Battletech: Golden Rule.

Carlyle's Commandos #1

by William H. Keith Jr.

Golden Rule is a 24 page Battletech fiction novella included in the 2019 BattleTech: Beginner Box. Golden Rule is a prequel to the Saga of the Gray Death Legion featuring Durant Carlyle, the father of Grayson Death Carlyle.

One rule to live by... or to die by

It should have been a simple job. Durant Carlyle, Grayson's father, and his fellow Commandos were hired to protect the isolated mining planet of Golandrinas from a local warlord and his own mercenaries. But things are rarely as they seem near the Periphery, and what should have been an easy seek-and-destroy mission turns into something much more dangerous for Durant and his people. And when the true nature of the enemy mercs' mission is revealed, Colby's Commandos will have to learn a new set of rules if they're going to survive...

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

24 pages, Paperback

Published January 23, 2019

About the author

Bill Keith was raised in the mountains of western Pennsylvania, and served in the Navy as a corpsman for many years. In addition to writing fiction and non-fiction works, he is an award-winning illustrator/artist.

He has also published under the psuedonyms:
Ian Douglas (SF series: Heritage, Legacy, Inheritance, Star Carrier, Andromedan Dark)
H. Jay Riker (SEALS:The Warrior Breed series)
Keith Douglass (Carrier and Seal Team 7 series)
Bill Keith
Keith William Andrews (Freedom's Rangers series)
Robert Cain (Cybernarc series)

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had only just finished reading the first three books in the Gray Death Saga when I opened by Beginner Box to see a surprise story from William H. Keith Jr. telling stories of Grayson Carlyle's father! These short little novellas come packaged within the tabletop games boxed sets and this is the first of the tales. They're sort of added into the box to give new players a little depth to what the setting can bring. It's designed to be a bridge from the tabletop game into the world of novels which is rich with over 100+ novels existing in the Battletech setting.

After finishing up the amazing "Price of Glory" this little book felt a bit lackluster. This might have something to do with the restriction placed on Keith to keep the story short and sweet. Minimal character development and one good Mech battle. Given the epic scale Keith writes on, at times, I got the impression that this would feel incomplete to him to a certain degree. Because where he would have fleshed out more ideas, he really just left them half formed. At least that's how I felt reading this a little bit. The setup and story idea are really good though, so I don't want people to think that I thought this was bad. In fact, the whole idea is pretty awesome and it felt more like this should have spawned a more novel level adventure than just a small 24 page stint. I know there will be a part two in the next box set, so we'll see how things go there.

Basically, this gives us a little historical insight into Grayson Carlyle's father Durant Carlyle. Before Durant was in charge of his own mercenary company he was under the command of Jonathon Colby. Here they are sent into Golandrinas to take on some unwanted guests that have moved in on the mining operation.

I would say that if you've enjoyed Keith's stories in the BattleTech universe, you'll probably find these short stories really fun and a bit nostalgic. It was nice to see his name show up since he was basically there at the beginning when the game kicked off. Now it looks like Catalyst is really trying revamp stuff and it's nice to see him involved after so many years.

[Vicente Serrano Lespier · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story included in the Battletech Beginner's box set that presents an adventure with Durant Carlyle, the father of Grayson Carlyle, the founder of the Grey Death Legion. Short, fun and to the point, presenting a typical skirmish during the 3rd Succession War.

[Odyssey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 20 pages short story that comes with a battletech beginners box.
Having just finished reading "Decision at Thunder Rift" where we follow Grayson Death Carlyle, I thought it would be cool to read about his father in the "Golden Rule".

We don't really get to know his father that well in these 20 pages, but apart from that the story serves it's purpose of getting you acquainted with the battletech universe and getting you excited to read the rules and play the game.

The action is punchy, the mechs are stompy and the author does a much better job conveying mech combat here compared to the "Decision at Thunder Rift".
In saying that, similar to the above book, it's just an average, guilty pleasure story that will not move a needle on your appreciation of fiction, scifi, or military scifi.
However, as that is not the purpose of this story it gets my recommendation for getting me excited to play battletech.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure how to describe this: maybe as, basically, a 20-odd page pamphlet given away free in the Battletech Beginner box, as a way to whet the appetite for the game and universe in which it was set?

Short and to the point, with the main draw - of course - being on the mech vs mech action.

[John Somers · Rating 3 out of 5]

12/20.

[Raymond James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and simple war story. Comes in the Battletech Starter Box.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent Battletech short story. It has a sleazy Periphery setting, an interesting unique tidally locked planet, a large Star League lostech piece, and a mech battle.