Editing MechWarrior 4: Vengeance

{{ApocryphalArticle}}
{{InfoBoxProduct
| image               = MechWarrior 4 Vengeance.jpg..jpg
| name                = MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
| type                = Video Game
| author              = 
| development         = [[FASA Interactive]]
| primarywriting      = 
| pages               = 
| cover               = 
| interiorart         = 
| illustrations       = 
| publisher           = [[Microsoft]]
| productioncode      = 
| year                = 2000
| ISBN10              = 
| ISBN13              = 
| MSRP                = 
| content             = 
| era                 = [[FedCom Civil War]]
| timeline            = 
| series              = [[MechWarrior (video games)]]
| precededby          = 
| followedby          = [[MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries]]
}}
FASA Studio's '''''MechWarrior 4: Vengeance''''' is a 2000 computer game set in the [[BattleTech]] universe during the [[FedCom Civil War]] era.
[http://www.smithandtinker.com Smith & Tinker] announced on 9 July 2009 that the ''MechWarrior 4'' series of games and expansions would be made available for free via [[MekTek]]. This finally happened on 30 April 2010, although only with the ''[[MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries]]'' game. This free offer has since been discontinued.

==Canonicity==
Computer games are explicitly excluded from the list of products that contribute straight [[canon]] to the BattleTech universe while at the same time it was stated that the IP owners are "not in total denial about these sources either"; it has also been stated that fluff from certain official, licensed products (namely certain computer games including those produced by FASA) can be assumed to be part of the shared universe as long as it is not directly contradicted, and makes sense. On this premise, ''MechWarrior 4: Vengeance'' is considered to be an apocryphal product.

Conflicts with official canon include:
* The attack on Duke Eric Dresari's compound is portrayed as a surprise attack that is over within minutes. The [[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|''FedCom Civil War'']] sourcebook describes it as a three-day battle.
* ''FedCom Civil War'' indicates that Ian Dresari becomes Duke, rendering the alternate ending where Joanna becomes Duchess noncanon.

==Plot synopsis==
===Backstory===
The FedCom Civil War engulfs [[Kentares IV]] after [[William Dresari]], a nephew of famed Clan War hero Duke [[Eric Dresari]], betrays the family, launching a surprise attack by Steiner forces on the Dresari royal palace. William seizes the throne for himself under the banner of [[Katherine_Steiner-Davion|Katherine "Katrina" Steiner-Davion]]'s [[Lyran Alliance]] and became responsible for the annihilation of loyalists to [[Victor Steiner-Davion]]. The betrayal leaves Eric Dresari and the majority of the royal family dead. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Opening Cinematic|Transcript]])

===Storyline===
Upon hearing of the coup, Eric's son, [[Ian Dresari]], returns home and meets up with his uncle, Sir [[Peter Dresari]], on the moon orbiting Kentares to launch a guerrilla campaign to take back Kentares IV from the Steiner loyalists. Ian fights alongside with fellow Resistance MechWarriors [[Casey Nolan]], [[Jen McQuarrie]], and [[Jules Gonzales]], and their commander [[Elise Rathburn]] in various missions. The Resistance abandons its base on the moon and sets up camp for the first time in Kentares' arctic regions. At one point during this campaign, Ian's uncle Peter is murdered by [[Duncan Burke]], a high-ranking officer in Katrina's forces. Ian and the rest of the Resistance are devastated by the loss of his uncle and debate over whether or not to continue the fight for Kentares' freedom. They decide to push forward and manage to capture a satellite network from House Steiner. The rebel group moves into the mountains.

After destroying a disabled, but heavily guarded Steiner [[DropShip]], Ian and the resistance move to the Hadra Peninsula, a remote desert region. Rumors of an abandoned prison camp reached the resistance and efforts are made to locate and liberate the camp in order to enlist more personnel for the Resistance cause. Along the way, Ian is shocked to find that one member of his family survived Steiner's siege of the Dresari palace: his sister [[Joanna Dresari|Joanna]]. After a short reunion, Ian and Joanna are separated once more as the Resistance plans to mobilize their forces to take the fight to Steiner. While in Hadra, Ian kills [[James Kulin]], who was tasked with suppressing the civilian population of Kentares and personally gave the orders to execute Ian and Joanna's family. They make a brief detour to save a coastal town named Vale after Steiner threatened to bomb the town due to allegations of links to the Resistance. Not only does the Resistance save the population, but Ian manages to personally defeat his uncle's murderer, Duncan Burke, in a heated duel.

