Founded in 2367 and governed from Sian by the Chancellor of House Liao, the Capellan Confederation is the oldest continuously governed of the Inner Sphere’s Great Houses. Compact and resilient, it has weathered nine centuries of upheaval and entered the ilClan era once more on the advance.
The Capellan Confederation was forged from four border states under Franco Liao, and House Liao has ruled it ever since — the longest unbroken dynasty among the Successor States. Its government rests on a philosophy of collective duty: citizenship and privilege are earned through service, and society is organized into a meritocratic hierarchy guided by the Chancellor and the doctrine of the Celestial Wisdom. That cohesion is the Confederation’s defining strength, letting the smallest Great House project power far beyond its size. The Capellan Confederation Armed Forces reflect that ethos. The Warrior Houses — martial orders whose MechWarriors dedicate their lives to the Chancellor — field elite, ideologically committed troops found nowhere else in the Inner Sphere. The Death Commandos are widely regarded as human space’s premier special-forces formation, and the Maskirovka ranks among its most capable intelligence services. Capellan industry specializes in force-multiplying technology — most famously stealth systems — and builds signature designs such as the Vindicator, Cataphract, Raven, and Emperor. Culturally, the Confederation prizes scholarship, artistry, and service alongside martial skill. The Xin Sheng (“rebirth”) movement under Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao revitalized national pride and reversed generations of losses; the later Capellan Crusades reclaimed still more worlds. By the ilClan era, the Confederation stands as a confident, expanding power — proof that unity and purpose outlast raw numbers.
Why command the Confederation
Because no faction rewards cunning like the Capellans. You take the field as the disciplined underdog who wins through doctrine, deception, and absolute commitment — fielding fanatical Warrior House commands, stealth-armored strikers that vanish before the killing blow, and Death Commando teams that make your opponent second-guess every terrain piece on the map. The jade-and-emerald livery is unmistakable, the stable has real personality, and every victory feels earned.
Continue reading & collecting
The classic House Liao sourcebook and Handbook: House Liao for culture and worlds, the Field Manual series for regiments and rules, and modern era sourcebooks that carry the Confederation into the ilClan era. Faction Force Packs put a table-ready Capellan lance in your hands; the Master Unit List builds a legal force for any timeline year.