TEXT: ®
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  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  OLD DEBTS
  4
  INTRODUCTION
  6
  THE VIEW FROM GALATEA
  8
  MERCENARY ATLAS SUPPLEMENTAL
  10
  Galetea: A Close Second
  10
  The Mercenary’s Star
  13
  Mercenary Training on Galatea
  14
  Westerhand: Poor Man’s Solaris
  16
  The Mercenary Trade on Westerhand 
  16
  Northwind: Off the Beaten Path 
  17
  The Mercenary Trade on Northwind
  17
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  18
  The Black Thorns
  20
  Blackstone Highlanders
  21
  Brion’s Legion
  22
  Brock’s Buccaneers
  25
  Canned Heat
  26
  Carson’s Renegades
  27
  Clifton’s Rangers
  28
  Crater Cobras
  29
  Devil’s Advocates
  30
  Dropship Irregulars
  31
  GRAVE WALKERS
  32
  Gregg’s Long Striders
  33
  Grim Determination
  34
  Group W
  35
  Hansen’s Roughriders
  37
  The Head Hunters
  38
  Illician Lancers
  39
  Kirkpactrick’s Invaders
  44
  Legion of the Rising Sun
  45
  Lexington Combat Group
  46
  Martian Cuirassiers
  50
  Northwind Highlanders
  51
  Redfield Renegades
  57
  The Regulators
  58
  Sathen’s Snipers
  59
  Spade’s Brigade
  60
  Stealthy Tigers
  61
  Swann’s Cavaliers
  62
  The Thumpers
  63
  Wannamaker’s Widowmakers
  64
  Wilson’s Hussars
  65
  MERCENARY EMPLOYMENT ROSTER
  66
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  72
  ALTERNATE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  79
  WORKSHEETS
  91
  CREDITS
  Writing
  Herbert A. Beas II
  Additional Writing: Mercenary Force Briefs
  Daniel M. Ball
  Herbert A. Beas II
  Randall N. Bills
  Warner Doles
  Chris Hartford
  Ken Horner
  Camille Klein
  Nick “Gunslinger” Marsala
  David L. McCulloch
  Paul Sjardijn
  Christoffer “Bones” Trossen
  Product Development
  Herbert A. Beas II
  Development Assistance
  Randall N. Bills
  Product Editing
  Jason M. Hardy
  BattleTech Line Developer
  Randall N. Bills
  Production Staff
  Art Direction
  Randall N. Bills
  Cover Art
  Doug Chaffee
  Cover Design
  Jason Vargas
  Layout
  Anton Zaleski
  Jason Vargas
  Illustrations
  Chris Lewis 
  Roger Peterson
  Color Section Design
  David  M. Stansel-Garner
  Miniature Painting & Photography
  Raymond “Adrian Gideon” Arrastia
  Mike “Chewie” DuVal
  Dave Fanjoy
  Ross Hines
  David “Dak” Kerber
  Mark “Hyena” Maestas
  Ryan Peterson
  Ron “Archer1” Smith
  Candi Smith
  Allen Soles
  2
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  
  Acknowledgements
  Some of the material in this book is based upon the work of the
  following authors, who’ve contributed over the years to the vast can-
  vas that is BattleTech: Loren Coleman, Christopher  Hussey, Jim
  Long, Blaine Pardoe, and Anthony  Pryor.
  Special Thanks
  To Randall for letting me blow a simple Field Manual Update
  into a series we can only hope will sell; Loren Coleman for being
  the nag he always is; all my fellow writers (listed above) for coming
  up with quality work, somewhat on time; the massive playtester
  support apparatus (listed below) for bludgeoning the rules as much
  as possible; the folks at WizKids—particularly Randall Bills, Scott
  Hungerford, Will Littrell, and Janna Silverstein, for much-needed
  work to break up the monotony (not that three other sourcebooks
  weren’t also in the mix already) with MechWarrior: Dark Age; and,
  of course, to Scott “Clutch” Taylor, his cronies, Raymond Arriasta,
  Charles Wilson, and Ted Wilson, and the vast membership of the
  FanPro Commandos for their hard work and dedication with writ-
  ing, producing, and carrying out the Lawyers, Guns, and Money
  special event that went into this and the original Revised FM.
  The usual proofing crew: Rich Cencarik, Peter La Casse, Max
  Prohaska, and Christopher K. Searls.
  Herb Beas would also like to thank:
  The usual suspects: Warner Doles, Pete Smith, Paul Sjardijn,
  for their ongoing support, as well as the on-line community who
  provided much-needed release after (and sometimes even dur-
  ing) long hours of relentless writing; Tribble, Annie, Merlin, Oscar,
  and Meggie—the “Herblet Five” whose antics could be as fun as
  any vid game; and (naturally) Rebecca “Beckie” J Beas, for letting
  me vent when things went hopelessly awry.
  Randall Bills would like to thank:
  To Chris Lewis for doing all of his logos in color as well as
  black & white, thus sparking my evil plan for a color section.
  To Rob Boyle for allowing me to squeeze in another color sec-
  tion in a year already filled with them.
  Finally, it never ceases to amaze how much support can be
  found within the BattleTech community and when an opportunity
  arises to increase the value of a product for the community as a
  whole, how much individuals will do to see the job done.
  Raymond Arrastia and Brian Plunkitt at Fighting Pirannha
  Graphics for going completely above  and beyond the call  of duty,
  dropping everything to generate thirty-two new decals in record
  time, and mailing them to the appropriate artist to make sure the
  miniatures  in the color section  were just that one  step cooler.
  To the painters and  photographers of the color section, who
  jumped at the chance  to  participate  in a  BattleTech  product
  and once more in record time, produced some  amazing minia-
  tures: Raymond Arrastia, Mike DuVal, Dave  Fanjoy, Ross Hines,
  David  Kerber, Mark Maestas, Ryan  Peterson, Ron Smith, Candi
  Smith, Allen Soles and finally Robert “Pidge” Pigeon, who wran-
  gled the artists and kept on top of the project to see it to com-
  pletion, as well as organizing and launching Camo Specs Online
  (www.camospecs.com), providing the resources from which I
  could draw to make this color section a reality.
  Playtesters
  Joel Agee, Daniel M. Ball, Ron “Mad Newf” Barter, Randall
  Bills, Paul “Blackhorse” Bowman, Loren “Rumor” Coleman, Philip
  DeLuca, Benjamin “Hawk”
  Disher, Warner Doles, John
  Dzieniszewski, Aaron Gregory, Chris Hartford, Glenn Hopkins,
  Ken’ Horner, Camille Klein, Peter La Casse, Nick “Gunslinger”
  Marsala, Buster “Banshee” McCall, David L. McCulloch, Mike
  Miller, Jeff "Highlander" Morgan, Darrell “Flailing Death” Myers,
  Andrew Norris, Keith "Vang" Oberschulte, Nathaniel Olsen, Tim
  Piazzi, Robin “Shooter” Powers, Mark Reindl, Rick “Rick Steele”
  Remer, Jason Richter, Alyson Sjardijn, Paul Sjardijn, Joel
  Steverson, Lara Harman-Steverson, Geoffrey Swift, Scott Taylor,
  Roland “Ruger” Thigpen, Frank Tillman, Chris Trossen, Øystein
  Tvedten, Jason “Panzerfaust 150” Weiser, Scott “Crimson
  Marauder” Whitmarsh, Charles Wilson, Andreas Zuber, and the
  Steel City MechWarriors: Rich Cencarik, Rich Darr, Brian
  Golightly, Ben Rome.
  ©2004-2005 WizKids, Inc.
  All Rights Reserved.
  Classic
  BattleTech Mercenaries Supplemental, Classic BattleTech,
  BattleTech, ’Mech, BattleMech, Classic BattleTech RPG,
  AeroTech 2, BattleForce 2 and WK Games are registered trade-
  marks and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States
  and/or other countries. No part of this work may be reproduced,
  stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
  means, without the prior permission in writing of the Copyright
  Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in
  which it is published. Printed in the USA.
  Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.
  Version 1.0 (January 2005), based on the first printing (2004)
  published by FanPro LLC, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
  Published by FanPro LLC • 1608 N. Milwaukee • Suite 1005 •
  Chicago, IL 60647 
  Find us online:
  Precentor_martial@classicbattletech.com (e-mail address for
  any Classic BattleTech questions)
  http://www.mwdarkage.com (official MechWarrior: Dark Age 
  web pages)
  http://www.classicbattletech.com (official Classic BattleTech 
  web pages)
  http://www.fanpro.com (FanPro web pages)
  http://www.wizkidsgames.com (WizKids web pages)
  3
  CREDITS
  
  4
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  A high-pitched shriek, accompanied by the eye-searing flash of
  man-made lightning, punctuated the jolt that Damon Kirkpatrick felt
  all the way down his spine. Twin bolts slammed against the side of
  his Marauder, explosively flashing away more than a ton of Valiant
  Lamellor, just close enough to the machine’s forward-jutting cockpit
  to scramble displays momentarily and set the hairs on Damon’s arm
  on end. His hands clenching tightly around the hard plastic of his fir-
  ing controls, he simultaneously fought to draw a bead on his tor-
  mentor and keep the 75-ton avatar of destruction on its bird-like feet.
  He was only partly successful.
  Already laboring under the heat of his last alpha strike, the
  Marauder managed to remain upright with all the grace of a
  drunken spacer, pitching first to one side, then the other. The
  arms flailed slightly in compensation, just enough to spoil the aim
  of his pulse lasers. Though one burst of ruby energy darts man-
  aged to graze the enemy Warhammer, they did little more than
  scorch away some of its otherwise pristine blue and white paint.
  Not my best performance, Damon thought bitterly as he
  regained control of the stumbling machine. He could almost hear
  the LeSat MechWarrior laughing at him, and once more he real-
  ized how accustomed he’d been to his old FLS-7K Flashman,
  regardless of his own modifications.
  The Warhammer turned slightly, trying to cut along his flank,
  its barrel arms tracking back to face him as it spat out a smatter-
  ing of laser fire, seeking holes in his ravaged armor that even now
  were cooling in the afternoon breeze. Raising his Marauder’s
  arms again and planting both of the ’Mech’s feet in a wide stance,
  Damon twisted to follow the Warhammer’s motion and thumbed
  the triggers again.This time, twin bolts of his own particle cannon
  unerringly poured into the rebel’s armored hide, backed up by a
  stream of shells from his dorsal mounted autocannon. His engine
  spiked in response, flooding the cockpit with white-hot air, all but
  stifling his breath as alarms rang out in warning.
  “Alert!” an electronic voice said, impossibly calm even as the
  Warhammer’s return fire again pounded perilously close to his
  canopy. A quartet of rolling blasts followed, arriving from Damon’s
  other opponent, an age-worn, 60-ton Champion. “Heat level criti-
  cal,” the voice added. “Shutdown imminent.”
  OLD DEBTS
  
  5
  OLD DEBTS
  “Shut up,” Damon growled as he slapped the override between
  coughs, his lungs blazing, sucking in air that stank of ozone and
  sweat. Engine breach, he told himself, confirming as much with a
  glance at his BDA monitor. This is much worse than I thought!
  While most of Damon’s mind struggled with the ’Mech, a sliv-
  er of thought wondered where these new BattleMechs had come
  from. LeSat’s troops had been routed for over four years, since
  Baron Franklin LeSat and his pro-Katrina forces all but shattered
  in the face of the Hasseldorf family and Damon’s own Kirkpatrick’s
  Invaders. Coming to Kaumberg was a debt repayment to a man
  who long served in the mercenary command when family oblig-
  ations had demanded otherwise.
  Afterward, however, came the Civil War, when the
  battle lines were really drawn.
  LeSat’s supporters came back out of the
  woodwork then, most of them dredging up
  whatever weapons they could find—a few
  pistols here, a pipe bomb there, even the
  odd machine gun-armed jeep—to mount a
  resistance against what they perceived as
  “the Davionist lapdogs” in charge. Never
  mind that Baron Hasseldorf didn’t even
  make his bid for planetary Lordship after
  that fiasco, or enforce his will like so many
  other victorious warlords in the past.
  Never mind that he had personally helped
  the planet rebuild its shattered defense
  forces in the wake of their own private civil
  war with the LeSat family, or that he
  retained the services of the Invaders to
  assure planetary security throughout the Civil
  War at his own personal expense. Never mind
  even that Baron LeSat himself was long dead!
  All of that, after all, was merely proof of the evil
  intentions of House Hasseldorf and its allied mer-
  cenaries to the rebels who surfaced, angry and venge-
  ful, cloaked in the colors of a fallen house.
  All of that Damon could still understand, having known a few
  hopeless causes worth fighting for in his own past. But, his mind
  asked once again, where did they get gear like this?
  “Alpha Wolf!” a voice shouted in his ear, over the din of cock-
  pit alarms and the thunderous hail of missile fire punishing his
  Marauder for standing in the open. Even through the noise, the
  mercenary could still recognize the voice of his exec.
  “About time, Alpha Coyote,” he said, loud enough for his throat
  mike to pick up. “I was getting tired of being the bait here, and I
  think my two remaining dance partners might tend to agree…”
  “Sorry, sir,” Major Malavai Hollensteiner said. “The rebels
  sprang a lance of Demolishers and Drillsons on us five klicks
  back. We’re coming as fast as we can.”
  “All speed, Coyote,” Damon snapped back, wincing as he felt
  another PPC burst slam into his flank. The BDA monitor showed
  the armor on his ’Mech’s left side was now more fiction than fact,
  but at least the heat monitor had finally dropped into cautious yel-
  low, rather than the angry red of near shutdown.
  I need to buy time…
  Swinging away from the Warhammer, Damon stomped on
  his jump jet pedals. The Marauder lurched once, then shot into
  the sky for a short, 120-meter flight, straight into a copse of
  native oak. Lasers and missiles streaked after him, but found
  either empty sky or hapless trees. As more of Kaumberg’s
  famous timber farms became so many splinters and steamed
  leaves, Damon hit the ground gracefully enough. Twisting only
  slightly to bring the Champion under his crosshairs, he smiled
  grimly, and snapped his triggers once.
  Two more particle bolts flew from the arms of
  his Marauder, the lasers this time held in reserve.
  Cerulean energy washed over the lighter ’Mech,
  searing away armor and cutting deep into the
  side torso SRM.The hoped-for explosion of an
  ignited ammo bin never came, but the cloud
  of smoke and sparks that trailed away from
  the machine’s flank told Damon the missile
  launcher was at least out of action.
  Whirling back on the Warhammer,
  Damon stabbed out with his medium
  lasers next, worrying some armor, but
  causing very little obvious damage.
  The heat levels began to rise again.
  “Hang in there, boss,” came a new
  voice, this one feminine, with a slight
  German accent. Damon glanced down at
  his sensor screen, saw the blue icon racing
  forward. The LeSat MechWarriors obviously
  saw it too, as both machines turned, respond-
  ing to the new threat.
  Damn it!
  “This is no time for heroics, Hauptmann—”
  But already the beams were flashing, a snap of
  lethal, coherent light blazing into the already weakened armor of
  the Champion from the onrushing red and black Wolfhound. The
  heavier ’Mech twisted away from the onslaught, trying to shield its
  wounded side, while the Warhammer lashed out with its particle
  cannons again—and missed.
  “Heroics, nothing!” said Hauptmann Cynthia Hasseldorf,
  his Invaders’ newly attached “liaison”. “I’m just here to repay an
  old debt.”
  In spite of himself, Damon “the Indestructible” Kirkpatrick felt
  a surge of pride, and a small smile crept along his face as he
  lurched forward to support the smaller Hasseldorf ’Mech. Turning
  once more to face the enemy Warhammer, he triggered another
  burst of pulse laser fire that scoured more armor away from the
  LeSat ’Mech.
  “At this rate, Hauptmann,” he sighed, “neither of us will ever
  be out of debt!”
  
  6
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  The success of the original Field Manual: Mercenaries, taint-
  ed only by the perceived bias of the Wolf’s Dragoons mercenary
  command and its hegemony over Outreach—and with it, the
  whole of the mercenary trade—prompted the creation of the
  revised version by a neutral panel of the Mercenary Review and
  Bonding Commission (MRBC). Hitting the shelves just two
  weeks ago, the compilation outlined the state of the mercenary
  trade across the Inner Sphere, along with many major merce-
  nary units active today. However, pretending that the traffic
  out of Outreach represents the entire mercenary trade
  borders on delusion.The Inner Sphere
  and surrounding Periphery house
  hundreds—if not thousands—of legiti-
  mate (and not-so-legitimate) merce-
  nary groups and other soldiers-for-
  hire, who eke out a living every day by
  fighting battles for employers
  almost as diverse as they are
  themselves.
  As part of the MRBC’s
  ongoing effort to provide
  potential employers with a
  comprehensive grasp of the
  mercenary trade today and the
  majority of the best-known mercenar-
  ies who ply it, this Mercenary
  Supplemental, the first in what we
  hope will be a long and informative
  series, expands on the Field Manual:
  Mercenaries, Revised by providing
  more mercenary briefs, as well as
  additional information on the mercenary trade itself,
  including more hubs of mercenary activity.
  As ever, the fluid state of the mercenary trade and the tran-
  sient nature of individual mercenary units throughout known
  space make providing accurate and up-to-date information on
  every group nigh impossible for a single volume. Every effort has
  been made with this Supplemental, however, to conduct fair and
  honest research and provide a professional analysis of select
  mercenary units. The fact that a majority of these units stage
  from Galatea, where the MRBC’s newest offices have recently
  opened, has gone a long way toward assuring that the informa-
  tion in this volume is everything we hoped.
  In keeping with the spirit of the MRBC, it will be the goal of
  this Supplemental and those that follow to acquaint potential
  employers with the mercenary commands available for hire,
  while also providing periodic overviews of the state of the indus-
  try. In this way, we hope to give those same employers a feel for
  the market trends, while giving the modern mercenary a mod-
  icum of free and unbiased advertising. In addition, the compila-
  tion of unit and industry overviews will help enforce the honor-
  able standards we in the mercenary trade strive toward in the
  interests of civilized and professional soldiering. To meet these
  goals, this book is divided into the following main sections: A View
  from Galatea, Mercenary Atlas Supplemental, and Mercenary
  Unit Briefs.
  The first section, A View from Galatea, reviews the recent
  history of the mercenary trade from the perspective of Galatea,
  once known as the Mercenary’s Star before the ascendance of
  Outreach under the Dragoons. The revitalization of this
  world as a center of the mercenary trade in the past
  decade not only prompted the estab-
  lishment of an MRBC office here in
  3062, but has also created a boom in
  local business and new markets with
  the final completion of our long-
  delayed Hiring Hall facilities earlier this
  year. The Mercenary’s Atlas, mean-
  while, expands on that of the
  Field Manual: Mercenaries,
  Revised with an overview of
  Galatea itself and other
  hubs of the professional sol-
  diering 
  industry, 
  from 
  the
  Capellan 
  game 
  world 
  of
  Westerhand to the exclusive and
  prestigious Northwind, home of the
  famous 
  Highlander 
  regiments.
  Additional Mercenary Briefs follow,
  summarizing several units not featured
  in the previous Field Manual, providing
  histories and other vital data on these
  units, including tactical doctrine and ratings on experience
  and reliability.
  It is our fervent hope at the Mercenary Review and Bonding
  Commission that this Mercenary Supplemental will prove an
  invaluable tool for potential employers and mercenaries alike, one
  that will only grow more valuable as the series continues into the
  immediate future.
  —Colonel Kamala Sjardijn, MRBC Mercenary Affairs
  (Galatea Hiring Hall Office)
  11 September 3067
  MECHWARRIOR THIRD
  EDITION
  MechWarrior Third Edition (MW3) was originally published
  by FASA Corporation. Upon its reprint by FanPro LLC, the name
  was changed to Classic BattleTech RPG (CBT: RPG). This prod-
  uct references pages in CBT: RPG, but the page numbers are
  identical regardless of whether you own CBT: RPG or MW3.
  INTRODUCTION
  