Pushing forward into urban environments, the fighting heats up and the Resistance's casualties mount. Joanna informs Ian of an old armory cache hidden somewhere in the city full of equipment enough to outfit four heavy [[lance]]s of 'Mechs - valuable for assaulting the Dresari palace, now the headquarters for the Steiner occupation. Before the search for the cache could be conducted however, Joanna and her lance are ambushed by Steiner forces, leaving her badly injured and in mortal danger. Ian has to make the choice of rescuing his sister from certain death or securing the weapons cache for an assault on the Dresari palace. Whatever the player chooses, Ian and the Resistance fight one last battle against House Steiner, finally putting an end to the war. However, the fight is not yet over for Ian, as William shows up in a modified Daishi, challenging Ian to a duel. Ian defeats William and finally frees the planet from Steiner's grasp.

Depending what choice the player makes during the second-to-last mission, either Joanna or Ian will ascend the throne as Duchess or Duke, respectively.

===Missions===
====Operation 1====
* Mission 1 - '''Destroy Communications Array''' - Ian Dresari joins his uncle Peter Dresari and Casey Nolan as Omega Lance in a mission to destroy the main communication relay station, located on Kentares' moon.  Their destruction cuts off all Lyran Alliance communications with Kentares IV. The remains of the station provide the heroes with communication codes, allowing interception of enemy communications. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Destroy Communications Array|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Destroy SCUD Launchers''' - Omega Lance (Ian and Jules Gonzales) locate and destroy mobile artillery vehicles, along with their escorts, clearing the way to attack Lyran facilities in the Tholis Basin. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Destroy SCUD Launchers|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''DropShip Hunt''' - Peter's Omega Lance attacks the Lyrans' main DropShip hangars on the moon, in the Tholis Basin, destroying the ships on the launchpad.  They monitor transmissions from a resistance movement operating on Kentares IV, giving them hope they won't be alone once they reach the planet below. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/DropShip Hunt|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Base Defense''' - The raiders intercept communications between planetary Governor Lord Marcus Roland and his adjutant, Major Vanda Castro. Castro wants to check out the silence from the moon base, but Roland dismisses her suspicions and delays her access to the necessary transport assets. Ian, Casey, and Jen McQuarrie defend DropShip Two while it prepares for launch, while Peter and Gonzales take another ship to try to intercept Castro's forces. Ian's group successfully repels the Lyran forces, and their DropShip carries them from the moon to Kentares IV's arctic regions. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Base Defense|Transcript]])

====Operation 2====
* Mission 1 - '''Recon Area''' - Ian's Omega Lance executes a hot drop to scout the landing site for the DropShip on the Elysium tundra. They destroy a Lyran recon base and its garrison. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Recon Area|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Raid Depot''' - Peter reports DropShip One landed safely and that he and Gonzales are moving to rendezvous with Ian's group.  Intercepted communications indicate significant discord among the Lyran commanders, hampering the effectiveness of their response.  Ian's Omega Lance seizes control of a Steiner supply depot and defends it against counterattacks by it perimeter patrols. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Raid Depot|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Escort Techs''' - Peter reports he has rendezvoused with a technician team that will be able to disable the Steiner satellite network, and is moving to rendezvous with Ian's group. Intercepted communications indicate that Ian's cousin William (a Katrina-loyalist) is taking his personal unit into the field to join Duncan Burke's hunt for the raiders. Ian's Omega Lance goes into the field to rescue Gonzales and the satellite technicians, who are pinned down in a pass by Lyran forces. Omega Lance defeats the attackers and escorts Tech Sergeant Michaels and his convoy to safety, blowing a bridge behind them to cut off Steiner pursuit. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Escort Techs|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Capture Base''' - Gonzales reports he was separated from Peter while escorting the convoy northward. Duncan Burke boasts over an open transmission that he has killed Peter, hoping to goad the remaining raiders into an attack. Gonzales convinces the team to finish the mission Peter started. Omega Lance seizes the Steiner launch facilities and satellite control center and defends it against two waves of Steiner attacks. The technicians cut off the Lyrans' access to the satellite network, rendering them blind. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Capture Base|Transcript]])

====Operation 3====
* Mission 1 - '''Sweep and Destroy''' - After recovering Paul's remains, the team proceeds to the Olympian Reaches, where a Steiner DropShip damaged in earlier fighting has made a hard landing. Ian hopes to prevent the Lyrans from getting it operational again. Omega Lance eliminates several Lyran patrols to open a breach in the ship's protective screen, but sustains casualties among the scout teams. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Sweep and Destroy|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Capture Supply Convoy''' - Omega Lance intercepts a supply convoy carrying supplies, technicians, and reinforcements to the crashed DropShip. The resistance eulogizes Sir Peter Dresari. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Capture Supply Convoy|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Destroy DropShip''' - Communications intercepts indicate Governor Roland is filing reports with Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion downplaying the seriousness of the recent attacks. Omega Lance uses artillery support to destroy the DropShip before it can power up its weapons, and seize a supply cache. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Destroy DropShip|Transcript]])

