| | Although only the Battle Commanders are actually required to be on IRC for a Battle, it is recommended that Players from each Team meet on a pre-designated IRC Chat Room at least 15 Minutes prior to the agreed upon start timing. Usually, it is there (or via some other form of Communications) that each player will be assigned the Mech chassis that he will use in the Battle. Before an engagement can commence, each Team Leader must assign a “Battle Commander” for their Team. It is the responsibility of a Battle Commander to assign a different Mech, as listed on his Team’s Force Declaration to each player on his Team, as required through the duration of the Battle. Team Leaders should ensure that they are using the same Force Declaration. In essence, they should ensure that they are playing from the same sheet of music. These Force Declarations will have a listing of all the forces involved in the battle. Battle Commanders will update the Force Declaration to reflect Mechs that are destroyed on each side after an engagement. Each Mech on a Team’s Force Declaration will be assigned a “number” as detailed below: SLDF 0021 Atlas In the above example, SLDF designates the Mech as being a SLDF asset. The number 0021 designates the Mech as being the 21st Mech on the List of Mechs being used, and “Atlas” designates the Mech as being a 100 Tons Inner Sphere Atlas Assault. In the actual Simulation, the Players must ensure that they not only identify to their opponents what Mech numbers they are using, but also that they record the numbers of those that they are playing against. This is to reduce the possibility of a Mech that has already been destroyed, being used again in a Battle. To ease the transfer of this information, it has often proved useful to enter this information into a Player’s “Faction Name” Slot, in the Game. This will allow opposing players to know not only who is Piloting what Mech, but also what Mech Number on the Force Declaration that they are facing, and will make it easier for the Player to report what Mechs were killed to his Battle Commander, following the engagement. To facilitate the accounting of Mechs in an Astral Dominion League Battle, the Custom designed Program called “Battle Tracker” can be used. This Program is available from the Astral Dominion League Website, and can greatly assist a Battle Commander in accounting for his Mechs. This program is extremely easy to use, but its use can be explained to those Battle Commanders who require a better understanding of its operation. Battle Commanders will not be prohibited from participating in the engagement, and may participate in any Engagement/Drop that they desire, so long as it does not cause an unreasonable amount of delay in the Battle. Once Mechs have been assigned, all players involved in an engagement will join the designated server. It is at this point, while awaiting the start of the battle in the Engagement that Clan Mechwarriors can invoke Clan Honor “Dueling Rules” if they desire, or it they are applicable, by making verbal challenges. Zellbrigen challenges should be made in an alternating fashion, i.e.: The Attackers each Challenge a Defender on the first Engagement, and the Defenders each Challenge an Attacker on the second engagement, and so on. Any variation of this procedure can be used, to avoid having the same players face each other every time that they happen to be involved in the same Drop. 
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