  7
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  
  8
  THE VIEW FROM GALATEA
  Fortune is a fickle mistress indeed.
  Few in the Inner Sphere know this as well as the modern mer-
  cenary, and soldiers who work from the Hiring Halls of Galatea
  would seem to feel this inconsistency more than anyone. Here, the
  past three decades have seen their share of ups and downs, both
  for the world itself and the hired guns who call it home. It was here
  that the last vestiges of the Mercenary Guilds still held sway, sub-
  sumed by ComStar’s supposedly neutral Mercenary Review Board
  in order to guarantee the fair and equitable treatment of mercenar-
  ies that today falls under the purview of the MRBC. Galatea gave
  many of the best soldiers for hire their start, and even the passage
  of time cannot erase its significance as the birthworld of the Kell
  Hounds or the Gray Death Legion.
  Times change, of course, and with the rise of Outreach as the
  homeworld of Wolf’s Dragoons, a new mercenary Mecca drew away
  both the universe’s most hopeful and the flow of revenue that had
  supported the once-mighty Mercenary’s Star for centuries.
  THE FALL OF THE MERCENARIES GUILD
  The year was 3048. Outreach was a close second to Galatea
  as the main draw for mercenaries eager to make their mark on a uni-
  verse precariously poised on the brink of a Fifth Succession War.
  The Steiner-Davion alliance had spent the past nine years building
  toward this final showdown with its enemies in the Draconis
  Combine, the Free Worlds League, and the sundered Capellan
  Confederation. Saber-rattling was the order of the day, though some
  dared hope for a lasting peace nonetheless.
  Then came the Clans.
  In a brutal, two-year blitzkrieg, the Children of Kerensky rolled
  over the Free Rasalhague Republic and parts of the Federated
  Commonwealth and Draconis Combine.Countless mercenary com-
  mands, great and small, confronted the face of the alien juggernaut
  and fell, alongside elite House regiments that previously had con-
  sidered only known, nearby enemies as their primary threat. To
  many professional soldiers far and wide, this invasion was an
  unstoppable menace to which desperate House Lords would throw
  them in a vain effort to stave off the inevitable. To others, it was an
  opportunity for greatness, a shot at the big-time. As many merce-
  naries, like Fuchida’s Fusiliers and the Lone Star Regiment, aban-
  doned their posts or allowed their contracts to expire in favor of con-
  tracts for realms not immediately in the Clans’ path, others like the
  Grave Walkers dared to face the approaching storm: faced it and
  died. Galatea, the Mercenary Star itself, saw its first glimpse of
  things to come during this time. Lying along the encroaching inva-
  sion corridors, its very locale sent waves of emigrants streaming to
  the supposed safety of Outreach and other worlds farther rimward.
  Then came 3052, and ComStar’s Operation Scorpion. Even as
  the Com Guards won a Truce from the invaders, the quasi-mystical
  Order, long seen as a truly neutral, trustworthy organization, shat-
  tered its image with a blatant effort to cripple Inner Sphere commu-
  nications and bring the Great Houses to their knees as they fought
  together for mutual survival. For Galatea and the struggling rem-
  nants of the Mercenary’s Guild, the event sounded their death knell.
  With the trust between ComStar and the rest of the Inner Sphere
  broken—the Tukayyid victory and ComStar Schism notwithstand-
  ing—mercenaries and House Leaders alike suddenly scrambled to
  establish new ways to do business.
  On Outreach, the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission
  was born, drawing thousands of professional soldiers away from the
  tarnished Mercenary’s Star of Galatea.Within a few short years, the
  ComStar Mercenary Review Board dissolved into memory, and the
  world that had been the heart of the profession throughout the Inner
  Sphere saw its economy plunge into depression.
  REBOUND
  Despite the innovation of the MRBC, however, a trickle of die-
  hard warriors continued to make their way to Galatea, where
  employer agents, hiring halls, and training facilities continued to
  struggle along. Whether hailing from commands shattered during
  the Clan Wars, lacking the means to reach the newly-crowned
  “Warrior’s World” of Outreach, or merely drawn by the established
  track record that still outstripped the Dragoons’ homeworld, these
  soldiers helped Galatea limp along into the years immediately fol-
  lowing the Truce of Tukayyid.
  Employer agents, some finding the rules and regulations set
  down by Wolf’s Dragoons and their new commission too restrictive
  for their post-invasion needs, came to Galatea to find warriors equal-
  ly willing to set aside certain controls in favor of more “flexible”
  options. Though this did nothing to improve the image of the fallen
  Mercenary’s Star, it carried the world and the local industries
  through difficult economic times.
  As tensions mounted between the FedCom factions, spawned
  by the economic and social hardships of the Lyran people, the per-
  ceived arrogance of their Davion “countrymen”, the rising seces-
  sionism of the Skye region, and a myriad of other social pressures
  dating from the formation of the united realm, more and more mer-
  cenaries made their way to Galatea. Here, the smaller, internal fac-
  tions quietly gathered troops, readying for the inevitable conflict.
  The conflict exploded in late 3057, with the formation and
  secession of the Lyran Alliance from the Federated Commonwealth
  in the face of Operation Guerrero, the Marik-Liao invasion of the
  Federated Commonwealth’s Terran Corridor region. In addition to
  prompting a boom in the mercenary trade, Galatea’s own slide into
  economic mediocrity suddenly reversed as the Warrior World of
  Outreach found itself surrounded by the lawlessness of the Chaos
  March. Mercenaries leery of traveling through the unstable region
  came to Galatea instead, where employers of every stripe waited
  with fresh new flexible options tailored to a new age of war.
  The Mercenary’s Star began to rise once more.
  OUT OF CHAOS, ORDER
  While the clock continued to tick toward the resumption of the
  Clan invasion, the Federated Commonwealth drew ever closer to
  civil war, a fact that was readily apparent on Galatea, where merce-
  naries continued to find work for various minor nobles on both sides
  of the divide. Even the Falcon invasion of Coventry and the subse-
  quent creation of the new Star League created only a brief scare, as
  the continuous flow of contracts and mercenaries willing to take
  them reassured those in the industry who feared a renewed Clan
  THE VIEW FROM GALATEA
  
  9
  THE VIEW FROM GALATEA
  invasion or a Star League-enforced peace. Despite all the pretense of unity among the
  Successor States, simmering tensions and outright warfare still raged across the Inner
  Sphere, and professional soldiers still found work through the hiring halls of Galatea.
  In 3062, after half a decade of lobbying by local groups as well as the LAAF and
  the Lyran Alliance’s Mercenary Liaison Corps—as well as several small mercenary
  commands wary of the Wolf’s Dragoons’ superiority in the mercenary trade—the
  Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission finally acknowledged Galatea’s place in
  the universe by establishing its first satellite offices on the planet, with an eye toward
  building fully-functional hiring halls within five to ten years.This act did much to accel-
  erate the recovery of local industry and trade, going a long way toward erasing the per-
  ception that Galatea was a waystation for the desperate and unprincipled.
  Unfortunately, fate had one more surprise in store for Galatea.
  On 31 December 3062, the celebrations to ring in the new year were rudely inter-
  rupted when BattleMechs belonging to one of the less noteworthy commands operating
  on Galatea allegedly assaulted the base of another mercenary force in a blatant effort to
  curry favor with a potential employer.Though the stories vary wildly as to how it began,
  the outcome was the onset of planet-wide fighting, akin to a massive, BattleMech-scale
  barroom brawl.
  Over the next fourteen months, waves of fighting between mercenary commands
  took on the flavor of urban gang wars, with several ’Mech bands claiming control over
  entire sectors in brutal turf battles.With the LAAF tied up in the FedCom Civil War, no plan-
  etary or federal authority existed that could rein in the various factions, until March of 3064,
  when Group W arrived to reestablish order with the blessings of Duke David Nowakowski.
  Group W’s success, made possible by the fractious nature of the planet-wide
  fighting, allowed them a key role in restoring planetary authority. Nowakowski immedi-
  ately used his role to subcontract several local mercenary forces to form a planetary
  police force. The presence of these troops throughout the remaining years of war
  brought enough stability to Galatea for the MRBC to finalize its own interrupted plans
  for the new satellite offices in Galatean City.
  BOOM OR BUST?
  In the wake of the riots of 3063 and Group W’s arrival, mercenary traffic through
  Galatea leveled off, and even dropped slightly as several commands—likely fearing pros-
  ecution in a series of trials organized by the Nowakowski administration—departed for
  parts unknown. While many of these deserting warriors have since turned up on
  Outreach, many others vanished into thin air. At this time, the local government has sev-
  eral outstanding warrants for the arrest of several warriors known or believed to have
  been involved in the worst of the heavy fighting, and many mercenaries today coming to
  the Mercenary’s Star can expect enticing offers for bounty hunting.
  The economic forecast for Galatea remains murky. Though business has picked
  up in recent months, especially with the opening of the Galatean City Hiring Hall, many
  soldiers of fortune question how long it will last.The Clan Invasion, though theoretically
  ended with the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty, remains a potential (if unlikely) threat
  to this world, especially since the Crusader Wolf Clan seems to view the Star League
  victory as irrelevant. At the same time, Outreach, still dominated by the presence of
  the elite Wolf’s Dragoons, remains a major draw for mercenary activity in the Chaos
  March, including the Dragoons’ own Allied Mercenary Command, which formed
  recently to check Word of Blake expansion in the region.The end of the FedCom Civil
  War and its associated conflicts have also left the Inner Sphere in a state of uneasy
  peace, and such states have always been rife with opportunity for the enterprising
  mercenary. Thanks to that, there has even been a marked rise in alternative staging
  areas for today’s professional soldier, with worlds such as Arc-Royal, Solaris, and
  Westerhand claiming their own share of the trade traffic.
  With so many factors in play, it becomes hard to gauge the recovery of Galatea
  in the post-Civil War era, but for those who have never left, and for those who have
  made their presence known with the MRBC, Galatea—boom or bust—will always be
  the Mercenary’s Star.
  AULD LANG SYNE
  When I first heard the noise, I thought somebody
  had gotten overzealous with the fireworks. I mean, it
  being New Year’s Eve and all, on a world chock full of
  mercs, you kind of expect that kind of thing. Plus, I gotta
  admit, I’d had a few too many Brute’s Ales by that point,
  so I was listening to the racket through something of an
  alcohol haze. Still, even through the buzz, I started realiz-
  ing something was up when the ground started shaking
  more than it should if it was just fireworks, but even that
  wasn’t anything I couldn’t write off to some drunken
  ’Mech jock or two deciding to ring in the new year with a
  casual fifty-ton stroll through the countryside.
  When I finally realized the boom-booms weren’t fire-
  crackers, but autocannon shots, I started to get concerned.
  I was just about to ask Johnny who had sentry duty tonight
  and where the goof gets off wasting company ammo on his
  own “auld lang syne” celebrations when suddenly the raid
  sirens started going off. Guess Marko was a bit slow on
  realizing we were under attack, too; everyone and their sis-
  ter’s roommate was at the party, after all…
  Anyway, whoever the hell they were, as soon as
  Johnny comes out of his stupor—pretty fast, considering
  the noise of the claxons makes for a hell of a wake-up call
  even if you’re half-dead—he orders us to our rides ASAP.
  Needless to say, before five minutes pass, I’m buttoned up
  in the cockpit of my ’Hammer which somehow wasn’t hit
  by the yokels who’d been shelling us.
  I suppose they were just as drunk as the rest of us.
  So, we hit the field—all of us as coordinated as you
  can be with a few liters of hard grain working its way out of
  your system—and manage to form up a couple lances
  when we spot the first ’Mech, some rat trap old Whitworth
  sporting a purple and green color scheme I’m sure his
  boss thought was a good idea at the time. The guy sees us
  and fades back, but he’s stupid enough to go shooting off a
  few missiles first, just to get us all mad.
  As I snapped back with a couple peepers, I remember
  asking, “Who are these ass-wipes?” on the general comms.
  Imagine my surprise when I get back this transmit
  from one of said ass-wipes, calling themselves the Crimson
  Combateers. Not only did it rank up there with the all-time
  dumbest name for a group who paints their machines in
  lime green and lavender, but I suddenly realize these guys
  are the fragging competition for a contract Johnny himself
  had been haggling with old Duke Vieques of Dubhe. Plus,
  the way the guy said the name, all full of fire and meaning,
  you’d think he was some hack actor in a cheap holovid.
  Hell, for all I know, maybe he was.
  All I know is, we ran off the Combateers easily
  enough that night, though the damage they inflicted easily
  cost us a full lance and half a year’s pay. Come morning, it
  would be time for payback.
  How was I to know that, come morning, everyone
  would be looking to settle a few scores like this one?
  —MechWarrior Dahria Lennet, formerly of the
  Johnny’s Rebels mercenary company, 5 January 3064
  
  The Inner Sphere is an immense place, as any modern mercenary, House trooper, free trader, or common interstellar tourist can
  tell you. With so many planets worth fighting over, nearly every world in the Inner Sphere and Periphery has the potential for being a
  mercenary’s “hiring hall”, with local political, military, and even corporate leaders all eager to employ a hired gun from time to time.
  However, by and large, the majority of these worlds cannot offer the range of opportunities that a dedicated mercenary hiring center can.
  That is why, in all of known space, only a handful of worlds have become hubs of the mercenary trade.
  Galatea, for all its lost glory, is still one of the most lucrative places for mercenaries to recruit, train, and gather skilled warriors while
  simultaneously offering a wealth of contract opportunities, both above-board and below. Recently accredited by the Mercenary Review
  and Bonding Commission, this world has become second only to Outreach as the center of the legitimate mercenary trade, supplanting
  rival Solaris VII as a prime spot to hire today’s professional soldier.
  But, as was discussed in our previous volume, there are other hubs of mercenary trade beyond Galatea and Outreach. Described
  here are Galatea and two other popularly recognized centers where the average soldier of fortune can go to find quality training, equip-
  ment, and—above all—paying work.
  GALATEA: A CLOSE SECOND
  With three jumps between itself and Terra, Galatea, the Mercenary’s Star, is not quite as conveniently located as Outreach, but it is
  included on many major trade routes both within the Lyran Alliance’s Skye region and between the Alliance and Draconis Combine
  space. Once the single most important hub of mercenary business, the rise of Outreach, the turmoil of the Clan invasion, and the splin-
  tering of ComStar diminished Galatea’s importance over the last two decades. Despite this, it remains one of the Inner Sphere’s busiest
  ports of call for professional soldiers and employer agents, with hundreds of DropShips launching and landing daily at the massive
  Galaport spaceport, each a beacon of opportunity for the professional warriors whose careers are made—and sometimes broken—on
  this arid world.
  THE MERCENARY’S STAR
  Though it orbits far from a yellow-white giant, Galatea is a hot world, rendered
  largely barren along its equatorial and tropical zones thanks mostly to its thin protec-
  tive ozone layer. In the temperate and polar regions, where the solar radiation is less
  severe, the soil is largely sterilized, lacking in nitrogen from centuries of ultraviolet
  exposure. As a result, very little vegetation grows on Galatea, save what can be found
  along the coastlines of rivers extending from the planet’s oceans—the Amersia Sea
  in the north polar region, the Kileri and Paradise Oceans in the south—which are
  completely land-locked within the single, planet-wide landmass known as Lubbocks.
  Given the largely barren environment that is Galatea, the first settlers to this world in
  2250 were surprised to find it actually supported a basic ecosystem, at the top of
  which was a furry, burrowing, rodent-like predator called the Galatean Mole. Indeed,
  preliminary analyses made by the first surveyors of this world suggested that the root
  of the planet’s ecology lay in a complex system of underground rivers.
  All this did not discourage the first settlers to this world . These colonists, hailing
  from various anti-technology sects that included elements of Terra’s Amish, Native
  American, and Central African cultures, sought to make a home of hot and barren
  Galatea and had begun to succeed against the odds before the Terran Hegemony
  annexed the world in 2333. In the Star League era, Galatea became a major military training ground, shared jointly by the Hegemony
  and the neighboring Lyran Commonwealth. Galatea experienced an economic boom during this period, followed by a long period of stag-
  nation in the wake of the League’s collapse. The lack of economic growth eventually led to its development as a Mecca for out-of-work
  and dispossessed mercenaries and its establishment as the home of the largest Hiring Hall in the Mercenary’s Guild.
  Becoming known as the “Mercenary’s Star,” Galatea experienced a revival, with employers and mercenaries drawn to compete for
  contracts both over the negotiating table and in vast improvised training fields.The rise of Outreach, under the administration of the Wolf’s
  Dragoons, drained this world of some of its vitality, but in the wake of the breakdown of the Federated Commonwealth and the estab-
  lishment of the MRBC’s satellite Hiring Halls, professional soldiers once more returned to the Mercenary’s Star.
  10
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  FACT SHEET: GALATEA
  Noble Ruler: Duke David Nowakowski
  Star Type (Recharge Time): F8II (179 hours)
  Position in System: 6th
  Time to Jump Point: 12.01 days
  Number of Satellites: 1 (Galatea Minor)
  Surface Gravity: 1.00
  Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable)
  Equatorial Temperature: 55° C (Desert) 
  Surface Water: 35 percent
  Recharging Station: Zenith
  HPG Class Type: A
  Highest Native Life: Mammals
  Population: 556,976,000
  Socio-Industrial Levels: C-C-C-C-C
  