====Operation 4====
* Mission 1 - '''Raid Base''' - Ian's force travels to the Hardra Peninsula to rendezvous with the resistance, which operates out of several abandoned firebases. Omega Lance attacks a large Steiner supply base in the desert - neutralizing mobile hostiles and providing fire support for a cargo truck convoy, while Romeo conducts decoy operations on the southern flank and X-Ray destroy outlying static defenses. The operation is successful, and the convoy is able to load up with supplies and extract. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Raid Base|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Defend Base''' - Ian manages to contact his sister, Joanna, who is one of the leaders of the resistance. Omega Lance responds to resistance commander Erland's call for help as Lyran forces assault a large resistance base, destroying many of the Lyran attackers and forcing the rest to withdraw. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Defend Base|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Capture Barges''' - Ian and Joanna discuss the benefits of announcing that they are both alive and fighting with the resistance, as the legitimate heirs of Duke Eric.  Technical Officer Karl Sontag advises Ian that Joanna always supported him, even after his banishment by their father. Omega Lance captures a convoy of supply barges, intending to use the munitions aboard to supply a resistance offensive on the eastern peninsula. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Capture Barges|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Destroy Factory''' - Intercepted transmissions indicate that James Kulin, the Lyran commander who killed Duke Eric, has come to the Hardra Peninsula to crush the rebels. Omega Lance attacks a key ammunition factory with the help of Shepherd, a guide in a ''Swift Wind'' scout car, taking out Steiner's munition supplier for the whole northern peninsula. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Destroy Factory|Transcript]])

* Mission 5 - '''Capture Convoy''' - Kulin delivers an ultimatum to Joanna Dresari, threatening to begin killing prisoners of war. In response, Omega Lance intercepts a convoy carrying veterans of the Dresari Forward Guard to a prisoner camp for execution and destroys a Steiner air defense site to enable evacuation helicopters to reach the convoy and rescue the prisoners. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Capture Convoy|Transcript]])

* Mission 6 - '''Liberate Camp''' - One of the rescued MechWarriors, Terra Risner of the Forward Guard, asks to join Omega Lance. Based on a hunch, Omega Lance attacks an abandoned Davion base which Kulin may be using as a prisoner of war camp, with the resistance's Denali Lance and additional ground units in support. They face defenses bolstered by Mantis Lance, commanded by Kulin himself. Ian kills Kulin, and the resistance liberates the prisoners. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Liberate Camp|Transcript]])

====Operation 5====
* Mission 1 - '''Destroy Bombers''' - Omega Lance and the resistance forces relocate from the Hardra Peninsula to Jeteel, from which they can focus on retaking the capital city. Governor Roland announces that his forces will destroy the town of Vale and kill all its residents, on the eastern Meridian Coast, for its role as a distribution point for illegal weapons and equipment for the resistance. Over Major Vonda Castro's objections, Governor Roland assigns the ''Shilone''s of the Second Bomber Wing to carry out the destruction. Omega Lance sweeps through the swamps to find the hidden Steiner airbase and destroys both the bombers and the control tower. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Destroy Bombers|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Destroy Patrols''' - Omega Lance intercepts a communiqué in which Captain Duncan Burke advises Governor Roland to dispatch a blue-water destroyer from Argonne to Vale, with orders to destroy the city. Roland concurs, but demotes Burke to Lieutenant for his failure to deal with Ian Dresari earlier, and orders him to personally take charge of the hunt for Omega Lance. The resistance attempts to gather enough watercraft to evacuate Vale's population, while Omega Lance splits up to hunt down Roland's coastal hovercraft patrols and take out coastal defense batteries. Ian runs across Burke, and kills him in single combat, avenging his uncle Peter. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Destroy Patrols|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Defend Exodus''' - The Voice of the Resistance reports a general uprising.  Rebels have retaken border towns and garrisons in Meer Province, destroyed prison camps in the Hardra Peninsula, and won battles against Roland's forces in Jeteel and on the Meridian Coast around Vale. At Vale, the evacuation is interrupted by the arrival of the destroyer ''Indomitable''. Omega Lance engages the destroyer to protect two civilian ships still being loaded. Steiner 'Mechs attack from the land while the destroyer moves in, escorted by fast patrol boats. As the battle rages, a second Lyran destroyer, the ''Thunderchild'', joins the fray. Omega Lance sinks both destroyers and ensures the escape of the last civilian ship, the ''Ailouette''. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Defend Exodus|Transcript]])

