rank structure, in decreasing order, is as follows:
Details of the responsibilities of each rank can be found in the OathMaster's area. Participants Participants in the ToP will vary depending upon the situation in which the Trial was called and the rank being earned. The Warrior wishing to gain a rank is the Candidate. The Warrior contesting the Candidate is the Defender regardless of whether he was appointed to participate or was challenged directly by the Candidate. The person appointed to arrange and witness the Trial is the Trial Officer. Contests for MechWarrior Point 2-5 positions are meant to test an individual's piloting skills in zellbrigen combat. A Warrior who successfully wins a MW5 position will have demonstrated proficiency in every weight class of battlemech. The Trials for Star Officer positions (SCom or higher) move beyond individual combat and test the Candidate's tactical planning and leadership ability in a multi-person contest. Those Warriors asked to participate in a ToP for a Star Officer position are called Points. A Call to Trial A Candidate wishing to advance to MechWarrior Point 2-5 will compete against a Defender of the desired rank or higher in a one versus one engagement, with a Trial Officer superior to both contestants conducting the Trial. Should there be no Warriors at the desired rank, the Candidate may petition any Officer ranked Star Commander or higher to serve as Trial Officer. That Officer will select an opponent and arrange the Trial. Should there already be at least one Warrior at the desired rank, the Candidate may challenge the Warrior of his choosing directly and inform any Officer ranked Star Commander or higher of the challenge. That Officer will arrange the Trial between the Candidate and named Defender and will serve as Trial Officer. A Candidate wishing to advance to a Star Officer position will first assemble a team of pilots to lead in the Trial with the number of Points determined by the rank being contested. The Candidate must be of equal or higher rank than the Points he will be leading in the Trial. The Candidate will submit a request to trial to the Keshik along with the names of the Points who will be participating. The Keshik will appoint a Defender of rank equal or greater than the desired rank who will then assemble his own team of Points, arrange the Trial, and act as Trial Officer. The Candidate also has the option to challenge a Warrior at the desired rank directly, provide a list of Points who will be accompanying him, and inform the Keshik of the challenge. The Keshik will appoint a Trial Officer to coordinate the Trial, and the named Defender will assemble his own team of Points. Defenders, appointed or challenged, may request any pilots not already named by the Candidate to serve as their Points, regardless of rank. If the Keshik has called a ToP to fill a position, all eligible contestants will compete in a series of battles with rules of engagement to be determined by the Keshik. All engagements will be overseen by a Trial Officer appointed by the Keshik. Trial Frequency A Candidate may compete in a ToP for his own advancement only after serving in his most recently earned rank for at least two weeks. If a Candidate fails to advance in a ToP attempt, the Candidate must wait at least one week before competing in a retrial. The Keshik reserves the right to decline any ToP request. Note that if the Keshik calls for a ToP to fill a roster position, any Candidate who receives an invitation is immediately eligible to Trial regardless of time spent at his or her current rank. Combat Stages All ToP's will consist of multiple engagements with tonnage restrictions determined by the rank being contested. In ToP's for ranks MW2-MW5, contestants can select any Clan mech of their choosing within the weight class defined for a given stage. In ToP's for Star Officer positions, contestants can select any combination of Clan mechs whose total tonnage does not exceed the maximums defined for a given stage. Weight classes and maximum tonnage allowances per team per stage are defined as follows:
MechWarrior
Point 2 MechWarrior
Point 3 MechWarrior
Point 4 MechWarrior
Point 5 Star
Commander Star
Captain Star
Colonel Mission Settings Once all participants have gathered in a predetermined multiplayer lobby, the Trial Officer will verify the mission settings:
The Candidate will choose the battlefield (map), and this map will be used for all stages in the Trial. Participants may take custom Clan chassis within the defined tonnage limits and are not required to take the same chassis. In the case of a zellbrigen engagement, both participants are required to declare the specific chassis being used prior to dropping from the assembly lobby; both pilots retain the option to change chassis selection after the initial declaration. In multi-point trials, chassis declarations will be done after all combatants have dropped on the battlefield and prior to engagement. All mechs must be equipped with Clan tech weapons only. Rules of Engagement Zellbrigen All participants must keep radar active unless they are engaged in combat. It is at the pilot's discretion to use active radar/BAP/ECM when in combat. The Trial Officer may move at his discretion to witness the Trial. The Candidate and Defender will engage each other until one or both is destroyed. After completion of each stage of the Trial, all participants will exit to the lobby, prepare for the next phase, and then battle again. Team