  11
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  
  12
  Galatean City
  Galatean City is the center of mercenary trade on Galatea,
  a sprawling metropolis that dates back to the economic and
  industrial boom of the Star League era. To the northwest of this
  marvelous city lies the massive sea of ferrocrete known as
  Galaport, one the largest and most sophisticated spaceports in
  the sector. All traffic to and from this world flows here, controlled
  by a sizeable local aerospace defense force that doubles as the
  planetary customs police. Like all local law enforcement and
  planetary defense, these units are often augmented by addition-
  al “irregular” troops, mercenaries on a short-term security con-
  tract to the Nowakowski government.
  Despite the formidable air defense system and the scars of
  the recent BattleMech-scale rioting that ravaged this world dur-
  ing the FedCom Civil War, Galatean City, like Outreach’s
  Harlech, maintains an open-door policy. Bars, hotels, and other
  recreational facilities scattered throughout the city cater to the
  professional soldier, and some have even been known to act as
  impromptu hiring halls for warriors and employers looking to stay
  off the record books.
  The numerous booms and busts of the Galatean economy
  are apparent in the overall design of the capital city itself, which
  lacks the formal planning evident in cities like Solaris City and
  Harlech. As a result, business districts, industrial parks, and res-
  idential zones may be found in scattered patches and clusters of
  buildings. At present, Galatean City is experiencing another
  boom in both population and commerce since the end of the Civil
  War and the planet-wide rioting. The opening of the new
  Galatean City Hiring Hall has drawn record numbers of merce-
  naries in recent months, a trend that promises to offset the years
  of decline brought on by the rise of Outreach.
  The Hiring Hall
  At the heart of Galatean City stands not only the administra-
  tive centers of the planet but also the recently-opened Galatea
  Hiring Hall, three towers of modern architectural wonder, linked
  by a series of skywalks—all dedicated solely to the recruiting,
  training, hiring, and contracting of mercenary commands. Not
  quite as imposing as the Outreach Hall and still undergoing final
  construction and minor renovations, the Galatean Hall is nonethe-
  less an impressive complex. Its central tower stands fifteen stories,
  flanked by two eleven-story towers, which all feature angled archi-
  tecture that, from the proper angle, makes the Hall appear as a
  massive pyramid dominating the downtown area. While not the
  tallest in the city by any stretch, these buildings still draw the eye
  and dominate the skyline.
  Like the Outreach Hall, the Galatean Hiring Hall contains all
  the resources needed to locate, meet, and test mercenaries, as
  well as facilities for contract negotiations and offices and confer-
  ence rooms for mercenary and employer agents alike, all avail-
  able for daily use or even year-round lease. At the base of the tow-
  ers, a complex of buildings houses the MRBC’s own security
  forces, including a company of mercenary BattleMechs, two
  armor companies, and support for a contingent of battle-armored
  troops. Dedicated to the defense of the Hall, its guests, and its
  facilities, these personnel maintain a low profile during routine
  operations, and visitors are not permitted in the security complex.
  The central tower of the Galatean Hall serves as the main
  administrative center of all MRBC operations on Galatea, analo-
  gous to the central dome of the Outreach Hall. MRBC personnel
  are on hand and available to offer visiting mercenary commands
  and employer representatives with everything from travel clear-
  ances, storage of military equipment, temporary lodging needs,
  and a host of other services. In addition, living quarters (located
  in the upper levels) may be rented here, and visitors may even
  shop the Hiring Hall’s gift shops or dine at one of five restaurants
  and cafeterias within the tower.
  Like the central dome on Outreach, the central tower of the
  Galatean Hall is also home to the MRBC’s central offices, as well as
  the trading floor where mercenaries and employers alike meet in a
  free-for-all forum. Mercenary auctions are held in outlying chambers
  for commands eager to recruit new blood. Simulator pods, confer-
  ence rooms, additional quarters, and other offices for the benefit of
  guests are also available in the north and south towers.
  THE MERCENARY REVIEW AND 
  BONDING COMMISSION
  Fifty years after its original formation on Outreach, the
  Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission has finally come into
  its own as a truly independent agency dedicated to fair treatment
  and high ethical standards. No longer limited to Outreach and hop-
  ing to shed its image as an extension of the Wolf’s Dragoons mer-
  cenary command, the MRBC has not only replaced ComStar’s
  Mercenary Review Board, but has fostered the redevelopment of
  Hiring Halls throughout the Inner Sphere, starting with the first
  offices established outside of Outreach in 3062.
  Now clearly independent of Dragoons’ oversight, the MRBC
  continues to act as a neutral body, respected by all parties and
  dedicated to promoting a uniform standard of conduct among
  mercenary commands and their employers. In agreement with
  the Mercenary Review and Bonding Accords, signed in 3054 by
  representatives from all five Great Houses, ComStar, and the
  Wolf’s Dragoons, the MRBC also retains the right to adjudicate
  disputes between mercenaries and employers who conduct busi-
  ness through the MRBC or MRBC proxies on other worlds. This
  authority lends a degree of legal security for professional soldiers
  and employers alike.
  Like the parent organization on Outreach, the Commission
  on Galatea is composed of representatives from all political enti-
  ties throughout the Inner Sphere, and many from nearby
  Periphery realms. Also like the Outreach branch, the Galatean
  Commission has seats for ComStar, minor political powers, and
  several noteworthy elite mercenary commands to provide a fair
  and balanced political mix.
  Using the same ComStar-bonded accounts as the Outreach
  office, the Galatea MRBC acts as an escrow company for contract
  payments. Employers may deposit the full payment in trust with
  either commission office, regardless of the mercenary com-
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  
  13
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  mand’s hiring point. This office then authorizes the contracted
  mercenary command to draw a percentage of that balance, with
  any remainder typically held until completion of the contract. The
  MRBC itself claims a five-percent fee on all contracts it handles in
  this fashion, which is used to maintain the Commission’s admin-
  istrative activities. This system of holding the full contract fee in
  escrow ensures that employers are protected from default by
  mercenary commands and guarantees that mercenary com-
  mands receive their final payments as appropriate to the outcome
  of their mission. Mercenaries who choose to do business outside
  the MRBC—and their employers—must often rely on a much
  more informal “honor system,” completely lacking the guarantees
  provided by the Commission.
  MERCENARY TRAINING ON GALATEA
  Unlike Outreach, which boasts the Wolf’s Dragoons-spon-
  sored Outreach Mercenary Training Command (OMTC), on
  Galatea there are no major centers for military training. At pre-
  sent, however, plans are underway to establish an affiliate
  branch of the OMTC here under the aegis of the MRBC. Ground
  has already been broken for the proposed Galatea Mercenary
  College just outside the suburban township of Duncanshire, fif-
  teen kilometers south of Galatean City. However, several
  delays—including the recent Civil War riots—have pushed the
  expected opening date back to some time in late 3069.
  In the meantime, several smaller mercenary training pro-
  grams that have cropped up over the decades remain available
  for professional soldiers eager to acquire additional training or
  expand their knowledge of the trade. Open to anyone able to put
  down the entry fees, which vary from as little as 100 C-bills per
  “semester-hour” of classes to as high as 3,000 C-bills or more for
  a complete “basic mercenary skills” program, these programs
  are colloquially referred to as “community colleges for mercenar-
  ies”. Many of them operate on a far smaller budget than a major
  institution and are often staffed by retirees or veterans of down-
  and-out mercenary commands. Some even offer “internships”
  within a small mercenary force, though these are often thinly-
  veiled recruitment programs sponsored by the mercenary force
  itself as a way of making potential candidates pay for their own
  admission and training. Still, with programs that specialize in
  
  14
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  everything from small arms and hand-to-hand combat training, to business management and accounting, to basic and intermediate com-
  bat tactics and interstellar strategy, mercenaries interested in expanding or honing their skills can find plenty of opportunities to do so
  on Galatea.
  The Proving Grounds
  Much like the proving grounds on Outreach, there exist in many parts of Galatea hundreds of isolated regions where sanctioned
  battles may be fought for the purposes of training and demonstrating a mercenary force’s battlefield prowess. Some of these proving
  grounds are much like the arenas on Solaris VII, with spectators permitted or even encouraged to watch as BattleMech and vehicular
  forces drawn from various mercenary commands stage live-fire mock battles against one another.
  To keep such matches civil, many proving grounds operators offer to fit opposing forces with combat governors, enabling them to
  demonstrate their prowess using powered-down weapons and marker munitions rather than lethal force. However, many who use these
  fields do not use such controls, resulting in battle damage and possible injury or even death. As a final control in such cases, most
  groundskeepers tend to retain a force of “referee” troops, whose role is to keep collateral damage to a minimum.
  Betting on these events, while not encouraged, often occurs in these “blood pits”, but the warriors are not trained gladiators. Indeed,
  knowing that these arenas draw talent scouts and potential employers from across the Inner Sphere, the warriors who fight in these prov-
  ing grounds do so in the hope that they can win a worthy contract, rather than fame or fortune.
  In the recent rioting that seized Galatea during the FedCom Civil War, several proving grounds became designated “free-fire” zones
  where warriors in the various ’Mech gangs and other rogue mercenaries clashed in free-for-all matches, often to the death. Lacking any
  of the referee controls of standard proving grounds exercises, combatants fought without regard for collateral damage, their fights rag-
  ing and spilling into nearby towns despite the presence of civilians. Many of these zones are still closed to visiting mercenaries today
  and outstanding warrants for the arrest of several warriors known to have fought in them remain active. With most rewards for these rene-
  gade mercenaries offered upon retrieval of the accused “dead or alive”, the government of Galatea hopes to avoid the recurrence of such
  wasteful tragedy.
  WESTERHAND: POOR MAN’S SOLARIS
  Hotter and drier than the Game World itself, with nowhere near the universal renown, Westerhand has nonetheless remained a
  haven for various mercenary commands despite an increasingly competitive hiring market. Located in the Sian Commonality of the
  Capellan Confederation, just one jump shy of the Free Worlds League’s Duchy of Andurien, this world first came into use as a merce-
  nary recruitment center during the reign of Chancellor Maximilian Liao, though the original intent was not aimed at the mercenary pro-
  fession at all, but rather at stimulating an entertainment industry similar to the Solaris Games.
  The Westerhand Games
  To draw in even more foreign monies, Chancellor Liao established both
  Westerhand and New Hessen as the host worlds for quarterly BattleMech
  Games, opening these worlds to travelers from all over the Inner Sphere while
  also using them as an evaluation tool by encouraging CCAF troops to take part
  in these competitions. Unfortunately, poor marketing, the perception of these
  Games as a political tool, and the upheavals within the Confederation over the
  past few decades sapped the full potential of both worlds. First, New Hessen—
  along with the rest of the Tikonov Commonality—was lost to the Federated Suns
  during the Fourth Succession War, bringing an abrupt end to its Quarterly
  Games.Then, in the following years, Chancellor Liao’s breakdown and the ascen-
  sion of his brutal daughter, Romano, to the throne, marked the end of full House
  support of the Games, as the Confederation leadership now focused more on
  rebuilding their shattered military strength and morale than on investing in enter-
  tainments intended for foreigners, regardless of the potential monetary influx.
  The Westerhand Games—and the world itself—languished, a situation that
  only grew worse when the Andurien-Canopian invasion prompted a veritable exo-
  dus of business leaders and merchants that sent the planet spiraling into an economic depression. Though ’Mech Games were still
  fought in the arenas outside the planetary capital of Victory City, the warriors who fought them represented desperate hopefuls who could
  not make it on Solaris VII, or the mercenaries who could not reach Outreach or Galatea, battling for what fame and recognition they could
  find before half-empty stadium stands.
  Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao’s ascent proved to be Westerhand’s second chance. Seeing potential revenue and an outlet to improve
  Marik-Liao relations, he personally invested in an economic stimulus package to revive the Games and draw merchants back to the plan-
  FACT SHEET: WESTERHAND
  Noble Ruler: Duke Quon Thuc
  Star Type (Recharge Time): G3V (184 hours)
  Position in System: 2nd
  Time to Jump Point: 8.53 days
  Number of Satellites: 3 (Delsia, Ralston, Vannora)
  Surface Gravity: 0.93
  Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable)
  Equatorial Temperature: 49° C (Tropical) 
  Surface Water: 66 percent
  Recharging Station: Nadir
  HPG Class Type: B
  Highest Native Life: Mammals
  Population: 1,031,000,000
  Socio-Industrial Levels: C-D-C-D-C 
  
  sparsely inhabited Garringer continent. Waged every three
  months, these Games have already drawn enough interest local-
  ly that “mid-season” entertainments—beyond the state-spon-
  sored exercises also opened to spectators—have begun, akin to
  the “filler matches” between Solaris tournament seasons.
  Victory City
  Capital city and principal spaceport of Westerhand, Victory
  City is a sprawling metropolis of two million people that features
  an eclectic mix of Chinese, English, and Russian cultural influ-
  ences. Though no less run-down than Solaris City, the fact that
  the sun shines much more—and more brightly—in the
  Westerhand sky makes the capital appear far less gloomy by
  comparison. Located on the west coast of the planet’s massive
  Keystone continent, the city provides a breathtaking view of
  Keystone Bay and a seaport that supports both commercial and
  military traffic across the nearby Northern Ocean.
  Unlike Solaris VII’s Solaris City, which was built around the
  Games and thus incorporates arenas for each Great House with-
  in its borders, all six of Victory City’s arenas actually lie beyond
  the limits of the city proper. ’Mechs and other combat units
  15
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  et. Encouraging all Capellans to travel to a world where select
  CCAF units and mercenaries could demonstrate their prowess in
  various martial exercises for their entertainment, Sun-Tzu further
  instilled a sense of national pride, and the decision to permit reg-
  ular FWLM troops to do the same helped to enhance the spirit of
  goodwill he had hoped to foster with the Free Worlds League.
  At the same time, the Chancellor also commissioned a
  revised version of the Quarterly Games focused entirely on mer-
  cenary or private troops. These Games encouraged non-CCAF
  warriors to come and compete not just for fame and fortune, but
  also  for possible employment within either the Capellan armed
  forces or any of the mercenary commands in its employ. A gov-
  ernment bonus to any mercenary command taking on a hopeful
  warrior who qualified in the arenas all but guaranteed the pres-
  ence of mercenary talent scouts on Westerhand, a fact that in
  turn drew more promising hopefuls to this world.
  Today, the Quarterly Games are a series of tournaments
  that test MechWarriors, aerospace fighter pilots, vehicle crews,
  and even infantry warriors in challenges that range from classic
  gladiatorial combat to relay races and even elaborate lance-on-
  lance “capture the flag” exercises in the open fields of the
  
  16
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  expected to do battle in these venues are delivered on specialized flatbed vehicles, rather than traversing several kilometers of under-
  ground tunnels, and enter the field through hangar bays that run beneath the spectator stands. The action itself is monitored on a series
  of closed-circuit holocameras and video projection screens, as well as by spectators seated on opposite sides of each arena who are
  protected from incidental fire by reinforced ferroglass barriers as thick as ten centimeters. All six arenas feature carefully cultivated ter-
  rain that can host anything from several platoons of infantry troopers to a lance-on-lance engagement, simulating environments as
  diverse as jungle, desert, badlands, and even a mock urban setting.
  Also unlike Solaris City, Victory City is distinctly Capellan in its nature, its inhabitants almost entirely born and raised under the rule
  of House Liao. Though much more accepting of outsiders than the typical Capellan, people hailing from realms such as the Federated
  Suns or the Free Worlds League may receive a frosty welcome or even overt hostility from the locals. Mercenaries, on the other hand,
  are the bread and butter for most Victory City merchants and businessmen, and visitors to Westerhand who clearly hail from a merce-
  nary command may receive preferential treatment in many shops and restaurants to encourage repeat visits.
  THE MERCENARY TRADE ON WESTERHAND
  In the heart of Victory City’s business district is the Westerhand Hiring Hall, a six-story structure of mirrored glass, steel, and mar-
  ble whose ultra-modern architecture sets it apart from the rest of the business district. Recently renovated since Chancellor Liao took
  renewed interest in this world, the building is based on the original Mercenary’s Guild Hall, which stood during the reign of Chancellor
  Maximillian Liao (when it was managed largely by ComStar’s Mercenary Review Board).
  In addition to its new façade, the hall features offices, meeting rooms, and communications facilities for employers and mercenary
  negotiators alike, as well as access to ’Mech and vehicle simulators. Technically, the offices and conference rooms are secure, allowing
  representatives from foreign powers to barter for the services of mercenary warriors as well as Capellan recruiters, but many merce-
  naries and foreign employers still take precautions when discussing the particulars of missions and contract terms, for fear of the remote
  possibility that the Maskirovka might be listening.
  Presently, aside from the Games and the Hiring Hall, Westerhand does not feature training facilities, but a number of local and off-
  world agencies have expressed an interest in establishing either specialized, bare-bones martial colleges or even a full-scale military
  university catering to the mercenary profession. Furthermore, rumors have begun to circulate that the Westerhand Hiring Hall may seek
  MRBC sanction in order to improve its standing as a place for professional soldiers to do business. Though nothing concrete has come
  of either speculation, the placement of training centers or even a local MRBC office would certainly put Westerhand on mercenary maps
  for a long time to come.
  NORTHWIND: OFF THE BEATEN PATH
  Northwind, like Outreach and Arc-Royal, is a world whose mercenary trade is tied to the simple fact that it is home to one of the
  Inner Sphere’s most prominent mercenary commands: the Northwind Highlanders. A world of striking beauty, its people proud descen-
  dants from Terra’s Scottish highlands, Northwind had long been contested by the Capellan Confederation and the Federated Suns, and
  changed hands several times throughout the Succession Wars. With the formation of the Chaos March, however, Northwind and its peo-
  ple finally achieved their long-cherished dream of full independence in 3057. Yet even as this world is surrounded by lawlessness, with
  the Word of Blake closing in on one flank, the Combine on another, and the Federated Suns on a third, professional soldiers are still
  drawn here, as they are to Arc-Royal and Outreach, to learn the ropes of the trade
  alongside proven masters of the field.
  Northwind
  A temperate, foggy world founded during the earlier years of space exploration by
  Scottish, Irish, and Welsh settlers, Northwind is a world of pastoral beauty, its tem-
  perate zones covered in postcard-worthy landscapes of rolling hills of vibrant green
  grass and broad expanses of fog-enshrouded moors. Clan Stuart, the most promi-
  nent group among the initial colonists, chose to settle Northwind for its resemblance
  to the ancient lands of their native Scotland and also brought with them a small
  parade company descended from ancient Scotland’s military forces.Their new home
  would offer both the Stuarts and their troops the chance to reclaim the glory lost to
  the ages, and Northwind was created in the image of these founders as a kind of
  New Scotland.The parade company, eventually, would become the foundation for the
  famed Northwind Highlanders later on, after the Northwind Elders elected to form
  their own standing army in 2362.
  FACT SHEET: NORTHWIND
  Political Ruler: Clan Elders
  Star Type (Recharge Time): G2IV (183 hours)
  Position in System: 2nd
  Time to Jump Point: 11.89 days
  Number of Satellites: 2 (Dublin and Glasgow)
  Surface Gravity: 1.01
  Atm. Pressure: Thin (Breathable)
  Equatorial Temperature: 32° C (Mild-Temperate) 
  Surface Water: 75 percent
  Recharging Station: Zenith, Nadir
  HPG Class Type: B
  Highest Native Life: Reptiles
  Population: 978,350,000
  Socio-Industrial Levels: B-A-A-B-A 
  