====Operation 6====
* Mission 1 - '''Recon in Force''' - Joanna tells Ian that the boatlift inspired the people of Kentares, and that resistance forces are now pushing towards the capital, where Roland has concentrated his remaining forces. The resistance requests that Omega Lance sweep locations where Steiner forces are concentrated and take them out, so the resistance can use the area as a staging area for an attack on the palace. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Recon in Force|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Rescue Pilots''' - Resistance forces report heavy losses due to intense Steiner resistance. Omega Lance moves to rescue friendly 'Mech pilots stranded behind Steiner lines, hiding in a parking garage. Omega Lance breaches the Steiner lines, finds the pilots, and provides cover for evacuation helicopters to get the pilots to safety. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Rescue Pilots|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Destroy Base''' - One of the rescued pilots, Captain Damon Squire, joins Omega Lance on Joanna's recommendation. To gain intelligence for an assault on Governor Roland's palace, Omega Lance attacks the heavily fortified Steiner intelligence headquarters at the university. Omega takes out the main generator to disable the defensive turrets and a key communications center, then engages and destroys a company of defending BattleMechs. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Destroy Base|Transcript]])

* Mission 4a - '''Rescue Sister''' - Joanna's resistance forces launch an attack on the palace as a distraction, to enable Omega Lance to access Duke Eric's armory bunker and seize the 'Mechs there. Roland's forces ambushed the resistance, and Joanna is cut off in one of the command vehicles. Joanna urges Ian to assault the armory and become Duke of Kentares IV. Technical Officer Karl Sontag advises Ian that he should save his sister, and that Omega Lance can win without the equipment in the armory. Ian orders resistance commander Major Jerrard to call off the attack and get Joanna to safety. Omega Lance deploys via a hover drop maneuver into the city, fighting their way to Joanna's last known position and, once they find her medical transport, escorts her to safety. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Rescue Sister|Transcript]])

* Mission 4b - '''Capture Supplies''' - Joanna's resistance forces launch an attack on the palace as a distraction, to enable Omega Lance to access Duke Eric's armory bunker and seize the 'Mechs there. Roland's forces ambushed the resistance, and Joanna is cut off in one of the command vehicles. Joanna urges Ian to assault the armory and become Duke of Kentares IV. Technical Officer Karl Sontag advises Ian that he should save his sister, and that Omega Lance can win without the equipment in the armory. On Joanna's advice, Ian leads Omega Lance in an assault on the armory, though Captain Damon Squire goes AWOL and sets off alone to try to rescue Joanna. Omega Lance fights its way past Vonda Castro's elite troops, who knew about the armory and laid an ambush there. Once Castro is dead, Omega Lance seizes the armory and prepares to use the contents in the assault on the palace. Ian receives a report that nobody in his sister's resistance unit returned from the ambush. (Note - this is the story path that is followed by the ''Black Knight'' expansion. However, the expansion is a video game, none of which fall under the current definition of canon. Therefore, Joanna's death mentioned in ''Black Knight'' is NOT canonical). ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Capture Supplies|Transcript]])

====Operation 7====
* Mission 1 - '''End Game''' - In the story branch where Ian saved Joanna, Karl tells him he is a worthy successor to his father, Duke Eric. In the canon story branch where Ian failed to save Joanna, Karl deserts Ian, leaving behind a recording of William's announcement that he has had Joanna executed, and a message that Ian is no better than William. Omega Lance leads the resistance attack on Roland's palace complex. Commandos destroy the palace's turret control center, enabling Omega Lance to destroy the control facility and Roland's escape ship. Omega Lance defeats Roland's elite guard and kills the Lyran governor. When the rest of Omega Lance moves to the 'Mech bays for repairs, William Dresari emerges to challenge Ian - jamming communications to keep him from calling for help. Ian wins the battle, killing William. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/End Game|Transcript]])

'''Aftermath'''

In the story path which conforms to canon, the People's Council confirms Ian as Duke. Ian expresses regret for the decisions he made that led to Joanna's death, and wonders if his father was right in banishing him. He vows that House Steiner must be driven from the Commonwealth, and Gonzales responds "We'll take care of that." ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Duke Ian|Transcript]])

In the story path which diverges from canon, the People's Council confirms Joanna as Duchess, while Ian plans to leave and join Victor's faction in the Civil War, to drive House Steiner out of the Commonwealth. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Duchess Joanna|Transcript]])

==Featured BattleMechs==
'Mechs are classified into four weight categories. They are also either from the Clans or the Inner Sphere. Clan 'Mechs are generally superior to Inner Sphere 'Mechs of the same weight.

