Contrary to the refined sports and pastimes of the Imperial Belt, the Blackout Ring is a messy, raucous affair. The Ring is a full mech-fighting circuit found in the swamps and night of Teuthem, the showings brutal and flashy. Despite an odd sense of camaraderie among rival pilots, deaths either from combat or faulty equipment are quite likely. The dynamic-duos of pilot and engineer are both equally respected as a mechanic who can keep these mechs going even under the pressure of the fights, truly deserves respect.
Fame is as useful of a currency as credits in the Blackout Ring - renowned pilots get better showings, and a larger share after every successful match. To this end, new entries to the Ring will often align themselves with a well-connected patron, in order to finance their purchases and maintain their mechas. Most of these pilots, their sponsorships routed through false accounts and fake aliases, will never see nor hear their shadowy benefactors.
Psimechs[]
Psimechs have been declared as “flarking bullshit” by the organisers of the Blackout Ring, as such they are required to either fight each other or a mech from a higher weight class. Some fights between similar weight mechs and their psimech counterparts are allowed to go ahead, but typically only at the challenger’s instigation.
Notable Combatants[]
Throughout the years of The Blackout Ring's existence there have been many great names. Here are a few of the names that still grace the gossip of the audience that comes to see these exhibitions of blood and oil.
Sigmund[]
A relic from wars long past, the Sigmund is one of a few remaining heavy psimechs still operational in the Acheron Rho sector. Naturally, the revered ancient is put to use in the mech fights of Teuthem, it's poorly understood psitech arsenal carrying it to victory countless times. As of late, the Sigmund lies dormant, seeing as how it has been countless decades since a psychic has proven a proficient-enough pilot to reawaken the primordial combatant.
Cannonade[]
A newer entry to the Blackout Ring, the Cannonade is a mech that, while relatively fragile in frame, packs a fiery punch. The multitude of missile pods mounted on this titanic war machine make it a crowd favorite, usually ending matches in a cavalcade of explosions, shrapnel, and dead pilots.
Notable Events[]
In its many years of running the Blackout Ring has experienced many incredible events. Some the result of incredible mech pilots and engineers creating unstoppable partnerships, some due to inevitable circumstances and some due to blind chance.
The Last Day Before Retirement[]
One of the most infamous events to happen in the recent history of the Blackout Ring was the Last Day Before Retirement tournament. This event was a one-on-one synth only event that took place over the course of three weeks, the location of the event was kept secret to avoid the interference of any outside parties. The tournament was broadcast only upon its conclusion, and the whereabouts of its winner, the last synth standing, are currently unknown.