  There are three major landmasses on Northwind. The
  largest, New Lanark, is home to the planetary capital of Tara, the
  Highlanders’ command center, a Star League-era fortification
  simply called “the Castle”, and the Northwind Military
  Academy—all locales standing within five kilometers of the
  mighty Tilman River. Northwind’s second major landmass,
  Kearny, is home to the planet’s second largest city, an ancient
  industrial mining city also named Kearny. Farther east of Kearny
  lies Halidon, the small island continent that is Northwind’s
  remaining major landmass, surrounded by the Falkirk Sea and
  flanked by the Argyle Isles. With its sparse farming communities
  and scattered cities, Halidon is as developed as the rest of
  Northwind, its claims to fame including the secondary spaceport
  of Halifax City and a recently-opened aerospace annex of the
  Northwind Military Academy.
  Tara
  Located on the New Lanark continent within shouting dis-
  tance of the Northwind Military Academy is the city of Tara (for-
  merly Cromarty City), capital of Northwind. Home to just over two
  million people, Tara is not quite the sprawling metropolis that
  Solaris City or Harlech might be, but it is nevertheless the
  bustling heart of this world. The city hosts not only to several
  local company headquarters and the planetary administration,
  but also the Northwind Highlanders’ military command head-
  quarters, a modern complex known simply as “the Fort” where
  commanders of one of the Inner Sphere’s most famous merce-
  nary forces live and work for the security of their homelands.
  Yet for all the trappings of modern times, one can see the
  heavy influence of classical Scottish and Irish culture in the city
  of Tara. Cobblestone streets here are common, as are quaint
  pubs, inns, and taverns that look as though they had been lifted
  straight out of the British Isles of pre-spaceflight history.
  Meanwhile, the sight of men and women dressed in kilts and
  sashes of colorful tartan patterns is no more uncommon here
  than the wail of bagpipes or the thick brogue of a distinctly
  Scottish accent.
  Only the roar of DropShips landing at or departing from the
  local Kohler Spaceport, or the hum of a passing hovercar, shat-
  ters the illusion of simpler times presented by these venerable
  districts, but not enough to make one forget that Tara is a city of
  great history. Indeed, the tranquil beauty of Peace Park, one of
  the oldest parks in the Inner Sphere—having been dedicated in
  2657 by the First Lord of the Star League himself—boasts a col-
  lection of monuments and dedication plaques that compel even
  the casual visitor to marvel at how much times have changed,
  while the people of Northwind have kept their past alive.
  THE MERCENARY TRADE ON
  NORTHWIND
  Though a hub for the mercenary trade, Northwind boasts no
  official hiring halls or training programs open to the general pub-
  lic. Nevertheless, mercenary commanders seeking new recruits
  and employer negotiators seeking a new mercenary force to hire
  have increased on Northwind over recent years. Some of these
  newcomers appear drawn to the home of the Highlanders as
  because it is a stable world in the shattered Chaos March.
  Others have come filled with dreams of joining the prestigious
  command, or studying in their academies, only to be turned
  away. Employer representatives often come with the intent to hire
  the Highlanders themselves, but find someone else on hand
  eager to pick up the job when the Highlanders’ Assembly of
  Warriors turns them away.
  To meet this rising demand, numerous brokerage houses
  have sprung up, agencies eager to link a hopeful academy grad-
  uate or promising warrior candidate up with a larger mercenary
  command or an interested employer. Though many of these bro-
  kerages are fly-by-night operations, several, such as FirePower,
  Incorporated, have already made names for themselves for their
  discretion and their ability to locate the best possible recruits on
  Northwind—outside of the Highlanders themselves, that is.
  Northwind Military Academy (NMA)
  One of the oldest military academies in the Inner Sphere,
  the Northwind Military Academy is also one of the most restric-
  tive, with membership open only to Northwind residents or those
  off-worlders who can prove they have Highlander lineage.
  Though an influx of mercenaries, eager to learn the trade from
  such accomplished masters, is placing increased pressure to
  open this academy to others, the Clan Elders of Northwind have
  shown no signs of budging on their ancient traditions.
  With the tax base of just a single world behind it and
  removed from Great House or Clan support, the NMA does not
  possess the same massive funding as the Sun Zhang Academy
  or the NAIS, nor does it offer the same top-notch tech base as
  the Outreach Mercenary Training Command or even the Arc-
  Royal Combat Training Program. Nevertheless, in its seven-cen-
  tury history, this academy has consistently turned out warrior
  candidates of the highest caliber in all fields of military specialty,
  from infantry, vehicular, and BattleMech warfare to DropShip and
  JumpShip command and technical support services. The battle-
  armored infantry program is the newest addition to the NMA’s
  curricula, having been initiated soon after the completion of
  Operation Bulldog and the ending of the Clan war.
  Since it was first established in 2365, the NMA’s mandate
  has been to provide quality warriors to serve in the Northwind
  Highlanders regiments; that has not always been the case how-
  ever,  such as during the Succession Wars when the planet
  found itself under a different banner than its regiments. However,
  high enrollment and a low dropout rate—despite the strict
  entrance and graduation requirements—occasionally means that
  more cadets graduate than are needed to fill the ranks of
  Highlander forces, and prompts a few to seek employment in
  other commands. Those who emigrate generally carry with them
  the same proud Highlanders traditions and sense of history as
  those who serve in the regiments themselves, along with a well-
  rounded military education on par with some of the best acade-
  mies in the Inner Sphere.
  17
  THE MERCENARY’S ATLAS
  
  The following information provides another sampling from
  the MRBC’s Mercenary Force Briefs Database, highlighting
  more than thirty mercenary commands not included in the origi-
  nal Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised. Once more, these rep-
  resent just a few of the hundreds—thousands, even—of merce-
  nary forces at large throughout the Inner Sphere and nearby
  Periphery, and while many routinely do business through the
  MRBC’s Outreach and Galatea offices, not all of them are regis-
  tered with the Commission. The inclusion of such a broad range
  of commands is intended to provide prospective employers with
  a better understanding of the different types of mercenary troops
  available today and to demonstrate the MRBC’s commitment to
  fair and unbiased representation for all mercenaries everywhere.
  The profiles of several noteworthy groups herein have been
  expanded to include particularly interesting sections of their his-
  tories, tactics, and traditions, and all listings include the
  Dragoons Rating, a condensed history, the command’s available
  forces and composition, and highlights of their most exceptional
  officers, tactics, and strategies. A detailed explanation of the
  Dragoons Rating system appears in the overview of the
  Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission in the Employment
  and Contracts section, p. 19, of Field Manual: Mercenaries,
  Revised.
  Each type of mercenary force within a command is identified
  by one of the following unique symbols:
  The force descriptions include the force’s size, standard
  quality rating, and general loyalty/reliability ratings. Force size
  ranges from a single lance to an expanded regiment. Most follow
  standard Inner Sphere organizational schemes, except where
  noted in the individual brief.
  The standard quality rating represents an estimation of a
  force’s overall skill and combat experience, averaged over
  assignments with several employers or over several years with a
  single employer. In general, commands with a higher quality rat-
  ing consistently perform better than those with lower ratings,
  regardless of other factors. The standard ratings, used through-
  out the Inner Sphere and Periphery, are Green, Regular, Veteran,
  and Elite. A Green rating typically identifies a force largely made
  up of unblooded or inexperienced troops, but might also apply to
  more seasoned soldiers if the command is untested in battle.
  Regular forces are comprised of troops with average ability—sol-
  diers with at least some proven combat experience who have
  worked together for some time. Veteran commands have several
  years of active combat experience and are usually tapped for
  more vital (and dangerous) missions. As a rule, regular House
  warriors rarely show mercenaries any professional courtesy until
  a merc command reaches Veteran status. Elite forces are rare,
  comprised of some of the Inner Sphere’s most experienced and
  highly sought-after mercenaries. Elite mercenary commands—
  the type of forces featured in holoadventures—are famous for
  their exploits and usually receive the respect they deserve.
  A mercenary command’s current employer typically assigns
  its loyalty rating as Questionable, Reliable or Fanatical.
  Questionable mercenaries are those with a reputation for breaking
  contracts or skirting the legal edges of contract violation, though
  newly formed mercenary forces without any track record may also
  receive this tag. Most employers recognize this distinction and give
  a new command the benefit of the doubt. Reliable commands are
  those that continue to uphold their contracts in the face of adversi-
  ty, such as delinquent pay or unfair treatment, or forces that have
  remained loyal to a particular employer over many years. A
  Fanatical rating for a mercenary command does not mean blind
  loyalty to an employer in the sense of a House command willing to
  rush to its death in service to its government. Instead, a Fanatical
  mercenary force simply strives to uphold its end of a contract
  regardless of unfair terms, lack of support, or even treachery. It
  generally takes a cataclysmic event, such as outright betrayal, to
  push such a mercenary command to break a contract.
  AEROSPACE
  'MECH
  ARMOR
  INFANTRY
  SPECIAL
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  18
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  
  19
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  
  20
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  SUPPORT
  The Thorns have a Union-class DropShip, the Bristol, and
  they have modified its fighter bays to hold BattleMechs and extra
  cargo to accommodate the extra pilots. The Black Thorns meet
  roughly seventy-five percent of the ship’s technical support
  requirements.
  The Black Thorns
  Company/Veteran/Reliable
  CO/Captain Jeremiah Rose
  XO/ Lieutenant Ajax
  Rose has reconfigured the over-strength mercenary
  company to a more Clan-like structure, with five ’Mechs in each
  of the three lances. Rose’s ultimate goal is to have three Level II
  units. Roughly half of the company is equipped with Clan ’Mechs
  and weapons.
  THE BLACK THORNS: 
  REBUILDING THE BURNT BRIDGES
  A decade after the unit’s creation in 3054, Black Thorns Commander Jeremiah Rose
  walks a fine line between his personal desire to fight the Clans and an urge to reconcile with
  his family. Though alienated from his father and most of his relatives, Rose vows to heal the
  wounds one day.
  At the outbreak of the Ghost Bear War, the DCMS became desperate for any sort of victo-
  ry to boost sagging morale. Eager to provide just such a boost, the Black Thorns jumped into
  Jerzersko and proceeded to wage a guerilla war campaign over a period of several months.
  After fending off several raids on supply depots, the Twenty-Ninth PGC wised up and set a trap, hiding
  a Trinary of ’Mechs inside an empty depot and leaking out intelligence that forces were spread thin and the
  depot was lightly defended. Rianna, Jeremiah’s sister, led half the unit to the site, and when the ambush was
  sprung an unlucky shot left her critically wounded. Jeremiah led an attempt to extract her, but the Ghost Bears
  would not relent. It was not until a recent recruit, Sgt. Dan Jackson, made a successful personal challenge to the
  Ghost Bear commander for safe passage out of the system with all their people that the Thorns, including Rianna,
  returned to friendly territory. Rianna’s wounds were permanent, and she now lives without use of any limbs, refus-
  ing myomer replacements.
  News of the incident caused elderly Cornelieus Rose to suffer a stroke, which he survived. It appears to have affected his out-
  look and personality, as he has now taken an apologetic and conciliatory tone toward Jeremiah as well as actively campaigning for the
  right of the Thorns to recruit from Northwind. In addition to his personal lobbying, the elder Rose has gained a strong ally in Colonel
  Loren Jaffray of the Northwind Hussars.
  After several heated debates, Northwind’s Assembly of Warriors has yet to decide if they should begin to allow the Black Thorns to
  recruit from their numbers. Though pleased that the assembly has warmed to him to the point that they are no longer immediately reject-
  ing his requests. Jeremiah remains bitter that it took a crippling injury to his sole living sibling to get this far.
  The Black Thorns use a flat gray paint scheme. Their insignia is a single black rose in bloom.
  Dragoons Rating: A
  OFFICERS
  After the incident involving his sister, Jeremiah Rose lost most of his sense of humor and became more demanding on his unit. His
  changed demeanor has caused friction between him and his wife, who has been one of the steadiest influences in Jeremiah’s often-
  rocky familial relationships. So far, their conflcts have been little more than shouting matches, but some of Jeremiah’s closest advisors
  worry that the strain on his marriage seems to be increasing.
  Lieutenant Dan Jackson was originally a Ghost Bear MechWarrior captured at Tukkayid and instead of returning to the Clans when
  prisoners were exhanged, he chose to stay and serve as a member of the Com Guards. When the FedCom Civil War broke out,
  Jackson’s commander resigned, disgusted with ComStar’s inability to stay out of the fighting. Jackson and several of his fellow soldiers
  followed his lead and eventually made their way to the Black Thorns. After losing his legs during his time with the Ghost Bears and receiv-
  ing myomer replacements, Jackson has been a natural source of advice and comfort for Rianna. They have a budding relationship, and
  Jeremiah, whose desire to alleviate Rianna’s pain has overcome his anti-Clan bias, seems to have given them his blessing.
  TACTICS
  The Black Thorns are a large company, and they like to use their extra numbers to set up ambushes. While their Battle Lance hides,
  the other two augmented Lances move out, giving their opponent the impression they are facing an under-strength company.The Thorns
  regularly give ground in a fight, wearing their pursuers down, only to surprise them with another five heavy and assault ’Mechs.
  
  abilities have never been tested in the field.The Blackswords have
  started receiving Eisensturm OmniFighters to replace their losses.
  Blackstone Guard
  Battalion/Regular/Reliable
  Armor Cmdr: Major Wilfred Sweeny
  Like the rest of the unit, the Blackstone Guard has been
  anxiously awaiting a return to action as they upgrade their equip-
  ment. Major Sweeny replaces the retired Major Kelly, and he
  seems to have inspired fervor in his men that his predecessor
  often could not rouse. Curiously, a lance of Manteuffel Attack
  Tanks has shown up in the unit.
  Black Flag
  Battalion/Green/Reliable
  Infantry Cmdr: Major Stephanie Kwolek 
  The unit has undergone major changes as the Highlanders
  have started fielding battle armor units, and Major Kwolek was
  brought in to facilitate the transition. The third company is still
  recon but the first is transitioning from motorized to battle armor.
  Blackstone Highlanders
  Reinforced Battalion/Regular/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Scott Blackstone
  As the unit rebuilds, they continue to maintain their
  four company/four lance structure on paper but have
  been working with six Stars of ’Mechs for the time being. The
  colonel is still getting used to the Turkina he brought back from
  Twycross. The ’Mech pilots of the Highlanders are polar
  extremes, with the survivors of the Falcon raids being seasoned
  veterans while the new recruits are quite green. Colonel
  Blackstone is working hard to retain unit cohesiveness.
  Blackswords
  Wing/Veteran/Reliable
  Wing Cmdr: Major Herbert Blade
  The Blackswords have earned their worth in the past year,
  having been the vanguard that makes raids by the ground forces
  possible. The unit has gained greatly in experience but recently
  lost their commander, Major Stevens. His replacement, Major
  Herbert Blade, is known as a competent pilot, but his leadership
  21
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  BLACKSTONE HIGHLANDERS: 
  RAISING THE BOTTOM LINE
  Generally serving the corporate interests of Blackstone Industries, many thought it was odd that
  the company would send their unit out to raid Jade Falcon planets during the FedCom civil war. Seen
  as an expensive show of patriotism, the unit managed to raid several planets, throwing the Falcons into
  fits, and, in a particularly bold move, the Highlanders attacked Twycross. As the Falcons slowly made
  their way through the Plain of Curtains, using their battle armor to avoid traps, a split force of Highlanders
  hit some storage depots near the Trellshire manufacturing facilities. A screening action allowed the unit
  to make off with a large amount of parts and supplies, though at a cost of over half the unit’s ’Mechs.
  Upon returning to Inarcs, the ultimate goal of the Highlander’s actions became clear as the unit
  handed over much of the booty to Blackstone Industries for analysis. The Highlanders were able to
  keep enough salvage to start rebuilding the unit, while Blackstone Industries promised to supply the
  rest, with almost a third of the unit slated to be OmniMechs. While the company looks for greater prof-
  it, the Highlanders are resigned to licking their wounds for a time.They long to return to the fray, though, and
  are patiently waiting to return to full strength.
  Blackstone Highlander ’Mechs and armor use a gray and black marbled color scheme, while Blackstone aerospace
  fighters use a blue and white scheme and infantry employ appropriate camouflage in a marbleized style. Unit insignia consists of a red
  shield under a black gauntlet on ’Mechs and aerospace fighters. Armor and infantry units add a pair of black halberds and a black flag,
  respectively, to their red shield logos.
  Dragoons Rating: B
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Blackstone is currently breaking in a new set of commanders for his units as the Highlanders rebuild, due to the retirement,
  reassignment, and death of many of his former officers.Thanks to their leader’s honorable code of conduct, the Highlanders often receive
  a grudging respect from the Falcons during their raids, despite their deception on Twycross.
  TACTICS
  Training for almost any scenario in every terrain has helped the Highlanders overcome specialized advantages of their opponents.
  The unit has recently begun to train in Clan fighting tactics, causing many to speculate that another Clan assault lies in the Highlander’s
  near future. While such an assault is possible, the unit is rarely predictable.
  SUPPORT
  Due to their relationship with Blackstone Industries, the unit has access to Blackstone JumpShips from time to time and has enough
  DropShips to transport the unit. These are often leased out when the unit is stationed on Inarcs. The Highlanders can handle about sev-
  enty percent of their support needs when in the field, but as much help as they need when on Inarcs.
  