{{columns-start|num=3}}
===Light 'Mechs===
* ''[[Cougar]]''
* ''[[Osiris]]''
* ''[[Raven]]''

===Medium 'Mechs===
* ''[[Bushwacker]]''
* ''[[Chimera (BattleMech)|Chimera]]''
* ''[[Hellspawn]]''
* ''[[Shadow Cat]]''
* ''[[Uziel]]''
{{column}}
===Heavy 'Mechs===
* ''[[Argus]]''
* ''[[Catapult]]''
* ''[[Hellbringer (Loki)|Loki]]''
* ''[[Mad Cat]]''
* ''[[Nova Cat (OmniMech)|Nova Cat]]''
* '' [[Thanatos]]''
* '' [[Summoner (Thor)|Thor]]''
* ''[[Mad Dog (Vulture)|Vulture]]''
{{column}}
===Assault 'Mechs===
* ''[[Atlas (BattleMech)|Atlas]]''
* ''[[Awesome]]''
* ''[[Daishi]]''
* ''[[Mad Cat Mk II]]''
* ''[[Mauler]]''
{{columns-end}}

==Black Knight Expansion Pack==
[[Image:MW4 BK logo.png|thumb|right|The box art of ''Black Knight'' expansion]]
===Storyline===
After [[Ian Dresari]] came to power as Duke of [[Kentares IV]], many of the leaders of the revolution that put him in power turned against him over his having left his sister, Joanna, to die, and formed a new rebel army to depose Ian. Attempting to solidify his rule as the FedCom Civil War raged around Kentares, Ian cracked down on political dissent. Seeing an opportunity to weaken a pro-Victor Duke, a pro-Katrina officer, Major Clarissa Dupres, hired the [[Black Knight Legion]] to break [[Davion]] power over Kentares IV and kill Ian Dresari.

Once the Legion landed their full forces onworld, Dupres used that as leverage to force Duke Ian to declare his neutrality in the FedCom Civil War, and then turned her own forces against the Legion. Though suffering heavy casualties, the survivors rallied around Striker Lance commander Lt. Eric McClaren and joined with the Kentares Free Army rebels to overthrow Duke Ian, then pursued Major Dupres to a Steiner outpost on Voltrat 3 to exact vengeance.

===Canonicity===
The ''Black Knight'' campaign appears to be only partially consistent with canon. The Federated Commonwealth Civil War sourcebook notes that Ian spent Wave Two and Wave Three of the Civil War tracking down Katrina-loyalists and fighting off attacks on Kentares IV. The MechWarrior Dark Age pilot cards include Victor Dresari, the eldest son and heir apparent of Duke Aidan Dresari of Kentares IV circa 3130, indicating that a Dresari (possibly Ian) survived and passed control of Kentares IV to his/her descendants despite the best efforts of the Black Knight Legion. (While William is dead, Joanna was only depicted as dead in an alternate ending (B) of an apocryphal game, and the apocryphal expansion of this ending, making her a possible ancestor to Aidan Dresari. Still, Joanna's existence itself is apocryphal, while Ian's is canonical and certain. Moreover, as the eldest direct descendant of Duke Eric Dresari, Duke Ian is more likely to be Duke Aidan's ancestor. Joanna's possible branch would then be parallel. Still, a full genealogical tree of House Dresari not being available, fans are left to interpret Aidan's lineage in any canonically consistent way they wish).

Ian's arrest of political dissidents and suppression of KFA rebels is consistent with "tracking down Katrina-loyalists" and his forces' battles against the Black Knight Legion is consistent with "fighting off attacks on Kentares IV." Operations 1, 2, and 5 are consistent with canon, but ''Black Knight'' diverges by winning against Dresari's forces in Operations 3 and 4. A story branch that does not violate canon would have the Legion withdrawing after the betrayal and exacting vengeance on Major Dupres on Voltrat 3 without toppling Ian's rule.

