Originally, the Capellan Confederation authorized the design of three new and different BattleArmor variations. When a lack of familiarity with battlesuit technology caused excessive delays in the development of a single working prototype, however, the Confederation adopted a copy of the standard Inner Sphere BattleArmor and focused its efforts on a single new variant. Despite these measures, the development of the design required years of work and some help from the Word of Blake before it could be completed in 3061. They named it the Fa Shih, the Master of Methods, and molded the armor according to classic Chinese aesthetics, in keeping with the Confederation's Xin Sheng ("rebirth") movement.

         The design is a medium BattleArmor design capable of anti-'Mech or anti-personnel operations. The Fa Shih's sensors and communications systems are configured to allow the integrated use of the new light TAG spotting laser. The design can be configured with any of the standard anti-'Mech weapons, such as small lasers, flamers, or machine guns.
         But the Fa Shih's most unique feature is its mine-laying and mine-detecting capabilities. (The Capellan Confederation embraces the tactical use of mines, unlike most other nations that decry the use of mines as inhumane, honorless or both.) The design is equipped with a compact system to deploy Field Artillery Scatterable Mines (FASCAM). To use the system the Fa Shih trooper uses the suit's jump jets to hover directly over the area to be mined, then detaches a canister from the suit's back. When the canister reaches the correct altitude, it explodes and scatters dozens of grenade-sized mines over the target area. The mines are sent downward with enough force to conceal them a few centimeters underground. A few seconds after the mines are scattered, the explosives within are activated and the minefield is in place. The whole process takes less than five seconds and covers an area of more than 300 square meters. The Fa Shih's second canister can be used to mine a second area or to expand the size of the first minefield.
         To complement this capability, the Fa Shih also features advanced retractable electronic probes and metal detectors that allow it to clear minefields quickly and efficiently.
         A second unique feature of the Fa Shih are special magnetic clamps. Located at the knees and underarms, the clamps allow a Fa Shih trooper to mount standard BattleMechs and vehicles in the same way other BattleArmor mounts OmniMechs. (This feature was born of necessity as the Capellan Confederation only fielded one Capellan-designed OmniMech, the Men Shen.)

         The Fa Shih prototypes first saw action during the invasion of the St. Ives Compact, and that war helped to make it the design it is today. The capabilities of the new suit helped to tip the balance of the war in the Confederation's favor, earning it a permanent spot in the Confederation's military. When the Jihad split the Confederation apart, the suits remained and can now be seen throughout the Capellan Rump States.