Clan Rules on Engagement:

THESE ARE FOR REFERENCE ONLY AND ARE NO LONGER USED ON TOTALTECH

The attacking player must issue challenges to one or more enemy mechs, commensurate with his Mech's firepower and BV. If the Clan player is defending, attacked by an Inner Sphere force, then the Clanner is still honor bound to issue challenges.

The challenged player may decline these challenges, as long as there is a suitable unit to fight in proxy. In the absence of a proxy, the challenge must be accepted.

Challenges are to be issued by a player during or before the movement phase in a turn *before* the challenging unit has moved.

During the course of a battle there are two types of units:

Mechs, fighting under the code of Zellbrigen (hereby referred to as Zel units) and bound strictly by RoE.
All other units: infantry, battlearmor, vehicles, infantry and all non-challenged mechs. (hereby reffered to as Non-Zel units). They must still refer to RoE, but not nearly as formally.

Considerations:

Zellbrigen is to be fought to it's conclusion by the mechs involved in challenges.
Zel units are to fight one on one, targeting only units they are challenged against.
Non-Zel units are free to engage any other Non-Zel units on the battlefield.
Non-Zel units are always moved in a manner that does not interfere with existing challenges. Zel units are to be moved 1 for 1, interspersed with non-Zel units as necessary to keep movement even.
In the event that a Zel unit defeats his opponent, he has the option to issue another challenge to one of the enemy's Non-Zel mechs. If said Zel unit opts not to issue another challenge, he may engage any and all Non-Zel units on the board, but is then disincluded from Zellbrigen for the remainder of the battle (becoming a Non-Zel unit under RoE). If said Zel unit opts not to engage the Non-Zel units, he may wait on the sidelines, not interfering with initiative or movement, until an opponent's unit is free to be challenged.
Any unit that interferes with initiative is immediately disgraced, and all enemy units may freely attack it.
Clan players may not initiate physical attacks unless all of his weapons are destroyed. A clanner may respond with physical attacks, only by the mech that was attacked, and only target the mech that attacked them. Physical attacks by those other than the challenged constitutes a breach of RoE under rule #3.

[Example: Bob (the IS player) has a PXH-1 and LCT-1V. Fred (the Clan player) has a WSP-1A and BJ-1. Bob moves the PXH to kick the BJ-1. The BJ-1 may now perform physical attacks on the PXH indescriminately, but his WSP cannot.]
Zel units generally do not target non-Zel units that have not interfered. A Zel unit may fire at a Non-Zel unit, but that targetted Non-Zel unit may now participate freely in combat with any units on the field without incurring a break under rule #1 (see below).
Clan players may not allow Mercenaries to surrender.
Clanners _NEVER_ use mines as special ammuntion. To Clanners, mines have no finesse and are akin to murder.
Hegira is granted on an individual unit basis: the chance for an enemy who has proved his or herself to be a worthy opponent to withdraw from the field of battle without further combat or losses. (See Rule#9) If a mech granted Hegira attempts to interfere with a battle, it's existence is forfeit and may be targeted by any and all units on the field.
RoE will not be offered to mercenary or bandit factions. Clanners must issue challenges against all others.
Zellbrigen may be cancelled and Grand Melee declared under specific circumstances, if the opponent has acquitted himself dishonorably. If 3 breaks are accumulated by an inner sphere player, or more than one break by a clan player, during an engagement, the offended player may declare a Grand Melee. ***

BREAKS ARE INCURRED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING VIOLATIONS:

The offending player engages a Zel unit with a Non-Zel unit. A single break is made for each Non-Zel unit that interferes in a challenge. In the event that a Non-Zel unit interferes with combat, it becomes a fair target for ALL units on the board, regardless of existing challenges, however the offending Non-Zel unit may now fire at any unit on the board without a further break under rule #1.

[Example: Bob also brought a Demolisher along for the battle. He's kept it parked behind a hill for the last 5 turns, Bob moves it up and target's Fred's BJ. Bob incurs a break, but the Demolisher can now fire at any other units on the board without gaining another break.]
The offending player deploys minefields. Usage of mines constitutes a break. The break only applies to the first minefield deployment ; the offending player may then deploy any number of additional mines over the course of the battle, but no further breaks will be assessed under rule #2.
In addition, Vibra Bombs will be considered a direct attack on the mech they are in the hex with, even if this is not the intended target. This could cause a break under the firing at prone or improper target rules.

[Example: Bob deploys vibrabombs, and incurs a break. Bob can continue laying vibraboms for the remained of the battle without incurring another break]
The offending player targets a Zel Mech with a Zel Mech not involved in a challenge against that Mech. For each individual Zel unit that engages another Zel unit outside of a challenge, this constitutes one break. Once a Zel unit fires on that Zel unit, they may mutually target each other fairly under RoE for the remainder of the engagement without additional breaks assessed under rule #3.