===Black Knight Legion TO&E===
* Alpha Lance
* Flanker Lance
* Hammer Lance
* Striker Lance
* Havoc Lance
* Coyote Platoon
* Phoenix Wing
* Sundance Wing
* Raven Wing
* Nova Wing

===Missions===
====Operation 1====
* Mission 1 - '''Missing Miners''' - The Corvatti Corporation has contracted the Black Knight Legion under Colonel Lawhorn to defend their operations on a remote crystal mining world on the Capellan border from pirate attacks. Lawhorn assigns Lt. Eric McClair to take Striker Lance and investigate a mining facility that lost contact two days ago. Striker encounters pirate forces at the mining complex and destroys them. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Missing Miners|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Stranglehold''' - Colonel Lawhorn takes Alpha Lance to investigate a pirate base, and assigns Striker Lance to destroy the pirates' oxygen tanks and water processor, then fall back to where Alpha Lance will be waiting in ambush. The pirates evacuate to the east. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Stranglehold|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Safeguard''' - Striker Lance takes over convoy escort duties from Flanker Lance, and escorts the Corvatti vehicles to a supply depot. When pirates attack, they call upon Flanker Lance and Phoenix Wing for fire support, and defeat the pirates. Hammer Lance relieves Striker Lance on depot security duty. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Safeguard|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Seek and Destroy''' - Striker Lance and other Legion forces attack the pirates' landing site, where their ''Hrothgar'' DropShip and orbital cargo launchers are preparing to escape with payloads of stolen crystals. The ''Stiletto''-class fighters of Sundance Wing support the attack. In the middle of the battle, a Talon DropShip descends towards the landing zone and destroys the remaining crystal transports. Aboard the Talon, Major Clarissa Dupree of the Lyran Alliance offers the Legion terms for a new contract, gifting the mercenaries a ''Sunder'' and a ''Ryoken'' as a gesture of goodwill. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Seek and Destroy|Transcript]])

====Operation 2====
* Mission 1 - '''Breakout''' - Before the Legion can land, a section of the planetary space defense system must be disabled. Colonel Lawhorn bribes the Corvatti Mining Corporation to smuggle Striker Lance onto Kentares IV in a shipment of heavy mining equipment. Once on the ground, Striker Lance fights its way free of the spaceport and evades Dresari patrols, establishing a field HQ in an abandoned mine. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Breakout|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Clear the Skies''' - Analysis of local broadcasts reveals that several key advisors defected from Ian Dresari's government and have formed a new rebel movement calling itself the Kentares Free Army (KFA). Duke Ian's forces have been rounding up political dissidents and putting them in prison camps. Striker Lance attacks a Dresari airbase. During the operation, they monitor a distress call from Damon Squire, who reports that Dresari forces has ambushed KFA forces at Calypso Station, a rebel base in an abandoned village. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Clear the Skies|Transcript]])
'''Note: If ''"Clear the Skies"'' has been completed first, Eric and his lance will encounter less aerospace fighters for the rest of the Operation 2.'''

* Mission 3 - ''''Mech Heist''' - With Dresari forces distracted by a KFA raid on a prison facility northeast of their 'Mech base, Striker Lance destroys a communications station to disrupt Dresari coordination and neutralizes the base's defenders, allowing Legion technicians to enter the base and steal 'Mechs. The prison raid goes poorly for the KFA troops, and Striker Lance detours from the base to assist a KFA lance east of the 'Mech base. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/'Mech Heist|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Canyon Ambush''' - Striker Lance uses a canyon as the site for an ambush for a Dresari lance that has been pursuing them. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Canyon Ambush|Transcript]])

* Mission 5 - '''MODL''' - Data recovered from the 'Mech base shows the patrol route of the mobile orbital defense lasers (MODLs). Striker Lance lays an ambush for the MODLs at an abandoned firebase in the Madari Scrubland, during a period when the MODLs are operating under radio silence during test firing exercises. Legion support teams activate a "blackout emitter" to jam local communications during the ambush, and Striker Lance smashes through the mobile structures' escorts and destroy the MODLs, then move to rendezvous with the rest of the Legion at its landing site. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/MODL|Transcript]])

* Mission 6 - '''Kill Casey''' - Colonel Lawhorn dispatches Striker lance to kill Lt. Casey Nolan, one of Duke Ian Dresari's key supporters. Striker Lance attacks the 'Mech academy, defeats Sergeant Kearson and the cadets, and kills Casey "Jester" Nolan. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Kill_Casey|Transcript]])