  22
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  BRION’S LEGION: 
  REFINED AND UNPREDICTABLE
  As was predicted eight years ago, Brion’s Legion has continued to improve the quality
  of both their personnel and their forces. Much of this is due to Colonel Octavius Brion’s
  efforts to build one of the better mercenary commands in the Inner Sphere.
  Things were not always so good. After the Fourth Succession War, Brion’s Legion
  was a shattered wreck. Understrength, in debt, and defeated, the force fled to ComStar’s
  employment, and there found what they most needed: breathing room and access to
  training. Thirty years and a new generation of warriors later, Brion’s Legion left
  ComStar’s employ, entering a different universe than they left.
  With his first contract for the government of Pleione, Brion got a bitter taste of life out-
  side ComStar—and a hard lesson in the fine arts of contract negotiation. Hired to defend
  the then-independent Chaos March world from an anticipated counterattack by FedCom
  forces, Brion, fresh from thirty years of training under ComStar, gave away command rights to
  the local militia commander. When the Twelfth Vegan Rangers arrived later on, the Legion inter-
  cepted their  landing force and bloodied the Rangers in open-field combat. However, a timid local com-
  mand and a lack of in-unit support structure cost the Legion dearly, preventing them from capitalizing on their gains.
  In late 3058, Brion’s Legion accepted a contract for the Lyran Alliance and reported to Tomans to guard against Clan attack, where
  they remained until the Jade Falcon Incursion of 3064. Rushed to the front in a hurry, Brion’s Legion fought a chaotic and desperate bat-
  tle on Rasalgethi, supporting elements of the Kellenfold PTM and Snord’s Irregulars in some of the Legion’s heaviest fighting since the
  Fourth Succession War. The battle forced Brion’s Legion to abandon its mass-formation, long-range fighting style in favor of more flexi-
  ble tactics. Lures, traps, ambushes, and battlefield deception tactics became part-and-parcel of Colonel Brion’s bag of tricks, including
  one incident in which a company of Brion’s Legion divided into a pair of six-’Mech demi-companies, with half luring a Star of Falcon
  ’Mechs off so that the other half could savage the Falcons from the rear.
  As of this writing, the Legion has accepted another contract from the new Lyran Archon, which promises to keep the unit active and
  in fighting trim well into the next decade.
  COMMAND
  Though Colonel Octavius Brion is aging, his command style remains vigorous and flexible. He has never overcome his naïvete in
  matters of contract negotiation, but on the battlefield his adaptability to changing conditions enables him to see the Legion through sit-
  uations that would overwhelm a more rigid commander.
  AVAILABLE FORCES AND ORGANIZATION
  Brion’s Legion’s total force includes two regiments of BattleMechs and two battalions of non-BattleMech units. Equipped with some
  of the best technology available and tutored by ComStar for decades, the Legion is a proven, effective fighting force, capable of carry-
  ing out a large number of varied operations, from open-field engagements to hit-and-fade small-unit actions.
  SUPPORT
  Brion’s Legion has full transportation assets for their forces and full technical and administrative support capability.
  COLORS AND INSIGNIA
  Brion’s Legion uses a green-on-green camouflage scheme (though other colors are employed based on environmental/mission
  needs). Their overall symbol is a bear’s paw, painted on the left-rear shoulder of ’Mechs and the turrets or sides of vehicles, or on the
  left-hand tailfin of aerospace and VTOL craft. Each sub-regiment (and their supporting units) also has an officially designated insignia,
  along with an unofficial unit-chosen insignia.
  
  First Regiment
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Octavius Brion
  XO: Major Richard Merriwether
  2nd Company: Captain Delilah Faulkner
  2nd Battalion: Maj. David Francis
  3rd Battalion: Maj. Wellum Owens
  Following their losses on Rasalgethi, the First Regiment is
  currently understrength, forcing an increased reliance on the
  less-damaged conventional assets assigned to their support.
  First Combat Support
  Battalion/Veteran/Fanatical
  CO: Maj. Carlos Waters
  Three companies led by survivors of the battles on
  Rasalgethi, the First Regiment Combat Support includes one
  battery of twelve Thumper artillery pieces, one armor company,
  and a company of motorized riflemen trained in anti-’Mech and
  commando operations.
  First Combat Air support
  Wing/Regular/Reliable
  CO: WO John Clyde
  First Regiment Combat Support includes an aerospace
  wing of twelve older fighters. These are mainly tasked with
  ground-support missions and DropShip escort duty. WO John
  Clyde’s F-90 Stingray features some non-standard upgrades,
  including a Clan-made PPC salvaged on Rasalgethi.
  23
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  BRION’S FIRST REGIMENT: DAVID’S LESSON
  The First Regiment, currently stationed on Crimond, has been almost paranoiac about readiness, the painful les-
  son they learned on David two generations ago still fresh in their minds. They lost their CO, Octavius’ predecessor, in
  that debacle, a loss the First continues to believe they could have prevented had they only been on their guard and fore-
  saw the trap the Twelfth Deneb Light Cavalry sprang on them. Since that time, the First has been fanatical about stay-
  ing sharp, keeping that way by conducting almost constant training cycles when in garrison.These training cycles include
  variant configurations, combined arms operations, and nighttime operations while “crippled”. The result is a growing bag
  of tricks the unit can use in combat.
  Their regimental symbol is the Roman Numeral “I” worn or painted on the right shoulder, and the First’s battle-
  standard is a pair of ’Mech legs on a horizontally split green and white field. The standard, like their training philos-
  ophy, is a reminder of their defeat on David.
  Dragoons Rating: B
  OFFICERS
  Major Richard “K.O.” Merriwether, Colonel Brion’s executive officer, is still considered to be one of the Legion’s best MechWarriors
  and is credited with dispatching two Clan OmniMechs without support during the fighting on Rasalgethi with his trademark single-salvo
  attacks.
  Major Carlos Waters, the new commanding officer of the First Regiment’s conventional arm, is a long-time veteran of the mercenary
  trade. A solid leader of men and a good—if uninspired—tactician, Waters makes the most of his mixed companies of infantry, tanks, and
  VTOLs to support the regiment’s depleted ’Mech forces.
  TACTICS
  The First still prefers open-field battles and long-ranged fire, but a new dimension has opened up for them in the last ten years. With
  the addition of conventional assets to their table of equipment, the First Regiment has recently conducted operations using non-stan-
  dard configurations, leading to an element of unpredictability that the unit can use to their advantage in battle.
  SUPPORT
  First Regiment has full technical staff and full transport capacity for all of their ’Mech forces.
  
  24
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Second Regiment
  Regiment/Regular/Reliable
  CO: Lt. Colonel Douglas Li
  XO: Maj. Shane Fletcher
  1st Batt.: Maj. Sheila Olson
  2nd Batt: Maj. Charles O’ Bannon
  3rd Batt: Maj. Alfred Goyle
  The Second Regiment uses flexible-engagement and meat-
  grinder tactics interchangeably. The First Battalion also heavily
  employs battlefield deception to hide their true numbers and
  locations before and during battle.
  Second Combat Support
  Battalion/Regular/Reliable
  CO: Major Daryl Porter
  Second Combat Support includes the aerospace wing, an
  artillery battery, and an infantry company trained in anti-
  BattleMech tactics. The infantry company contains an additional
  two platoons of combat engineers.
  SECOND REGIMENT: BRION’S LEGACY
  Currently stationed on Tomans, the Legion’s Second Regiment is intentionally somewhat larger than the
  First. The painful lack of air support during their battles against the Twelfth Vegan Rangers’ Delta Regiment
  proved a deadly lesson that led to the Second’s inclusion of a full wing of integral air support in their ranks.
  Artillery assets have been added as well, giving this regiment a wider range of engagement options and enabling
  this command to adapt to a wide array of possible scenarios.
  The official symbol of the Second is a Roman numeral “II” painted on the right shoulder of the unit’s ’Mechs,
  and on the right wing and fuselage of the regiment’s fighters. Vehicle turrets carry this symbol on the right front
  fender or turret. The unofficial symbol is a Roman short sword on a diagonally divided field of red and blue.
  Dragoons Rating: A
  OFFICERS
  Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Li is an inspiring and charismatic leader who learned the fine arts of tactics and ’Mech combat from his
  mentor, Robert Markham. Upon Markham’s retirement soon after the fighting on Rasalgethi, Li—his handpicked successor—immediately
  eased into the regimental command role.
  Major Sheila Olson has a reputation for risk-management and caution learned during her years leading a scout lance as pilot of a
  lightweight Mongoose. As a commander, she is detail-oriented and precise, and her “safety first” policies have netted her battalion a
  record low accident rate. This mindset extends to the battlefield, assuring her command fewer casualties both in and out of combat.
  W.O. Brett Hawks is new to Second Regiment and commands the small force of aerospace fighters rounding out Second
  Support. His troops sometimes mutter about his dark personality—he is a very moody man with a penchant for bleak predictions that
  never come true.
  TACTICS
  The Second Regiment has built up a store of effective techniques employing mass-fire strategies and fast-moving bombardments
  designed to crush an enemy force as quickly and savagely as possible. Like the First Regiment, the Second has been practicing non-
  standard unit organizations based on what they view as potential opponents or employers.
  When employing mixed forces or operating in smaller units, the Second Regiment uses various strategies of misdirection to lure
  enemy forces into a killing zone, including false radio traffic, ‘dummies’ made of sheet-metal and logs, and elaborate ECM networks. In
  fact, the infamous demi-company ambush on Rasalgethi was the brainstorm of Second Regiment’s Lieutenant Colonel Li and Major
  Olson, and was executed by the recon company of this Regiment’s Second Battalion.
  
  Brock’s Buccaneers
  Company/Regular/Questionable
  CO: Major Keith Brock
  XO: Captain Keith Bingham
  The Buccaneers are a skilled company of MechWarriors
  with a decent amount of advanced battlefield hardware. Half the
  unit’s BattleMechs possess upgraded technology.
  Brock’s Banshees
  Lance/Veteran/Questionable
  CO: Josephine Ekatarina
  The Banshees main duty is safeguarding the Cornflower
  Blue, but the paired Lucifers flew ground support for the Bordon
  raid as well.
  Brock’s Bruisers
  2 Squads/Veteran/Questionable
  CO: Helen Guillermo
  Tasked with the security of the Buccaneers’ small
  compound, the Bruisers rarely leave Galatea. The veteran jump
  troopers mostly originate on Alcor and are rumored to be expert
  commandoes. One squad is suspected to have taken part in the
  Bordon raid, distracting the local militia with sabotage actions.
  25
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  BROCK’S BUCCANEERS: 
  FIGHTING FOR A BETTER TAX BRACKET
  A newcomer to the mercenary business, Brock’s Buccaneers have to prove that they
  are not a flash in the pan. While their first mission—a successful raid against Bordon for
  a corporate employer—was described as “sheer brilliance” by the militia commander they
  successfully eluded, the Buccaneers have yet to escape the image of being a fledgling
  mercenary company that still may not endure past their first year. The unit has several
  assets in its favor, however, including its own Union-class DropShip and relatively high lev-
  els of technology and experience for a start-up command. However, their high debt and
  lack of full technical support could still lead to a quick ending to their story.
  The Buccaneers use a base color scheme of ivory with purple and brown highlights.
  The unit’s logo, a Jolly Roger with its skull faced right and adorned with a purple bandana, appears on company ’Mechs’ front left tor-
  sos, the left wings of fighters, and as a shoulder patch on infantry uniforms.
  Dragoons Rating: D
  OFFICERS
  A scion of Alcor’s ruling family, Major Keith Brock used every available asset to raise his Buccaneers, including old acquaintances,
  colleagues from his LAAF officer days, and new recruits gathered on Galatea. The core of his support staff hails directly from the Brock
  household. In Nagelring, Brock’s instructors considered him an “intuitive” tactician, and their assessment was confirmed on Bordon,
  where his creative use of terrain—despite having never seen the world before—allowed the Buccaneers to slip past militia patrols and
  strike at their objective with ease. Brock commands his Buccaneers from the cockpit of his Uziel-2S.
  Captain Keith Bingham is an unlikely second-in-command. Easily the worst MechWarrior in the Buccaneers and a mediocre tacti-
  cian at best, he is nonetheless well liked and respected by his comrades. Presumably an old friend of the major, the educated Bingham
  currently holds two PhD’s, one in physics, one in biology, and is a motivated and skilled photographer, a practice he calls “stalling life.”
  The Buccaneers’ ace MechWarrior, John Kendel, pilots the command’s sole heavy BattleMech and is considered a true horror on
  the battlefield—even by his comrades. This horror stems from the ruthless efficiency and brutality with which he dispatches his enemies
  and the fact that he accomplishes this with little understanding of his actual surroundings. Typically oblivious to his environment, Kendel
  mostly concerns himself with his pickle obsession and “Betsy”, his custom 'Mech. Kendel often acts as though he runs the mercenary
  command, and no one in the unit appears eager to correct him. In fact, Major Brock often includes Kendel in any negotiations, which
  only serves to amplify Kendel’s ego. His fierce presence often puts opposing negotiators off-balance, which increases when they face
  Kendel’s obvious lack of intelligence, his misconceptions, and some of his peculiar ideas.
  TACTICS
  The Buccaneers are too new to have demonstrated a signature tactic, but they seem to prefer deep raids.
  SUPPORT
  While having control over the Union-class Cornflower Blue, the Buccaneers lack full tech support and often hire temporary techni-
  cians upon returning from their missions. Most of their MechWarriors are capable of performing minor repairs in the field.
  
  26
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Canned Heat ’Mechs
  Battalion/Green/Reliable
  CO/Alpha Company: Major Bob Smith
  Beta Company: Captain Shella Handley
  Gamma Company: Captain Richard McCormick
  All three Canned Heat ’Mech companies were raised either
  from the salvage of destroyed raiders or by recruiting mercenary
  warriors from nearby Outreach and Fletcher. Despite their dis-
  parate origins, Major Smith has managed to organize these
  troops into a cohesive fighting force.
  Canned Heat Groundpounders
  Battalion/Green/Reliable
  XO: Armor Major Colin Steele
  The Groundpounders proudly view themselves as the true
  Canned Heat, and most of them hail from the various city-states
  on Saiph who first contributed to the formation of the command.
  CANNED HEAT: ORDER FROM CHAOS
  Saiph, like many other worlds abandoned in front of a combined Free Worlds-Capellan invasion, collapsed
  into near total anarchy after the Lyran secession of 3057. Almost immediately, its various ethnic groups and city-
  states asserted their claim over the planet’s population and resources, uniting only after Duke Balatine from
  nearby New Canton drove home the threat of an imminent Capellan invasion. Under Balatine’s direction, a pro-
  visional planetary government was formed, and Saiph became part of the Saiph Triumvirate, a three-world
  nation that never received full recognition in the interstellar community.The birth of the Triumvirate and the Saiph
  provisional government created Canned Heat, a government-contracted standing defense force culled from var-
  ious city-states and nominally operated as a mercenary command.
  Originally formed as a conventional armor battalion, Canned Heat gained its name when a reporter remarked
  on the command’s multi-ethnic makeup, which created so many internal conflicts that it often seemed that the
  force was a “barely contained fire, waiting to explode”. Despite these difficulties, Canned Heat played a key role
  in the fight between Saiph’s provisional government and various revolutionary groups all across the planet over
  the following years.
  Unfortunately, a flagging economy and the predations of rebels and pirates throughout the March eventually
  sapped away what little central authority the Triumvirate had. Though still proclaiming itself a unified realm, most
  denizens of the March see the Triumvirate as a state in name only. For Canned Heat, now upgraded with a battalion of BattleMechs, the
  collapse has led to a weakening of its already tenuous ties with the Saiph government, though its core warriors remain devoted to their
  homeland. With Saiph and its fellow Triumvirate worlds still under the threat of Capellan attack, the Word of Blake recently deployed
  troops there at the provisional government’s request. At this time, it is believed that the Word is currently courting Canned Heat for pos-
  sible off-world missions, though the state of such negotiations remains unclear as neither party has representation with the MRBC.
  Canned Heat’s colors are dull, gunmetal gray with flame highlights. Their new insignia, a flaming Atlas head, appears on the right
  front fender of all vehicles and on the right shoulders of all Canned Heat BattleMechs.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Major Bob Smith assumed command after the death of Major Jill Asweepay in battle against rebels from the Saiphan city-state of
  Morovia. Though many of the warriors from the original Canned Heat regarded Smith as an upstart, he managed to prevent an outright
  mutiny by naming Colin Steele, commander of the Canned Heat Groundpounders, as his second-in-command.
  TACTICS
  Despite spending more than a decade fighting alongside one another—often against impossible odds—Canned Heat still shows evi-
  dence of its internal divisions, especially between its BattleMech and armored battalions. For this reason, it is common to see both forces
  operating independently of each other, with the Groundpounders functioning as a defense or scout force, while the ’Mechs fight the open-
  field battles or urban attack missions.
  SUPPORT
  As they have never needed to relocate, Canned Heat has no DropShip or JumpShip assets and rely entirely on employer assets for
  transportation. The mercenaries have sufficient technical support for their armor battalion but can only cover half the technical needs of
  their BattleMechs at this time.
  