[Example: Fred's BJ challenges Bob's PXH, Fred's WSP challenges Bob's LCT. The PXH fires at the WSP. Bob incurs a break, and the WSP may now fire at the PXH without penalty or incurring a break.]
The offending player uses Indirect Fire or Artillery. Use of IF is unnacceptable to Clan Honor and constitutes a break. Once an offending opponent has used IF, he/she may continue to do so without causing further breaks. Breaks are only incurred once when a side uses either IF or artillery, or both, regardless of how many units employ artillery and/or IF on a given side. The break only applies to the first shot, and no further breaks can be assessed under rule #4.

[Example: Bob brings in a Chapparal, and plots artillery, incurring a break. He can continue to fire artillery for the remainder of the battle without gaining another break.]
The offending player fires at the rear of a Zel unit that cannot flip arms or has no rear mounted weapons. If a unit fires at the rear arc of his opponent's mech, this constitutes a break for each instance this occurs. Every time any unit targets the rear arc of an opponent that cannot flip arms or has rear mounted weapons it will be counted as one break. This rule is not considered broken if the enemy _intentionally_ presents his rear to the clanner.
[Example: Fred's BJ and WSP fire at the rear of Bob's LCT, incurring 2 breaks. Next round Fred's BJ fires at the rear of the PXH, incurring another break, etc.]
The offending player fires at a prone, unconscious or shutdown mech. One break will be assessed for each and every time a unit targets or performs physical attacks on a mech that is unconscious or shutdown. Rule #6 applies to prone mechs only if they have not gone prone though pilot action, and/or are not firing while prone.

[Example: Bob's PXH is prone, having lost a leg. Bob opts not to fire the PXH. Fred's LCT runs up, and fires at the mech anyways, Fred incurs a break. Had Bob's PXH gone prone intentionally, or fired that round, this would not cause a break.]
The offending player willfully targets the Head of a unit. One break will be assessed each and every time a unit targets the head of an opponent's mech. Tactics such as firing at a mech behind partial cover to increase chances of head shots are permissible.
The offending player willfully moves a Zel unit behind elevation to cause that unit to be out of line-of-sight. Once challenges are declared, all participants are to remain within LOS via elevation or a break is assessed. This applies to one break, per unit, per round. Use of smoke and woods is acceptable ; moving behind a Lvl 2 elevation, or dropping prone behind Lvl 1 is not.

[Example: Fred has moved his WSP, and Bob moves his LCT behind a lvl 2 hill. Bob gains a break. As long as Bob's LCT is out of sight of the WSP he will incur a break every round until they are in LOS.]
The offending player fires a unit that has been granted Heigara, or the offender's unit interferes after being granted Heigara. Once a unit has been granted Heigara it is inviolate and no longer considered a participant on the field, either by Zel, or non-Zel units. This unit is to remain in place unmolested, but also performing no action but to leave the field if possible. If any other action is taken by said unit, a break will be incurred. If this unit is targeted by any other unit on the field after Heigara is granted, the targeting player incurs a break for EACH targeting of the Heigara'd unit. (see Heigara for further explanation.)

[Once a unit is granted mercy, it is not to be violated unless it misbehaves, even if Grand Melee is declared after the fact. This would be one of *the most* dishonorable acts any commander can perform.]

LOSING BREAKS:
Chaos in battle is inevitable, and breaks can be exchanged back and forth between opponents.

Under rules 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8 the action can be repeated back upon the Offending player. The offending player will then 'lose' his break under that rule, rather than the other player 'gaining' a break.
In the event that the IS side incurs 3 breaks or the Clanner incurs 2 breaks, a Grand Melee may be IMMEDIATELY declared at the discretion of the offended player THAT PHASE and Zellbrigen no longer applies for the remainder of the battle for either side. All code of conduct is out the window in the event of a Grand Melee, except Rule #9. Hegira *always* holds even after a Grand Melee ensues.
Inner Sphere units to not have to adhere to the RoE, and there is no penalty for them breaking it. Clanners _must_ adhere to RoE. In the event that a Clan players breaks the Rules of Engagement, they will be docked Experience Points equal to 5% of the BV of their forces involved in the task. It should also be pointed out that on a roleplaying level, this is a major loss of face, and the player will be humiliated by their faction and their peers.
A Clan player needs to play the role. The clans aren't in the game for munchkins, they are in the game as deadly, but honorable opponents. Being a clanner should mean something. A Clan player that has 2 penalties MAY be defected to a bandit kindom. Any Clanner that has been defected for this reason will be treated as a Mercenaries.