====Operation 3====
* Mission 1 - '''Flank Guard''' - Colonel Lawhorn stages the Legion for its campaign against Dresari's forces, planning to take out Dresari supply bases in the mountains, severing Dresari's supply lines and forcing him to fall back to the capital. Striker Lance is assigned to patrol the perimeter of the Legion field base for Dresari forces.  During the patrol, Lawhorn reports the main Legion base is under heavy assault by Steiner and Dresari forces working together, first ordering all units to fall back to defend against an incoming assault company, and then ordering the base's evacuation when it becomes clear they cannot hold. Lawhorn orders Striker to escort Exodus Convoy (with the support staff) to safety, while Hammer, Havoc, and Flanker lances join with Alpha. Colonel Lawhorn is killed when attacking Steiner forces destroy his ''Black Knight'' and the attackers take out the DropShips as well, including Striker Lance's MechCommander, Mandril. Striker Lance brings the Exodus convoy to relative safety in a set of canyons, then sends out recon patrols to look for survivors. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Flank Guard|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''Mountain Depot''' - Recon forces report that Duke Ian, under pressure from both the Legion and the KFA, was pressured into signing a nonaggression pact with Major Dupree in which he declared himself a neutral party in the Victor-Katrina conflict.  According to admittedly sketchy intel, Ian demanded the destruction of the Legion as a prerequisite for the deal.  Eric assumes command of the remnants of the Legion, using the call sign "Black Knight."  Striker Lance attacks a Dresari supply depot in the Cascade Mountains, takes out the generator that powers the defense turrets, and clears the way for a Legion convoy to enter and load supplies.  Reconnaissance of the destroyed Legion field base confirms that Colonel Lawhorn is dead, having taken a PPC to the cockpit. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Mountain Depot|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Prison Break''' - A Legion recon team discovers a prison facility that is likely to hold Legion survivors and key members of the Kentares Free Army. Striker Lance attacks the facility and clears the way for rescue helicopters to extract the prisoners. In addition to members of the Legion's Hammer Lance, they also free political prisoners and Duke Ian's former technical team leader, Karl Sonntag. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Prison Break|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Mountain Assault''' - Karl thanks Eric for liberating him from Ian's dungeons, and says he was arrested for advocating against his rule in the People's Council. He tells the Legion the location of a substantial Dresari firebase in the Cascade Mountains, then leaves to rejoin his comrades in the capital. Striker Lance leads the assault on the heavily fortified firebase that controls the pass through the Cascades to the capital. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Mountain_Assault|Transcript]])

====Operation 4====
* Mission 1 - '''Staging Ground''' - The Legion reaches the outskirts of the capital city.  Striker Lance scouts the area for a potential staging area for the Legion's assault on the city.  They eliminate Dresari's ECCM jammer and secure an abandoned garage for use as a base of operations. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Staging Ground|Transcript]])
'''Note: If Eric did not assist the rebels in Operations 2 and 3, The rebels will attack him and his lancemates for the rest of the Operation.'''

* Mission 2 - '''Checkpoint Checkout''' - Duke Ian imposes martial law and sets up heavily fortified checkpoints at major city intersections. The KFA pinpoints their locations, and Striker Lance eliminates them, giving the KFA free rein in the western half of the city. Damon Squire joins Striker Lance's attack.  With the checkpoints destroyed, Dresari forces fall back to their main 'Mech base. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Checkpoint Checkout|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Lion's Mouth''' - Dresari troops are regrouping at Lion Base, a facility constructed after early KFA attempts to seize nearby government buildings. KFA forces hit Lion Base from the north, while Striker Lance attacks from the south. Though the KFA forces are driven back, their colleagues succeed in taking the rest of the city.  Striker Lance takes out the HQ, depriving the garrison of tactical command, and eliminate the Dresari troops. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Lion's Mouth|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Revenge''' - Dresari retreated from Lion Base to the palace, escorted by his personal guard consisting of Jen McQuarrie and Jules Gonzales. While the KFA is securing government buildings, Striker Lance attacks the palace, battling and defeating the members of Ian's Omega Lance, including Ian, who dies at Eric's hands. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Revenge|Transcript]])

====Operation 5====
* Mission 1 - '''Final Countdown''' - A data core recovered on Kentares IV indicated Major Dupree had fled to Voltrat 3, a Steiner outpost dedicated to manufacturing BattleMechs and munitions factories. The lifeless volcanic world has a barely breathable atmosphere. Striker Lance executes a hot drop onto a Steiner missile base and secures mission control. Coyote platoon intends to retarget the base's Titan missiles at other Steiner installations onworld. The defenders destroy the main terminal, but Coyote manages to get ten missiles retargeted. Another Steiner missile base launches its Titans at the captured base, and the Legion forces withdraw. Eight of the ten missiles successfully launch before the inbound missiles destroy the compromised missile base. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Final Countdown|Transcript]])