  Carson’s Renegades
  Battalion/Green/Questionable
  CO: Colonel Rupert Carson
  XO: Major Roger Penn
  The Renegades heavy ’Mech Battalion is rated at thirty per-
  cent advanced technology, although the majority only mount one
  or two advanced components.
  Carson’s Anarchists
  2 Battalions/Green/Questionable
  CO: Major Lon Duk Don
  Like the Renegades, the Anarchists deploy mostly heavy-
  class units.
  Carson’s Vandals
  Regiment/Green/Questionable
  CO: Force Commander Edwina Abramkov
  The Vandals increased considerably in size shortly after
  arriving on Caph. Locals claim to have recognized members of
  the First Caph Provincial Guard among the unit.
  27
  CARSON’S RENEGADES: 
  THE PPC IS MIGHTIER THAN THE PEN
  Carson’s Renegades sometimes seem to put extra effort into living up to their name. Its per-
  sonnel originate from all over known space, with diverse and usually ambiguous backgrounds; their
  equipment is an equally varied collection of hardware, ranging from broken-down to near mint con-
  dition, and from legitimately purchased items to equipment that came through black and gray
  markets. The worlds the Renegades protect receive them with reluctant unease and celebrate
  their departure (and the resulting drop in crime).
  Despite their sometimes-questionable reputation, the Renegades served House Marik well for
  over a century, applying their broad range of skills with the same consistency as their battlefield per-
  formance.While their off-field conduct is not always exemplary, the Renegades successfully market their combat consistency as an asset.
  A pivotal moment in the Renegades’ history was their decision to side with the Zion Province rebels during Operation Guererro.Their loss-
  es in this action were massive, and many believed their defeat spelled the end of this command.However, the unit reappeared in the Inner Sphere,
  battered but still fighting, when the Word of Blake deployed them on Caph along with elements of First Division as a relief force. They filled the
  power vacuum created after the Seventeenth Arcturan Guards left, quickly stabilizing Caph, which promptly applied for protectorate status.
  The heavy loses of Operation Guerrerro and subsequent actions forced a downgrade to the Renegades’ experience level. This has,
  in turn, caused the Renegades to become much more secretive about the makeup of the command. Rupert Carson has been outspo-
  ken on the disrespect he feels his unit is being shown, and he has responded by playing his cards closer to his vest. That, combined
  with Word of Blake’s tight operational security, means that the downgrade of their experience rating may be factually incorrect.
  In recent days, Carson’s Renegades have been patrolling the hills and flatlands of Steam. Additionally, they have sent out small
  expeditions to the irradiated continents of Brunnel and Caph Prime.
  The Renegades’ insignia is a bovine skull with a broken horn flanked by twin sabers. Machines are painted bleached bone on the right
  side, while the left is a base green with bleached bone camouflage patterns. The left legs of Mechs are adorned with barbed wire art.
  Dragoons Rating: D
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Rupert Carson maintains command with the same flair, arrogance and cynical disregard to any established institution as
  his predecessors. While not related to the Renegade’s founders, Carson is quite successful at attracting like-minded individuals, and loy-
  alty for him is high. Their commander’s lack of respect for authority, combined with the low moral standards of its members, gives the
  Renegades a Questionable loyalty rating.
  Major Roger Penn is arguably the most skilled officer within the Renegades’ ranks, being as deadly a strategist as MechWarrior
  in his ancient Marauder. Since he is also a consummate professional (compared to the unit’s standards), many expect him to eventu-
  ally depose Colonel Carson.
  Force Commander Edwina Abramkov commands the infantry contingent of the Renegades, including a platoon-sized unit of “nego-
  tiators” attached to the mercenary command by WoB. Nearly all communications with locals goes through these negotiators, and any
  Renegade detachment is always accompanied by at least one member of this platoon.
  TACTICS
  The Renegades rely heavily on the sheer brute force of their armor and heavy ’Mechs.This forces a preference for more open terrain to
  allow the unit to deploy the maximum amount of firepower on a single target.The rapid deployment of their infantry force lets them exert some
  control over where they meet their enemy.
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  
  28
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Clifton’s Rangers
  Battalion/Green/Reliable
  CO: Major Jack “Mad Dawg” Burton
  XO/Alpha CO: Captain Benjamin “Hawk” Hunter
  Bravo CO: Captain James “Grimlock” Grenon
  Charlie CO: Captain Roland “Ruger” Wilhelm
  After Keid, Major Burton gained enough BattleMechs to
  have his own command lance of assault ’Mechs. Alpha and
  Bravo companies are comprised of light and medium ’Mechs,
  each deploying a lance of upgraded BattleMechs. Charlie
  Company contains the Rangers heavy units including a lance of
  upgraded Lyran assault ’Mechs.
  CLIFTON’S RANGERS: PATHFINDERS 
  Grim determination and true grit are the hallmarks of the Rangers. Adversity, both internal
  and external, solidified the Rangers’ cohesion and character, a difficult task given the unit’s
  diverse makeup.
  When originally recruiting the command on Galatea in early 2990, Major Elias Clifton went
  after members from all walks of life. He believed that warriors from different realms would give
  his fledgling command an advantage in dealing with the various Houses they would serve. This
  diversity brought them a few ronin Draconis warriors that helped them survive an incident while
  serving House Kurita.
  In early 2995, the Rangers found themselves in a mess with the ISF concerning matters of
  honor and state. In deference to the honor of their Kuritian members, the Rangers returned their
  advance payment and extricated themselves from their relationship with the Combine.
  Following this, Major Clifton accepted a contract with the Free Worlds League, hoping to benefit
  from the change of venue, and, for a short period, the Rangers reaped the benefits they sought. During the later
  part of 2995, the Rangers participated in capturing the planet Berenson from House Liao as a reserve unit. During the campaign the
  defending Capellan unit—Vincent’s Commandos—fought a running battle against the Marik invaders. The Hussars called for the
  Rangers’ help when Commandos nearly decimated them. The unit’s Capellan members gave them the edge against the Commandos,
  who withdrew after the Rangers bloodied them badly and killed their commander.
  After Berenson, support became a serious issue for the Rangers. Consequently, the battalion lacked parts, supplies, and arma-
  ments, making them vulnerable. They worked hard to get themselves into fighting shape, though, and by 3038 they had recovered
  enough to accept a contract with the Confederation. During their assignment, they clashed with St. Ives forces, proving their mettle but
  losing their remaining aero support. Their actions, though, earned the admiration and respect of their employers, giving the Rangers the
  support they needed, bringing them to full operational status for the first time in decades.
  Late in 3065, the Rangers accepted a new contract with the Word of Blake to garrison the world of Keid. First, they had to eject the
  rogue Thirteenth Lyran Guards. With Hannibal’s Hermits in support, they approached the system through a pirate point provided by their
  employers, then landed in the forested mountains near the Lyran base. Making use of the terrain and their superior mobility, the two units
  outmaneuvered the heavier Guard units, ambushing them at every opportunity. After six months of combat, the Guards finally capitulat-
  ed when the Rangers captured their base. The Rangers used the spoils of battle to replace losses and upgrade nearly thirty percent of
  their ‘Mech force with Star League tech.
  The Rangers paint their machines a camouflage olive drab and forest green with black and brown highlights. The unit insignia is a
  white oak tree set on a black disc.
  Dragoons Rating: F
  OFFICERS
  The true strength of the Rangers is its officer corps. Each of them served in various House units before joining. Captains Hunter and
  Grenon are former Regulan Hussars’ Kukri officers who joined the Rangers before leaving House Marik. A former Thirteenth Lyran
  Guardsman, Captain Wilhelm joined when released from confinement after the Rangers captured the Guard’s base. Wilhelm had been
  condemned to die for sedition against the former Archon-Princess, Katherine Steiner-Davion.
  TACTICS
  The Rangers prefer ambush to mobile warfare, using hit-and-run tactics.They use lighter units to bait enemy ’Mechs into an ambush
  where their heavier units hammer them.
  SUPPORT
  The Rangers’ technicians provide forty-five percent of their required maintenance. They have an Overlord-class DropShip captured
  from the Thirteenth Lyran Guards.
  
  Crater Cobras (789th Striker Regiment)
  Regiment/Veteran/Questionable
  CO: Colonel Shelly Trudeau
  XO/Alpha Batt: Major Glenn Allen Kosnett
  Bravo Batt: Major Darian Ignakowski
  Charlie Batt: Major Tamara Stryker
  The regiment is seventy percent upgraded with advance
  tech and a few Kuritian-produced OmniMechs, including a com-
  pany worth of Clan ’Mechs captured during Operation Bulldog
  and the Ghost Bear war. Alpha Battalion is the assault force field-
  ing three mixed companies of medium, heavy and assault
  ’Mechs. Bravo and Charlie Battalions act as striker units deploy-
  ing medium and fast heavy ’Mechs. Attached to each battalion is
  an artillery battery left over from their past and a command lance
  made of Clan ‘Mechs. The regiment also deploys a command
  company, which includes a lance of Clan BattleMechs.
  29
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  CRATER COBRAS (789TH STRIKER): 
  FANGS OF FATE
  The Crater Cobras’ history begins just before the First Succession War when several shattered reg-
  ular army units joined to form Baldwin’s Cobras Heavy Brigade. During the war, they earned the moniker
  “Crater Makers” from their reliance on artillery.The name stuck, and after the war the unit officially adopt-
  ed the name Crater Cobras.
  When the Second Succession War erupted, the Cobras found themselves embroiled in its devasta-
  tion, barely surviving with the 789th Striker and Black Cobra regiments intact. In the wake of the
  war, the weakened command received employment from the Federated Suns, which stationed
  them on Deneb Kaitos. The unit made its presence known in numerous engagements against
  Kuritian regiments. One such unit—the Thirtieth Dieron Regulars—initiated a blood feud with
  the Cobras, which ended with the complete destruction of the Combine regiment.
  During the Fourth Succession War, both Cobra regiments participated in the assault on
  Sarna with the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers and the Second Screaming Eagles.They met resistance from
  all five regiments of McCarron’s Armored Cavalry, and both suffered grievous casualties in the engage-
  ment. After the war, the Cobras and the 789th Striker left the employ of the Federated Suns and instead served the Free Worlds League for
  twenty years.The command suffered two great losses toward the end of their term of service; first, Operation Guerrero sent them to Nanking,
  where they suffered horrible losses; and second, the Black Cobra regiment left the command when the LCCC refused to indemnify them,
  reforming as Burr’s Black Cobras. Outranged at their sister regiment’s treatment and the LCCC’s attitude toward mercenaries in general, the
  789th Strikers left League employment, accepting duty with the one House they had never served: the Draconis Combine.
  The 789th participated in Operation Bulldog, supporting the Second Dieron Regulars in sweeping from Jeanette to Albiero and
  destroying several Smoke Jaguar units in the process. During the Ghost Bear invasion of 3062, the 789th supported the Second An Ting
  Legion in the counter-attack against the Fifth Bear Regulars on Richmond, playing a vital role in forcing the Regulars from the planet.
  However, their actions came with a price—more than a third of their BattleMechs and all support units were lost. After the war, the 789th
  garrisoned on Wapakoneta, where a grateful DCMS helped them to rebuild.
  The 789th paint their ’Mech’s lower torso and legs a forest green camouflage pattern and upper torso, arms and head in a muted
  robin egg blue.The unit’s insignia, a coiled golden cobra poised to strike with eyes made of the Cameron Star, is located on the right torso.
  Dragoons Rating: A-
  OFFICERS
  Shelly Trudeau, a direct descendent of the original commander, Alexander Baldwin, inherited his leadership and tactical abilities.
  Majors Kosnett, Ignakowski, and Stryker are former lance-mates of Trudeau promoted by her to command. Though some of the Cobras
  grumble about favoritism, it was a shrewd move on her part. After years of working together, she has complete trust and confidence in
  each of them. So far, their success in working together has helped silence the critics.
  TACTICS
  The 789th has a variety of tactics they use from their years of experience. They are as adept at hit and run tactics as they are at
  dueling. They specialize in assaulting defensive positions using carefully choreographed pincher maneuvers and fade attacks.
  SUPPORT
  The command provides one hundred percent of the technical support for the regiment. They have six Union and two Overlord-class
  DropShips, including three Invader-class JumpShips.
  
  30
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Devil’s Advocates
  Company/Regular/Questionable
  CO: Captain Charlene Cypher
  XO: Lieutenant Natasha Live
  The company is comprised mainly of mediums and quick
  heavies, with two lights in the scout lance. The company prefers
  to harass the enemy into moving into difficult terrain where they
  can divide and conquer. Often they can trap an individual warrior
  in hostile terrain and convince them to surrender, making capitu-
  lation seem more desirable than a cockpit hit or ejection.The unit
  is very well-rounded but hasn’t had the ability to focus on their
  combat techniques as much as they would like, leaving the
  Advocates still rated as a regular unit.
  DEVIL’S ADVOCATES: FIRE AND BRIMSTONE
  Ryde is an oppressive planet, with earthquakes, volcanoes, and seas of sulfur, planting a certain
  measure of toughness, fortitude and daring in its natives. As a dozen of MechWarriors from Ryde, the
  Devil’s Advocates present a formidable challenge.
  The unit arose to serve the needs of rescue attempts that could only be attempted by ’Mechs in
  hostile conditions. After enduring a few years with much gratitude and little financial reward, the six
  initial Advocates acquired BattleMechs and doubled their number before shoving off as a unit that
  prided itself on “being the best when conditions were worst”. Captain Charlene Cypher led the unit
  into a few operations that allowed them to gain some decent experience, but they caught their big
  break when the Lyran Alliance hired them to help relieve the Denebola SMM on Caph. Sent there
  in 3059, they have yet to leave.
  Upon arriving, they harassed units from the other four Houses, disappearing into the radioac-
  tive and toxic areas of the planet when pressed. However, the Militia couldn’t hold out forever, and
  eventually the Word of Blake, with help from the supposedly “Capellan” Stealthy Tigers, took control
  of the planet. The Advocates lingered on, having amassed a considerable stash of spare parts from
  raiding. When their contract was up in 3064, they snuck out a message for the Lyran Alliance to come
  collect them. However, the Alliance was having enough turmoil with other issues and wasn’t about to send a significant force in to retrieve
  a company of ’Mechs on a Blakist-controlled world.
  With few options, the unit took a contract with Steven Stone, leader of the Caph resistance. The Advocates have continued to use
  normally uninhabitable parts of the planet as a shield for three years.The unit has been faithful to the resistance, but is desperately seek-
  ing a way off the planet. With five years of back pay and a long list of grievances, the unit will certainly file suit against the Alliance if it
  ever extricates itself from Caph. However, with the change of leadership in the Lyran Alliance, perhaps the Advocates will find their for-
  mer employers making good on broken promises. Either way, the Devil will get his due.
  The Devil’s Advocates use camouflage appropriate to their mission while in the field, but also sport a parade scheme of basic black,
  with red and gold highlights that vary in design for each warrior. The unit insignia depicts a grinning devil, wielding a sword and a shield
  decorated with a yellow and black radiation symbol.
  Dragoons Rating: C
  OFFICERS
  Captain Cypher is a deadly tactician but has little experience at large force engagements. When working with the Denebola SMM,
  she heavily freelanced, hitting and running. Her XO, Lt. Live, was a former Hazmat expert before fleeing with the unit from Ryde for an
  unspecified crime. She has helped the unit survive environments that would have killed lesser units.
  TACTICS
  The Advocates are at home in places no one else wants to be. The unit is best in strange conditions that normally demand caution.
  Their experience allows them to quickly prepare and overcome these limitations, taking advantage of those with less experience in hos-
  tile surroundings.
  SUPPORT
  The Advocates have no transport of their own. The MechWarriors of the unit have worked hard to fill most of the roles needed for
  the unit, so they are very self-sufficient, having all their units running almost half the time despite the conditions under which they work.
  
  DropShip Irregulars
  2 Battalions/Veteran/Reliable
  CO/First Battalion: Colonel Medron Pryde
  XO/Second Battalion: Lt. Colonel Atticus L. Walker
  Lacking independent command lances, each Battalion con-
  sists of two BattleMech companies (refitted Succession Wars-
  era designs for the most part) and a mixed infantry, armor, and
  aerospace company. Only a lack of battlefield discipline prevents
  the Irregulars from receiving an elite rating.
  Second Battalion’s infantry are adept at covert operations,
  including the use of scout battle armor.
  31
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  DROPSHIP IRREGULARS: 
  UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE
  Though hailing from the Marik Commonwealth, Medron Pryde has worked from Solaris VII as a freelance merce-
  nary. Believing the Federated Commonwealth represented the Inner Sphere’s only hope against Kerensky’s Children,
  he couldn’t condone the Captain-General’s act of personal vengeance against Victor Steiner-Davion in 3057. Rumors
  that the Capellans were using mercenary commands signed over to them as “cannon fodder” erased any remaining loy-
  alty Medron may have felt for House Marik. Choosing self-imposed exile, Pryde drifted through several contracts until
  3059, when he used extensive contacts throughout the mercenary community to draw together a band of warriors.
  His command, known as the DropShip Irregulars, prefers not to become bogged down in long garrison con-
  tracts. Their expertise lies in raiding and extraction operations—the most famous of which was the spectacular res-
  cue of Dr. R. Raisley from the Word of Blake’s clutches in 3065.
  Grounding some distance from Acamar’s spaceport, the Irregulars decoyed the balance of a Level III unit into
  a small valley. With the Blakists pinned down in murderous crossfire in the ensuing ambush, a small detachment of
  Irregulars infantry infiltrated the spaceport and rescued the good doctor. With Word of Blake ground forces in disarray,
  the Irregulars broke contact and boarded the DropShip. Believing themselves outgunned by the Irregulars’ craft, orbiting
  Word of Blake vessels chose not to contest the mercenaries’ departure.
  Atypically, the DropShip Irregulars have subsequently accepted a long-term contract to provide security for Dr. Raisley.
  The doctor is heading a private research project at the famed Bethel Labs—where the triple strength myomer that played a pivotal role
  in the Fourth Succession War was discovered. The nature of the current research remains a closely guarded secret.
  Though individual warriors sometimes use personal colors, the Irregulars’ standard scheme is blue for First Battalion and red for
  Second Battalion. The color starts on the right side of a unit and fades to black towards the left. The Irregulars’ insignia is a DropShip
  rising on a plume of silver stars. This is displayed on the left torso of ’Mechs, left wing of aerospace units, and to the left on the front of
  vehicles. Kills are recorded by painting small golden fish under the cockpit or on the turret.
  Dragoons Rating: C
  OFFICERS
  As he constantly explains, Colonel Medron Pryde is not a refugee from the Jade Falcons. Belonging to a branch of the Pryde fam-
  ily that remained in the Inner Sphere after the Exodus, he despises the way the Clans have turned his name into a prize to be fought
  over. A charismatic leader, Medron has attracted skilled warriors from across known space to fight under his banner.
  Serving as the Irregulars’ executive officer since his predecessor—Lt. Colonel Mishima—retired in 3062, Atticus Walker is the real
  brains behind their successes, though he often describes getting the Irregulars to do what he wants as “herding cats”.
  TACTICS
  The Irregulars seem to delight in using trickery and misdirection to demoralize and inflict damage. Often, a foe will be lured into traps
  where they are left looking very silly, dead, or both. In the past the mercenaries have employed tactics ranging from planting claymore
  mines in the enemies’ latrines to deploying life-size dummy DropShips, BattleMechs, and vehicles to draw forces off their intended target.
  SUPPORT
  Thanks to his extensive contacts, Colonel Pryde has assembled a capable technical team able to meet the Irregulars’ maintenance
  requirements. An Excalibur-class DropShip modified to transport the entire unit also incorporates changes to its prow. This appears (to
  unskilled sensor operators) to be a Naval PPC, enabling the Irregulars to intimidate their way past planetary defenses. Confused after-
  action reports have resulted in a several HoloFlics inaccurately portraying DropShips armed with similar capital weapons.
  
  32
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  The Grave Walkers
  Reinforced Lance/Veteran/Questionable
  CO/Lt. Colonel Goran Tevdt
  When their eighth surviving ’Mech had to be
  scrapped for spare parts, Goran Tevdt disbanded the second
  lance and organized the unit into a single seven ’Mech lance.The
  entire unit is upgraded, and has two Clan ’Mechs, a Dasher and
  a Baboon.
  Grave Walker Minelayers
  Company/Green/Questionable
  CO/Lieutenant Rob Prather
  The Minelayers are nothing more then non-combat vehicles
  such as Jeeps and flatbeds with LRM launchers welded on and
  operated manually to lay minefields intended to slow down an
  oncoming enemy force.
  THE GRAVE WALKERS: ALL GOOD THINGS
  So long ago was the creation of The Grave Walkers, that where, when, and why they were formed
  is lost to the ages. Some claim the command pre-dates the Star League, or even the ’Mech. Over time
  they have worked for several different factions that existed in past centuries, and every one of the five
  major Houses. Though not as famous as groups like the Eridani Light Horse or Blue Star Irregulars, the
  unit’s reputation for solid performance and professionalism was enough to warrant a brief media cele-
  bration by the Lyrans when they unexpectedly came to work for them in 2864.
  The Clan invasion in 3050 hit many formerly successful mercenary units hard, including the Grave
  Walkers. The Jade Falcons decimated the unit in a series of battles, reducing what had been two regi-
  ments with full combined-arms support to less then a battalion of soldiers struggling to pick up the
  pieces. Though crippled and his brother dead, Jason Merwin stayed in command long enough to see
  the unit through its roughest moments, then passed command to then-Major Ahruu Kirah in 3057.
  By 3062, the Grave Walkers had painstakingly rebuilt themselves into a regiment, seemingly by
  sheer force of will. Scrounging around every battlefield for salvage, taking whatever applicants they
  could, the regiment was a grab bag of transfers from other units such as Waco Rangers, Twelfth Star
  Guards, and even a few soldiers from Wilson’s Hussars who felt they deserved better.
  Things were looking up for the unit until 3064 when the Jade Falcons struck again. Losing half their regiment on Kooken’s Pleasure
  Pit, and most of the other half on Babeski, the unit arrived on Arc-Royal with less then two dozen MechWarriors and eight ’Mechs. All
  the dispossessed pilots and most of the conventional soldiers immediately abandoned the unit, taking any hope of rebuilding the unit
  with them. This contributed to the growth of Colonel Ahruu Kirah’s mental problems that appeared shortly after arriving on Arc-Royal,
  leading to his early retirement.
  The Grave Walkers paint their ’Mechs forest green with sea green highlights. Their Insignia is a skull on a tombstone.
  Dragoons Rating: C
  OFFICERS
  The units Executive Officer, Goran Tevdt, has taken over command ever since Colonel Kirah suffered a series of nervous break-
  downs and stepped down. Though logistically brilliant, Tevdt is nervous commanding anything but accountants, and the stress has dri-
  ven him to start drinking an astonishing amount of alcohol every night.
  TACTICS
  The sudden loss of the entire regiment has caused most of the unit’s specialization to disappear. However, the survivors are train-
  ing to use static emplacements and minefields to improve their chances of success in defensive operations. Just about every remaining
  LRM launcher in the unit has been equipped to fire some form of thunder munitions.
  SUPPORT
  The Grave Walkers currently have a surplus of technical support and transport capability, which is on loan to the Kell Hounds to pay
  for the use of their facilities.This has begun to backfire, as many of the technicians and Dropship Captains “on loan” have used the oppor-
  tunity to sign on permanently with the units to whom they were loaned.
  
