View source for Era Digest: Dark Age

{{InfoBoxProduct
| image               = Era Digest Dark Age.jpg
| name                = Era Digest: Dark Age
| type                = Sourcebook (PDF)
| author              = 
| development         = [[Herbert A. Beas II]]
| primarywriting      = [[Patrick Wynne]]
| pages               = 51
| cover               = [[Klaus Scherwinski]]
| interiorart         = 
| illustrations       = [[David White]] <br/> [[Øystein Tvedten]] (Maps) <br/> [[Ray Arrastia]] (Logos) <br/> [[Vic Bonilla (person)|Vic Bonilla]] (Logos) <br/> [[Jason Vargas]] (Logos) <br/> [[Johannes Heidler (person)|Johannes Heidler]] (Record Sheets)
| publisher           = [[Catalyst Game Labs]]
| productioncode      = CAT 35ED003
| year                = 2014
| ISBN10              = 
| ISBN13              = 
| MSRP                = $9.95
| content             = 
| era                 = [[Dark Age era]]
| timeline            = [[3128]] - [[3134]]
| series              = Era Digest
| precededby          = [[Era Digest: Age of War]]
| followedby          = 
}}

==Description==
'''Era Digest: Dark Age''' is a third in a series PDF-Exclusive mini-sourcebooks produced by Catalyst Game Labs. The sourcebook covers the time period in the [[Dark Age]], which covers the initial [[HPG]] [[Blackout|Black Out]] of Gray Monday up to [[3134]]. The e-book accounts for historical events that occurred during this time period, provides [[A Time of War]] components and lists Splinter groups that were active during the Black Out period which led to the Republic of the Sphere's collapse. The e-book includes combat units utilized by the major splinter groups during this time period.  Also included new combat units not introduced in the [[Technical Readout: 3145]] PDF series, but were featured in the older WizKids Collectable Miniature Game.

The various topics/events listed below are covered  cleanly with a few paragraphs each.

==Product Description==
{{Quote|'''''GRAY MONDAY.'''
''1 August 3132. On that day, eighty percent of the hyperpulse generators throughout the Inner Sphere fell silent and humanity’s communications link across the stars was severed. While many looked to the Republic of the Sphere for guidance through the darkness, others used the crisis to advance their own agendas and political ideologies. As a new era began, old hatreds and rivalries, long suppressed in the optimism of Stone’s Peace, threatened to overwhelm all that had been achieved in the new century.''

''A Dark Age had fallen, one that would see the death of empires and the rise of tyrants. And the seeds of destruction would be planted in these first days after the Blackout.''

''Era Digest: Dark Age is a mini-sourcebook that explores the pivotal developments in the immediate aftermath of the HPG Blackout, giving players a glimpse at early reactions to the crisis and the rise of the splinter factions fighting to take advantage of the chaos. Complete with rules and stats for several Dark Age units, Era Digest: Dark Age also features role-playing support for this crucial setting in BattleTech history!''}}

==Contents==
{{columns-start|num=3}}
* Credits
* ''[[Crisis Mode]]'' (short story)
* Introduction
* How To Use This Book
* Dark Age
:* Painful Adolescence
:* Gray Monday
::* Hunting Lions
:* 3132: First Strikes
::* Important Military Actions of Late 3132
:* 3133: Maneuvers
::* Important Military Actions of Late 3133
:* 3134: Breaking Point
::* Important Military Actions of Late 3134
:* Dark Age Timeline
* The Republic of the Sphere (Map 3130)
* Map of the Inner Sphere (Map 3130)
* Shards of the Republic
:* [[Bannson's Raiders]]
::* [[The Scourge]] 
::* [[Band of Five]]
::* [[Wyld's Jokers]]
::* [[Jacob Bannson]] (Bio Profile)
:* [[Dragon's Fury]]
::* [[Amaterasu]]
::* [[Order of the Five Pillars]]
::* [[The Brotherhood]]
::* [[Katana Tormark]] (Bio Profile)
:* [[Northwind Highlanders|Highlanders]]
::* [[First Kearny Highlanders]]
::* [[Northwind Fusiliers]]
::* [[Republican Guards (Republic of the Sphere)|Republic Guards]]
::* [[Tara Campbell]] (Bio Profile)
:* [[Spirit Cats]]
::* [[Shiva Keshik (Clan Protectorate)|Shiva Keshik]]
::* [[Purifier Cluster (Clan Protectorate)|Purifiers Cluster]]
::* [[Omicron Cluster (Clan Protectorate)|Omicron Cluster]]
::* [[Kev Rosse]] (Bio Profile)
{{column}}
:* [[Steel Wolves]]
::* [[Wolfkin Keshik (Clan Wolf)|Wolfkin Keshik]]
::* [[Crusaders Cluster]]
::* [[Wolfs Lancers]]
::* [[Kal Radick]] (Bio Profile)
::* [[Anastasia Kerensky]] (Bio Profile)
:* [[Stormhammers]]
::* [[Archon's Shield]]
::* [[Lyran Rangers]]
::* [[Tharkan Strikers]]
::* [[Jasek Kelswa-Steiner]] (Bio Profile)
:* [[Swordsworn]]
::* [[Davion Guards (Swordsworn)|Davion Guards]]
::* [[Ghost Legion]]
::* [[Prince's Men (Swordsworn)|Prince's Men]]
::* [[Aaron Sandoval II|Aaron Sandoval]] (Bio Profile)
:::* Other Groups
:* Dark Age Rules
:* Role-Playing Rules
::* Character Creation
::* Dark Age Affiliation Restrictions
:::* Affiliations
::* Life Module Restrictions
::* Economic Adjustments for the Dark Age
::* Salary Adjustments
::* Purchasing Equipment in the Dark Age
:::* Salary and Price Table (Dark Age)
:::* Record Sheets Source Table
:::* BattleMech Random Assignment Table
:::* Vehicle Random Assignment Table 
::* Special Command Abilities
:* [[Cave Lion]]
:* [[Raider (BattleMech)|JL-1 Raider/JL-2 Raider MK II]]
:* [[Praetorian|Praetorian Mobile Strategic Command HQ]]/[[Tribune|Tribune Mobile Tactical Command HQ]]
* Record Sheets
{{columns-end}}

==Notes==
* Like other Era Digest sourcebooks, ''Era Digest: Dark Age'' lacks an explicit table of contents. The list shown here was assembled from page headings. 
* PDF exclusive product.
* The cover art was original used for ''[[Record Sheets: MechWarrior Dark Age I]]''.
* '''Errata''' The product description gives 1 August as the date for Gray Monday. Although this may originally have been the intended date, it has since been clarified that this was in error.<ref>Confirmed in [http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,20559.0.html this thread] on the official [[BattleTech forum]].</ref> The "official" date for Gray Monday remains 7 August (a Sunday).

==Related Products==
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]'' - sequel, covers the years [[3135]]–[[3145]]
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3145]]'' - contains designs from this era

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Sourcebooks]]
[[Category:Digital Products]]

[[Category:Chaos Campaign Products]]