* Mission 2 - '''The Gauntlet''' - Two Steiner facilities protecting Dupree's HQ survived the missile strikes. Striker Lance and the reconstituted Hammer Lance attack a training academy five kilometers south of the Steiner headquarters.  Hammer Lance is destroyed during the assault, but Striker Lance successfully razes the facility and kills the trainees. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/The Gauntlet|Transcript]])

* Mission 3 - '''Pillage''' - Striker Lance attacks the last Steiner Mechworks, supported by a Legion infiltration unit of infantry and MechWarriors. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Pillage|Transcript]])

* Mission 4 - '''Pay Day''' - Striker Lance attacks Major Dupree's headquarters while Hammer Lance holds off her reinforcements. Striker Lance takes out Major Dupree's 'Mech, but she uses an escape pod to launch for the DropShip ''[[Chimera (Individual DropShip)|Chimera]]'' in orbit, ordering them to prepare to pick her up and then bombard the surface. Eric destroys her pod before it gets out of range, avenging Colonel Lawhorn. ([[MechWarrior 4: Vengeance/Pay Day|Transcript]])

'''Aftermath'''

Damon Squire sends the Legion a preliminary defense contract offering lucrative terms to garrison Kentares IV, under the command of Colonel Eric McClair.

===Additional 'Mechs in Black Knight===
* ''[[Uller]]''
* ''[[Wolfhound]]''
* ''[[Ryoken]]''
* ''[[Black Knight]]''
* ''[[Sunder]]''

=='Mech Paks==
[[Image:MW4ClanMechPak.jpg|thumb|right|The box art of the ''Clan 'Mech Pak'' expansion]]
In August 2002, Microsoft released two add-ons to ''MechWarrior 4: Vengeance'': ''Clan 'Mech Pak'' and ''Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak''. Each pack contained four new BattleMechs and a few other bonuses, such as new weapons.

===Clan===
* ''[[Arctic Wolf]]''
* ''[[Cauldron-Born]]''
* ''[[Kodiak]]''
* ''[[Masakari]]''

===Inner Sphere===
[[Image:MW4ISMechPak.jpg|thumb|right|The box art of the ''Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak'' expansion]]
* ''[[Dragon]]''
* ''[[Highlander]]''
* '' [[Hunchback]]''
* ''[[Zeus]]''

==Featured Planets==
* [[Kentares IV]]

==Related Games==
* ''[[MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries]]''

==Resources==
* [[MechWarrior 4/Equipment|Equipment in ''MechWarrior 4'']]
* [[MechWarrior 4/Vehicles|Vehicles in ''MechWarrior 4'']]
* [[MechWarrior 4/Characters|Characters in ''MechWarrior 4'']]

===Links===
* Archived copies of prerelease Gamespy Articles:
** [http://web.archive.org/web/20050207232221/http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/articles/mw4film_a.shtm On the set of ''MechWarrior 4: Vengeance'']
** [http://web.archive.org/web/20041211135521/http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/articles/mech4mates_a.shtm ''MechWarrior 4: Vengeance'' -- Character Studies: Part I]
** [http://web.archive.org/web/20050410063659/http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/articles/mech4mates2_a.shtm ''MechWarrior 4'' Character Studies: Part II]
** [http://web.archive.org/web/20050410065435/http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/articles/mech4mates3_a.shtm ''MechWarrior 4'' Character Studies: Part III]
** [http://web.archive.org/web/20041211141150/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september00/mech4mates4/ ''MechWarrior 4'' Character Studies: Part IV: The Good Guys]

===Media===
* [http://www.sarna.net/files/media/audio/music/soundtracks/mechwarrior_4_veng/ Soundtrack]

===Downloads===
* [http://cf.sarna.net/docs/products/manuals/mechwarrior_4_mercs.pdf Manual (''MW4 Mercenaries'' Manual PDF)]
* [https://www.sarna.net/files/programs/games/mechwarrior_4/ All Downloads]
** [https://www.sarna.net/files/programs/games/mechwarrior_4/decals/ Decals]
** [https://www.sarna.net/files/programs/games/mechwarrior_4/demo/ Demo]
** [http://www.sarna.net/files/programs/games/mechwarrior_4/mods/ Mods]
** [http://www.sarna.net/files/programs/games/mechwarrior_4/patches/ Patches]
** [http://www.sarna.net/files/programs/games/mechwarrior_4/utilities/ Utilities]

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:''The text in this article is based on [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MechWarrior_(reboot)&oldid=305283701 this revision] of the [[w:MechWarrior 4|''MechWarrior 4: Vengeance'' Wikipedia article]] used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See the BattleTechWiki's [[BattleTechWiki:Copyrights|copyright]] notice.''


[[Category:Video Games|MechWarrior 4 (2000)]]