Battle It is at each pilot's discretion to use active radar/BAP/ECM when in combat. The Trial Officer may witness the battle via camera, but will not pilot a mech on the battlefield. Both teams will engage each other until one or both are completely destroyed. Should time expire prior to completing the battle, the team that had destroyed the most opposing tonnage will be declared the victor. Any instances of intentionally avoiding contact to win by clock expiration will be reviewed by the Keshik as possible dishonorable conduct. Conclusion The winner of each Trial stage will receive one victory point. Should both contestants or teams mutually destroy each other, neither will be awarded a victory for that stage. Destruction due to overheating counts as being defeated by the last person engaged. No stage will be replayed until all three required stages have been played first. When scoring victories for team battle, the Candidate or Defender will receive one victory point if his team was victorious and if his own mech was still functional. Should the Candidate or Defender lose his mech during combat, but his team win the battle, he will earn one-half victory point. The participant with the greatest number of victory points at the conclusion of all stages is declared the victor of the Trial. If a tie in points exists at the conclusion of all stages, the Stage 3 engagement is to be replayed until the tie is broken. A Candidate will advance in rank if he is victorious or remain at his current rank if defeated. The Trial Officer will report the outcome of a successful Trial to the saKhan who will see that the roster is updated accordingly. The Galaxy Commander reserves the right to refuse a promotion, but must be prepared to defend his decision in a Trial of Refusal with the Candidate. If the Candidate is successful in defeating the Galaxy Commander then the promotion is granted without question. If the Candidate is defeated he will not be awarded the higher rank until he has addressed the concern raised by the Galaxy Commander. Should there be any technical problems or situations not defined above, it will be at the discretion of the Trial Officer to call for an immediate rematch. Minus-One Testing Clan Diamond Shark is unique among the Clans in that it allows Warriors who have retired to a lower caste to remain on reserve status. Those Warriors who wish to return to active duty from retirement or reserves may do so through the Minus-One Testing program. A Warrior must successfully trial for the rank one below their previous rank in order to rejoin the active roster. However, if the Warrior is successful in the first part of the ToP, he has the right to continue the Trial to the second, and possibly third, stages in order to regain his previous rank, and possibly earn the rank one above his previous rank. Warriors wishing to rejoin the touman should first contact the Keshik, who will appoint three Warriors to participate that are of equal or higher rank than the ranks being sought by the Candidate. The Keshik reserves the right to define the highest rank that may be earned because of roster considerations. Bloodnamed Warriors who have been retired or in reserves for less than one year may trial first for their most recently held rank, plus the two above it, instead of starting one rank below their last position. The Minus-One Test will be fought against three Warriors, one at a time, of ranks equal to or higher than the ranks being sought by the Candidate. The most senior participant will be the Trial Officer. Note that there will be only one drop with all four participants dropping simultaneously. The Trial Officer will ensure that mission settings are defined correctly; the Candidate retains the choice of battlefield. There is no tonnage limit for a Minus-One Test, but contestants are encouraged to bid amongst themselves for tonnage selection. The Candidate should bid resources sufficient to defeat the desired number of Warriors without respawning. Once launched to battle, the Candidate will engage all three Warriors, one at a time, until either the Candidate or all Warriors are destroyed. At the end of each engagement the Candidate will be given time to cool completely before the next encounter commences at the Trial Officer's command. No mech may respawn between engagements. Zellbrigen rules of engagement apply. The Candidates is strongly suggested to engage only one Warrior at a time during the ToP. To attack any opponent out of turn promotes a melee in which all targets are legitimate. Upon announcement by the Trial Officer of a melee, all Warriors are allowed to simultaneously engage the Candidate. In a melee situation, fighting continues until the Candidate is destroyed or all Warriors are destroyed. The Candidate will earn one rank advancement for every opponent he defeats, including opponents defeated in a melee engagement. Any explosion due to heat or splash damage counts as being defeated by the last pilot engaged. In the event that the Candidate and a competitor mutually destroy each other, the Candidate will not be awarded a victory. A retired Warrior who is unsuccessful in his Minus-One Test to rejoin the touman must take a Trial of Entrance to enter the ranks as a MechWarrior-Point 1, Point 2, or Point 3. A reservist who is unsuccessful in his Minus-One Test must wait one week before reattempting the Minus-One Test. |
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