  Gregg’s Long Striders
  Regiment/Green/Questionable
  CO: Colonel Davis Car
  XO/1st Battalion: Major Bob Boughner
  2nd Battalion: Major Danil Markov
  3rd Battalion: Major Bernadette Morgan
  After the DropShip accident cost them their unit’s infantry
  and aerospace assets, Gregg’s Long Striders are considered to
  be at only eighty-five percent of their full strength. Though half of
  the unit’s BattleMech forces contain advanced-tech weaponry,
  most of it is concentrated in their First Battalion.
  33
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  GREGG’S LONG STRIDERS: TOILING IN OBSCURITY
  Colonel Gregg Car spent the early part of his career with Wolf’s Dragoons, but soon grew tired of taking
  orders from anybody not named Gregg Car. In late 3022, Car—who did not share Dragoons’ Clan origins and, in
  fact, knew nothing of them—left the famed mercenary command and set off for the Tamar Pact worlds in the Lyran
  Commonwealth, where he hired other disgruntled MechWarriors and formed Gregg’s Long Striders.
  The Long Striders’ first contract—a garrison assignment—placed them on Ford in the Lyran Commonwealth,
  where they stayed until the end of the Fourth Succession War.
  After the War, the Long Striders broke their contract and made for the greener pastures of the Capellan
  Confederation in the hopes of escaping an already crushing debt. The Capellans, only too happy to hire
  fresh troops despite their questionable loyalty, placed them on Rollis, a planet that offered the Long Striders
  little action beyond the occasional bandit hunt. Though vocally unhappy with this arrangement, Colonel Car
  and his unit remained in Capellan space for over thirty years, thanks to generous contract terms offered by
  Chancellor Romano Liao.
  The FedCom Civil War brought little action for Gregg’s Long Striders, whose contract was sold to the
  Magistracy of Canopus in late 3059. Some speculate that Colonel Davis Car’s penchant for second-guessing and
  arguing with every order given to him by the Capellan Strategios was the reason for this move, while others opine that
  the selling of the contract was intended as a “good-faith” gesture toward the Canopians on the part of Chancellor Liao.
  The new relationship has brought the Long Striders some difficulties. While making planetfall in the Magistracy of Canopus, one of
  the unit’s hired DropShips suffered a malfunction in its landing systems and crashed, claiming the lives of all on board, including the
  Long Striders’ infantry and aerospace pilots. After mourning their losses, the unit set up shop on the planet Weistheimer, a world on the
  far edge of Canopian space and well away from the Magistracy’s borders with any other Periphery or Inner Sphere state.Though Colonel
  Car is not happy with this arrangement, the isolation and lack of activity has enabled him to focus on rebuilding the Striders’ losses.
  Gregg’s Long Striders’ insignia is a giant lumberjack walking over the face of a planet with an axe over his shoulder. Their colors are
  midnight blue trimmed with red, white, and silver.
  Dragoons Rating: C
  TACTICS
  Gregg’s Long Striders trained in combined-arms tactics with the Rollis Home Guard while in the Capellan Confederation, using their
  ’Mechs to punch through and roll back enemy lines while the Home Guard vehicles and infantry moved in for mop-up operations with
  support from the Long Striders’ aerospace and infantry. Now that the Long Striders’ MechWarriors are on their own, they have begun to
  shift toward concentrated-fire tactics.
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Davis Car inherited two things from his father: the Long Striders and a bull-headed argumentative streak that has at times
  raised the eyebrows (and sometimes the ire) of the unit’s employers. This attitude partly accounts for Gregg’s Long Striders’ continued
  “Questionable” loyalty rating despite the unit’s 30+ years of service to the Capellans without incident.
  SUPPORT
  Gregg’s Long Striders owns no DropShip or JumpShip assets. They have a skeleton support crew, having relied for years on their
  employers for technical support.
  
  34
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Grim Determination
  Regiment/Regular/Questionable
  1st Battalion Colonel Oliver Haarhar
  2nd Battalion Major Byron Smith
  3rd Battalion Major Anne Martinez
  Each Battalion has a separate reconnaissance lance. Sales
  of the ’Mechs from massacred Fourth Battalion financed
  upgrades including active probes and C3 systems.
  Grim Determination Aerospace
  2 Squadrons/Veteran/Questionable
  CO: Captain Anne Dobbs
  One of the elements most deeply affected by “Quitter’s Attrition”,
  half of the aerospace detachment left to join one side or the other in
  the FedCom Civil War, leaving only two squadrons remaining.
  Grim Determination Armor
  Battalion/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Major Elsa Burke
  With so much of their former strength gone, the armored bat-
  talion has had more missions to carry out. The only overstrength
  unit left, the armor battalion picked up a company of motorized
  infantry on Sarna during the regiment’s withdrawal. These troops
  have bolstered the conventional arm’s counterinsurgent ability.
  GRIM DETERMINATION: 
  LOST BUT NOT DOWNED
  The fortunes of the mercenary trade are rarely kind to anyone, and the Grim Determination mer-
  cenary command has suffered the downside of luck in recent years. Having lost their bond after a dis-
  pute involving the Federated Commonwealth and the formation of the late Sarna Supremacy, this
  command has been on a gradual downward spiral ever since.
  One critical blow came in 3060, when the regiment lost an entire battalion’s worth of warriors after
  unidentified commandos carried out a shocking midnight assault on the Determination’s barracks.This
  massacre, launched even as the Sarna Supremacy starved under a Capellan blockade of nearby
  Kaifeng, delivered a crippling blow to the regiment’s morale. Their faith in Determination undermined,
  the Sarnese government terminated the unit’s contract, and the absorption of the Supremacy into the
  Confederation later that year left the mercenaries no legal recourse to recoup their lost wages.
  Forced to move on after their horrendous loss, Colonel Haarhar struggled to recover by taking on small, dangerous, short-term jobs in order
  to remain financially solvent, rather than the low-paying, easy garrison contracts favored during a typical rebuilding. Despite his efforts, the Fourth
  Battalion’s ’Mechs were sold to cover operational expenses, including upgrades to the regiment’s surviving ’Mechs.
  To make matters worse, Colonel Haarhar’s decision to keep to his contract obligations cost the unit more people during the FedCom
  Civil War. While the regiment did not join the actual fighting, several officers took “leaves of absence” between 3061 and 3066, never to
  return. Many of these officers took up arms for either the Federated Suns or Lyran Alliance during these leaves and have remained with
  their chosen factions after the war’s end.
  Grim Determination has since shown a mixed record of successes in dealing with a variety of forces and situations involving anti-
  terrorist and counter-guerilla fighting since the so-called ‘murder of the Fourth.’ In keeping with this new outlook, Colonel Haarhar recent-
  ly accepted an extended contract to garrison Sheratan, a Chaos March world where mysterious terrorist incidents are occurring almost
  daily—a bloody pattern all too familiar to the inhabitants of this turbulent region.
  Grim Determination uses a standard camouflage scheme as appropriate to their environment.The regimental insignia is a turtle with
  an SRM launcher on its back.
  Dragoons Rating: C
  OFFICERS
  Though sometimes divided from his men by his evaluation of their efforts, Colonel Oliver Haarhar retains respect because of his
  decades of experience.
  Major Byron Smith is a fairly recent addition to the regiment. Officially, he serves as the new commanding officer of Second Battalion, but
  unofficially, he is the Determination’s intelligence officer. A man of unassuming looks, he tends to “blend into the background” even while pilot-
  ing his ’Mech, an unmodified BJ-1 Blackjack showing nearly eighty-seven percent of its original, Star League-era parts and cockpit fittings.
  TACTICS
  With their focus changed to counter-insurgency, Grim Determination has perfected multi-lance formation tactics, as well as devel-
  oping nighttime and low-light condition combat. With the loss of their Fourth Battalion, scouting and intelligence gathering has grown in
  relative importance within this command.
  SUPPORT
  Grim Determination has full DropShip transport for its remaining forces, plus additional vessels that are often leased out to make
  up for shortfalls in the payroll. The regiment’s technical support covers the full needs of its ’Mechs and vehicles.
  
  35
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  GROUP W
  Throughout the centuries of warfare since the introduction of the BattleMech, literally thousands upon thousands of mercenary units
  have come and gone. Most fold within the first year, few survive past five. Of those that do, the great majority barely eke out an existence
  and either fall prey to “company store” maneuvering behind the scenes or dissolve when defeated on the field of battle.
  These facts were well known by the founding members of Group W when they left the various militaries and mercenary organiza-
  tions they had served with during the Fourth Succession War, but they were confident they could succeed where others failed. They had
  an outstanding group of core founding members, sufficient funding and, most importantly, a strong business plan.
  Group W officially formed in October of 3030 with a battalion of BattleMechs—mostly family-owned machines that MechWarriors
  brought with them—two DropShips and a full technical crew. Within a month, the unit had its first job, a pirate-hunting assignment out on
  the Lyran Periphery. Group W jumped from system to system, hunting down groups of outlaws that regularly struck from Periphery bases.
  One journey led to Son Hoa, where the mercenaries cornered and destroyed a pirate band that had been successfully raiding for years.
  This action brought the unit into contact with corporate officers of StarCorps Industries, eventually leading to a garrison contract with the
  company. From that point on, Group W’s future was secure.
  Growing and prospering during the 3030’s and ’40’s, Group W completed several multi-year contracts with the Lyran
  Commonwealth, alternating between corporate assignments and state service. While their corporate assignments took them far and
  wide, Group W always returned to their adopted home in the Lyran Commonwealth.
  When the Clans struck the Inner Sphere, the unit was deep within the Free Worlds League. While other Lyran mercenary units were
  thrown into the meat grinder that was the former Tamar March, Group W anxiously served out the rest of their contract away from the
  heaviest action. The end of their contract within the League came in late 3054, and the unit returned as fast as it could to their adopted
  home, taking up position along the Clan frontier in May of 3055. Group W remained there for almost four years, but eventually were
  assigned to aid the St. Ives Compact.
  From there, the unit found itself embroiled in situations more complex and more dangerous than its officers had ever imagined.
  Group W barely survived the last six years, but emerged from that gauntlet with notoriety it hadn’t had before, with special fame coming
  from their actions in stabilizing Galatea. Nevertheless, its MechWarriors are more than ready to return to the types of assignments they
  had before landing squarely in two civil wars.
  COMMAND
  Group W’s founding members were all veterans of the Fourth Succession War, and they instilled a discipline and code of ethics with-
  in the unit that remains today. None of those original founding members remain on the active rolls; the last to retire was Colonel Trent
  Coldspring, who turned command of the unit over to Colonel Andrew Bethke in 3053. Having joined the Group in 3045 after serving in
  the AFFC as a kommandant within the Sixth FedCom RCT, Bethke was an outsider for only three months before action on Kalidasa
  against a raiding House Kamata cemented him within the unit. He led a nearly suicidal charge with his company against the Capellan
  Warrior House’s flank, dispersing a surprise attack that would have wiped out the unit. Thereafter he was allowed into the “inner circle”
  of Group W’s MechWarriors and quickly rose in rank and prestige. He has never forgotten the circumstances that forced his desperate
  move on Kalidasa, and is continuously worried about the future of his unit.
  FORCES
  Group W nominally fields a standard BattleMech regiment, with one battalion of auxiliary and support troops and one wing of aero-
  space fighters. The unit suffered a number of losses in the past two campaigns, however, and has yet to rebuild fully.
  SUPPORT
  One of the primary directives of the founding members was that Group W should always be able to fully maintain the vehicles and
  equipment on its TO&E. Even before the first MechWarriors were recruited, they sought out the best technicians they could find.This direc-
  tive has lasted through the decades. Even though Group W had several chances to absorb other, smaller units or to otherwise expand
  beyond a single ’Mech regiment, it has not, and will not—at least until it can build a technical crew able to handle the increased demands.
  COLORS AND INSIGNIA
  Group W does not follow any specific color schemes for its ’Mechs and vehicles, instead utilizing camouflage patterns appropriate
  to the environs it finds itself in. When not on assignment, units can often be found in simple primer colors. Group W’s crest is four gold-
  en lightning bolts, forming a “W,” set upon a black circle with a Steiner blue border.
  
  36
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Group W
  Regiment/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Andrew Bethke
  XO: Lt. Col. George Relant
  Thanks to the genius of the unit’s technical crews, along with
  judicious equipment purchases, the regiment is back to 90 per-
  cent strength. Almost every one of the unit’s ’Mechs mounts
  some sort of advanced technologies, though many of them are
  ancient machines that had to be rebuilt from the ground up. The
  regiment also has four lances of Clan BattleMechs, most cap-
  tured during their time on the Clan frontier.
  Lightning Strike
  Wing/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Major Tera Strumm
  Lightning Strike flies 22 total machines, though 10 of them
  are currently conventional fighters. Two Stukas, four Eagles, four
  Corsairs, and two Stingrays round out the rest of the wing.
  33rd Support Group
  Battalion/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Major C. H. Wesley Hyde-Blum
  The 33rd fields one assault company, one cavalry troop, and
  one artillery battery.
  GROUP W: LIGHTNING WARRIORS
  Since the unit’s formation in late 3030, Group W has grown from a single battalion to a full
  BattleMech regiment with supporting elements. In the 37 years since the unit’s formation, its war-
  riors have seen a great deal of action, but it wasn’t until the Capellan invasion of the St. Ives
  Compact in 3061 that Group W found itself in a true war. Initially assigned to garrison duty on Taga,
  the regiment saw a battalion quickly relocated to Nashuar. Over the course of the next year, the
  entire regiment took a beating before orders from St. Ives sent them first to Tantara and then
  Warlock. They served on the latter world for the rest of the war, fighting off attack after attack in con-
  cert with the First St. Ives Janissaries. Twice the mercenary regiment closed a trap set for the Fifth
  Confederation Reserve Cavalry, bringing much needed salvage into the unit. But the St. Ives Compact
  could not hold out forever, and Group W was forced off of Warlock when the armistice was signed.
  The unit hoped to have the time to rest and rebuild after suffering heavy losses, but Archon Katherine
  Steiner-Davion immediately had them sent to Lyons, a hotbed of discontent since Theodore Kurita had annexed
  the worlds of the Lyons Thumb.There, the Group’s MechWarriors had to learn to be peacekeepers, patrolling city streets
  and putting down demonstrations. They thought this a difficult assignment—until they found themselves moved to Galatea.
  Galatea was full of MechWarriors looking to prove themselves, with gangs battling one another in turf wars while individuals fought
  for notoriety. With the arrival of Group W, though, law returned to Galatea. Legitimized by a contract with the planetary governor, Group
  W spent the next three weeks hunting down and destroying the ’Mech gangs, bringing peace back to Galatea one city at a time.
  The MechWarriors of Group W gained a new, more fierce reputation on Galatea, but the costs were almost too high. Before com-
  ing to Galatea, the unit hovered at 70 percent strength; within a month of their arrival on the world, this had dropped to an all-time low
  of 40 percent. By sifting through the pool of seized and salvaged equipment, as well as going to the burgeoning black market for high-
  tech Civil War salvage, their techs managed to assemble a ’Mech force that mounted relatively new technologies, yet on chassis rebuilt
  with baling wire and prayers.
  Dragoons Rating: A
  OFFICERS
  Major Hyde-Blum comes from a long line of military officers, though he is the first in three hundred years to serve in a mercenary
  unit. That fact has kept him estranged from his family for some two decades, though he has also authored twelve books on military his-
  tory and twice guest lectured at the university where his father teaches.
  TACTICS
  Group W does not focus on any particular tricks or tactical styles. Its MechWarriors drill hard on a regular basis to maintain the flex-
  ibility they need to deal with anything that they come across on the battlefield.
  
  Hansen’s Roughriders
  Regiment/Elite/Questionable
  CO/Colonel WolfGang Hansen
  XO/1st Batt: Major William Klein
  2nd Batt: Major Andrea Schmidtt
  3rd Batt: Major Catalina Fiore
  Though only two Battalions are available for operations cur-
  rently, another sixteen operational machines are awaiting the
  release of their pilots from the hospital in the next few months.
  Most of the surviving ’Mechs are heavy- and assault-class, with
  recon handled solely by Commandos. The command lance is
  outfitted with Clan weapons and materials. The regiment is fully
  upgraded with advanced technology.
  Roughrider Armor Support
  2 Battalions/Elite/Questionable
  Armor Cmdr: Major Eugene Thomas
  Roughrider Armor has always been extremely heavy.
  Reliant on Heavy LRM Carriers, Schiltrons, and Alacorns, it
  falls on its Patton and Rommel tanks to provide “light support”
  for the unit. The armor battalions train and fight in their original
  FWLM platoon organization dating back to the units days as a
  House unit, and their increased numbers often surprise an
  unsuspecting enemy.
  Roughrider Infantry Support 
  Company/Veteran/Reliable
  Infntry Cmdr: Captain Bruce Millis
  Apart of the few survivors from the Bromhead Massacre,
  the only able-bodied infantry are the twenty-eight Gray Death
  Light Scout-suit equipped commandos brought to Panpour to
  act as scouts for the armored units. A Platoon of Sprint Scouts
  and Karnovs are attached to the company for spotting and
  infantry transport.
  37
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  HANSEN’S ROUGHRIDERS: 
  NO QUARTER ASKED, NONE GIVEN
  Though officially formed from the remnants of the Twelfth and First Atrean Dragoons shortly after
  Anton’s Revolt in 3014, the roots of the Roughriders spring from an earlier time in the FedSuns.When Ludwig
  Hansen, a distant relative of house Hansen, fled House Davion with his unit in 2961 and merged his soldiers
  with the prominent Twelfth Atrean Dragoons, led by Major-General Gerhardt Hansen, the unit that would
  become the Roughriders essentially was born, though it would not become the unit we know today for anoth-
  er 50 years. This uncertainty over the exact date of the unit’s origins has led to nationalists from both Houses
  arguing over who can claim to be the homeland of the elite unit.
  The Roughriders are a particularly rare breed of mercenary as they not only enjoy, but thrive on high-pitched
  battles. When Katherine offered them a shot at protecting the Jade Falcon border during Operation Bulldog, they
  jumped at the chance and eagerly kept the Clan at bay and off-guard during several fierce raids.The assignment won
  her their loyalty, and they fought for her during the Civil War. Despite the handicap of General Masar’s idea of invading with
  green troops drawn from separate commands as the main body, they took and held most of Panpour until the entire Lexington Combat Group
  counterattacked. Even in retreat, they dealt heavy casualties to the Fighting Urukhai and the Albion Cadre before withdrawing to Nunivak.
  Before long the Taurians invaded, and they were contacted by George Hasek to help repel the invasion. Instead of fighting against the LCG,
  they fought side by side.But unbeknownst to the mercenary regiment, they were already drawn into the conflict before the contract was signed.
  On Bromhead, the Second Taurian Lancers landed, finding only the Roughrider Infantry defending the planet. The Infantry dealt several
  embarrassing defeats to the Taurians, destroying over a company before retreating to evacuate the dependents from the base. In their zeal to
  atone for their embarrassment, the Taurian 'Mechs razed everything they could as they overran the base, including destroying retreating civil-
  ian vehicles that they assumed carried the Roughrider infantry. By the end, the Roughrider defenders and their dependents lay slaughtered.
  Hansen was still en-route to Lindsay when he got word, and when it spread the unit became enraged. The unit ignored the contract
  to support the task force, and instead charged out to fight the Pleiades Lancers single-handedly, shattering the unit. To this day the
  Roughriders plead with Hasek to let the battered unit strike Taurian worlds, but with no JumpShip of their own, they are forced to com-
  ply with Hasek’s condition to finish rebuilding before getting payback.
  Though using appropriate camouflage in combat, for parades the Roughriders currently use a midnight blue with smoke highlights
  scheme. Their insignia is a fanged and horned skull on a dun shield.
  Dragoons Rating: A
  OFFICERS
  WolfGang Hansen lost his wife and his three youngest children on Bromhead. His every waking moment is consumed with rebuild-
  ing and preparing the Roughriders to fight the Taurians again. Wolfgang has sworn a blood oath to turn every battlefield into a Taurian
  mass grave, and the rest of his unit has followed, vowing to take no prisoners.
  
  38
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Head Hunters
  Battalion/Green/Questionable
  CO/Able CO: Major Sharon Karasek
  XO/Bravo CO: Captain Jack Sterling
  Charlie CO: Captain Jacob Best
  The Head Hunters deploy a force of maneuverable and fast
  medium BattleMechs. Instead of using lance formation, they deploy
  in demi-companies of six ’Mechs that break down into sections of
  two ’Mechs providing mutual support when operating in the field.
  HEAD HUNTERS: SWORD OF ORLOFF 
  The Head Hunters would have preferred to gain their strength through means other
  than adversity, but adversity seems to have a way of finding them. Only sheer will and grim
  determination kept this unit from folding on more than one occasion. One of their darkest
  days came in 2914, when the Head Hunters were on the verge of liquidating their assets
  and abolishing the unit. Originally regimental in size, the Head Hunters suffered a dev-
  astating defeat at the hands of the Black Warriors while garrisoning the Lyran world of
  Pencader in 2913. Shortly thereafter, the Lyran government dissolved their contract.
  Things spiraled out of control for then-commander Alexander Chu.
  Help came from an unexpected source: House Marik. Colonel Chu, a graduate of
  the Orloff Academy, looked for help from some old friends, and they pulled strings to have
  his surviving command hired by Captain-General Elisabeth Marik, who sent them to Orloff
  Academy. Re-equipped and trained by the Orloff Grenadiers, this unit became a rejuve-
  nated, aggressive fighting force within a decade.
  During the Marik civil war of 3014, the Hunters fought the rebel forces of Anton Marik.
  After the war, the unit was able to upgrade itself further with heavier and more reliable
  equipment captured during their successful campaigning. It didn’t take long for them to be dragged into another civil war, this time
  the Andurien War. Deploying again in the defense of the League, they were part of the force that attacked Xanthe III led by Duncan Marik.
  The assault was poorly organized and doomed from the start; Duncan died in battle, leaving the entire campaign on the verge of collapse.
  However, Captain-General Thomas Marik launched his forces to pacify the Andurien separatists.When it was over the Head Hunters lost near-
  ly half their command. Depleted, they returned to Vanra so they could rest and refit where they enjoyed the Duke of Orloff’s hospitality.
  When Captain-General Thomas Marik ruled that Orloff warriors must stop their secret initiation ceremonies, the Hunters decided it
  was time to move on. The winds of political change forced them to look for other employment. After more then century and half of ser-
  vice this loyal Orloff mercenary unit left the Free Worlds League. Before leaving, the Duke of Orloff gave the Hunters enough new tech-
  nology to upgrade a third of their force. Upon hearing of this, the LCCC declared the Hunters rogues and tried them in absentia, con-
  victing them of stealing and treason. Outraged, the Duke of Orloff provided protection for the Hunters while using his contacts to secure
  employment for them with the Marian Hegemony. The Captain-General was not amused, making subtle hints at seeking relief for the
  Duke’s slap in the face. Consequently, the Head Hunters ratings dropped.
  The Head Hunters paint their BattleMechs using desert tan on the legs and lower torso, and the upper torso, arms and head in an
  olive-drab green. Their insignia is a blazing white skull with gold shining eyes set atop crossed silver swords on a purple disc.
  Dragoons Rating: F
  OFFICERS
  Surprisingly, even today, every officer and warrior of the Hunters is a graduate of the Orloff Academy. Major Sharon Karasek is a
  promising commander and a skilled tactician with strong leadership skills, a mark of her Orloff training. Captain Jacob Best is the com-
  mand’s troubleshooter. His past is shrouded with secrecy, but his loyalty is unquestioned.
  TACTICS
  The Hunters are adept at urban warfare (both offensive and defensive) and open field-maneuvering tactics, while excelling at small
  unit tactics they learned from training against the Grenadiers of House Orloff.
  SUPPORT
  The Head Hunter’s technicians provide 60 percent of their required maintenance. They have no transportation of their own.
  
  39
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  ILLICIAN LANCERS
  Any discussion of the most successful mercenary units in the Inner Sphere must include the Illician Lancers,
  one of the largest and longest-surviving mercenary groups in existence. Organized following the formation of the
  Star League—and the resulting denuding of the house militaries—the original Illician Lancers were soldiers and offi-
  cers hailing from each of the Star League’s nations. They all had one thing in common—all were members of the
  Illician Order, an exclusive military brotherhood with ties reaching back to ancient Terra.
  Unlike many other soldiers of the time, the majority of these first Illician Lancers were not cashiered out of their
  terms of military service; they instead chose to leave voluntarily. The entire membership of the Illician Order came
  together in July of 2572 and within six months had organized the equivalent of an overstrength BattleMech division.
  From that point on, the Illician Lancers were standouts among a vast sea of mercenaries and guns-for-hire.
  For the next two centuries, the Illician Lancers served ably throughout the Inner Sphere. Word of their skill and
  courage on the battlefield quickly spread, and the Lancers found they could demand a premium for their services from any-
  one, including the Star League itself. Their fame and lucrative contracts brought in soldiers from across the Human Sphere,
  filling the Order’s halls in Illicia on the Terran island of Sicily with mountains of membership requests that could never be fulfilled.
  When the war against Amaris came, the Lancers served General Kerensky’s armies, primarily in a support capacity. Two of the
  Lancers’ nine ’Mech regiments—the First and Seventh Illician Rangers—participated in the assault on Terra and were destroyed. The
  rest eventually journeyed to the world to pay their respects, and were devastated to find Illicia completely leveled.
  They soon found themselves caught up within the grinder of the Succession Wars. The first two Succession Wars reduced the Illician
  Lancers to half their original strength, while the early years of the Third Succession War saw the unit nearly bankrupted, forcing the Lancers
  to sell off most of the JumpShip fleet that had served them for some three centuries. That influx of capital allowed the unit to survive a disas-
  trous contract with the Capellan Confederation and to serve out the remainder of the Third Succession War in the employ of House Davion.
  At first, the Lancers served on the Draconis border, where they had some initial success. By the turn of the century, though, their
  four surviving ’Mech regiments suffered a number of defeats, causing the AFFS High Command to transfer them to the Capellan March,
  where the unit had to deal with both political maneuvering on New Syrtis and heavy action against the Capellan Confederation.
  Nevertheless, the Illician Lancers continued to serve the Federated Suns, and, following the death of Michael Hasek-Davion, they
  found allies within the AFFS, most notably Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion and later his son. This gave the Lancers the opportunity to begin
  rebuilding themselves in the years since, and even gave them access to technologies, including bits and pieces of Clan tech, that few
  other mercenary commands received.
  The Lancers deal exclusively with the Federated Suns outside of the MRBC and so have no Dragoon’s Rating.
  COMMAND
  The Illician Order continues traditions set down a millennium earlier. Its leader, who also serves as the commander of the entire
  organization, is chosen by a core group of Elders and given the title of General. The General serves a six year term and may be re-elect-
  ed any number of times, so long as he or she still has the ability to lead the Order. Likewise, the Colonels are also elected by the Elders,
  some serving as regimental commanders and others taking care of support and welfare functions.
  The current General is Brenda Bradley, who has led the Lancers for the past 21 years. Not only is she the daughter of one of the
  longest-serving Colonels in the Order’s history, who commanded the Fifty-ninth Strike for 38 years, but she can trace her lineage to her
  father’s namesake—Colonel William Bradley, one of the Lancers’ founding members and himself a fourteenth generation Order member.
  FORCES
  Once down to four bare ’Mech regiments with minimal support, the Illician Lancers can now form a full brigade around all four ’Mech
  regiments, including an armored regiment, a mechanized regiment, and a fighter wing in each. Equipment is assigned to the various
  sub-commands based on the nature and specialty of the parent ’Mech regiment, giving the Lancers a wide variety of capabilities.
  SUPPORT
  The Illician Lancers are well off when it comes to technical, administrative, and logistic support; personnel are more than capable
  of keeping the unit functioning in all situations. The one significant deficiency the Lancers have is in transportation. Since the 29th cen-
  tury, the unit has had to rely on one Star Lord and one Invader, along with whatever additional JumpShips it could hire, to transport the
  unit. It still retains a DropShip group large enough for all combat and support elements.
  COLORS AND INSIGNIA
  The Illician Lancers use a typical color scheme of green, khaki, and rust red when not in combat situations. The Lancer insignia is
  a yellow lightning bolt set upon a stylized bullet.
  
  40
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  59th Strike Regiment
  Regiment/Regular/Reliable
  CO: General Brenda Bradley
  XO: Colonel Neal Grimm
  The regiment is back up to full strength following
  the Capellan-St. Ives and FedCom Civil Wars, though it has had
  to recruit heavily to do so. Colonel Grimm has set up a demand-
  ing drill schedule that he hopes will raise the regiment to veteran
  quality within the next two years.
  8th Illician Air Guard
  Reinforced Wing/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Major Dex “Vacuum” Tutuola
  The Eighth Air Guard fought hard during the St. Ives action,
  earning them the personal thanks of Duchess Candace Liao—
  along with an additional squadron of captured Capellan fighters.
  38th Armored Strikers
  Regiment/Regular/Reliable
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Arman Savignon
  Like the Fifty-ninth Strike, the Thirty-eighth fields mostly fast
  light and medium units, giving them mobility superior to almost any
  other regiment on the battlefield.
  40th Mechanized Cavalry
  Regiment/Green/Reliable
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Shannon Zuba
  The Fortieth Cavalry was all but wiped out in the
  Confederation-St. Ives war and has only recently been reconstitut-
  ed. It hovers at around ninety percent strength, but it will remain
  green for a significant time until the new recruits learn to perform as
  well as their predecessors.
  59TH STRIKE REGIMENT:
  BRADLEY’S BAD BOYS
  The Fifty-ninth Strike Regiment defies the typical naming convention for most mercenary
  units—it is permanently named for the regiment’s first commander, Colonel William Bradley. Of
  course, nine different Bradleys have commanded the regiment since its formation, three of
  whom have also served as Illician Generals, not the least of whom is the current commander,
  General Brenda Bradley.
  The regiment received its name in 2575 on the world of Valentina. The Lancers were hunt-
  ing groups of rogue soldiers that had been left jobless following the formation of the SLDF.
  Unfortunately, the rogues had allies within the military forces assigned to Valentina. When the
  Lancers finally cornered them, the mercenaries faced not only a strong force of rebels but also
  a division of SLDF troops.
  The Lancers were outnumbered from the beginning, but their skill kept the battle from turning
  against them. It wasn’t until a risky move by Colonel Bradley, however, that the Lancers were able to turn the bat-
  tle’s tide. Concentrating fire on a single spot and punching through enemy lines, the Fifty-ninth sped deep into SLDF rear areas. They
  took the SLDF division commander prisoner and destroyed several key rebel supply dumps, while also capturing an entire brigade and, staging
  from its base and using its equipment, sending the bulk of the SLDF division into retreat. The Lancers crushed the rest of the rebel forces and
  aided in rounding up the rogue division. For its actions, the Fifty-ninth earned the First Lord’s Citation, the highest SLDF unit award possible.
  In the almost five centuries since, the Fifty-ninth Strike has continued its legacy of outstanding service. It survived the Succession Wars
  damaged, but intact. It later took part in actions against the Capellan Confederation in the War of 3039 as well as during the Capellan-St. Ives
  war two decades later, which left the regiment understrength for the beginning of the FedCom Civil War. The Fifty-ninth was able to largely
  remain out of that later war, however, biding its time keeping the peace on Hadnall.
  The Fifty-ninth Strike paints distinctive yellow highlights on its equipment. Its insignia is two lightning bolts crossed under an upward fac-
  ing arrow, all set upon an orange disc.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Though the Illician General often commands the Fifty-ninth Strike in the field, the regiment has its own commander, who serves as deputy
  commander and operations officer for the entire organization. The current Colonel of the Fifty-ninth Strike is Neal Grimm, son of one of the
  Lancers’ most famous MechWarriors, Ian Grimm. Born in 3022, Colonel Grimm has lived his entire life within the Illician Order. He inherited
  his father’s Centurion after Ian was killed in battle in 3039 and, having been taught to pilot a ’Mech within the Order’s own academy, he start-
  ed out in the Twenty-first Rangers. Lacking his father’s pure gifts in the cockpit, he quickly proved himself an outstanding tactician and strate-
  gist. He quickly moved up through the ranks and was sent to both the AFFC Federation Command and Staff College as well as the Federation
  War College. He was appointed Colonel in 3054 and is considered the odds-on favorite to be the next Illician General.
  TACTICS
  Like SLDF strike regiments of old, the Fifty-ninth Strike attempts to use its mobility to break through and disrupt or to flank
  enemy  formations.
  
  4th Illician Rangers
  Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Alicia Ramaley
  XO: Lieutenant Colonel James Horton
  The Fourth Rangers are short by a little more than a full
  company, though it does have the manpower to fill a strength-
  ened regiment.
  14th Illician Air Guard
  Wing/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Leiko Watari
  The Fourteenth Air Guard suffered heavy losses over Sirdar.
  With the assistance of Field Marshal George Hasek, however,
  the Fourteenth is almost back up to full strength.
  21st Armored Cavalry Regiment
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Ermanno Bertoya
  Like its parent regiment, the Twenty-first ACR fields a heavy
  force of combat units, including a full battery of artillery.
  23rd Mechanized Cavalry
  Regiment/Regular/Reliable
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel William el Farid
  Though designated a mechanized cavalry regiment, two of
  the Twenty-third’s three squadrons are airmobile, and have addi-
  tional gunship troops attached.
  41
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  4TH ILLICIAN RANGERS: ALICIA’S LOVERS
  The Fourth Rangers is the heaviest of the surviving Illician Lancers BattleMech regiments, a
  position it took over when the First Illician Rangers were destroyed in the assault on Terra some
  three centuries ago. The regiment received its name during the 26th century when its MechWarriors
  were known for their skills in close-quarters fighting and brutal physical assaults. The moniker started as
  a joke within Lancers dayrooms and clubs, but quickly spread when gun camera footage surfaced of a
  Fourth Ranger Atlas fighting with an enemy Marauder; the two ’Mechs traded physical blows before the
  Atlas grappled its opponent and the two ’Mechs fell to the ground in a position that brought nothing but
  snickers and crude jokes from those that saw it. The name has stuck ever since.
  Despite the origins of the regiment’s name, the Fourth Illician Rangers are anything but a joke.
  Its MechWarriors have formed the backbone of every major operation the Illician Lancers have been
  a part of since the fall of the Star League. The sheer mass and toughness of its machines allowed
  the regiment to survive three centuries of grueling warfare—the MechWarriors of the Fourth can
  take almost any punishment their enemies threw at them, though more often than not potential
  enemies retreat in the face of almost ten thousand tons of ’Mechs bearing down on them.
  The Fourth Rangers have been assigned to the Federated Suns’ Capellan March for almost six decades, defending the Ziliang
  Salient. The regiment has been involved in numerous battles in those years on both sides of the border, allowing its MechWarriors to
  keep their edge. The regiment’s most significant actions this century came during the War of 3039 (when the Fourth Rangers assaulted
  Victoria in response to a McCarron’s Armored Cavalry strike at Kathil) and the FedCom Civil War. The Fourth Rangers suffered moder-
  ately heavy losses on the world of Sirdar while fighting alongside the Second Davion Guards, the Davion Light Guards, the First FedSuns
  Armored Cavalry, and both the Ninth and Twenty-first Illician Rangers, but have mostly rebuilt in the past four years. Today, the Fourth
  Rangers anchor the base of the Capellan March’s Sirdar PDZ on the world of Ashley.
  The Fourth paints distinctive blood red highlights on its equipment. Its insignia is a sword and an arrow crossed over a lance, set
  upon the same stylized bullet as the Lancers’ insignia, with a “4th” set at the top.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Unlike most of the senior officers in the Illician Order, Colonel Alicia Ramaley joined the Order as an “outsider,” having served two
  tours in the AFFS. She attended the Sakhara Academy, however, where she was introduced to a number of sons and daughters of Order
  members. It wasn’t until after a chance encounter on Sirdar with a group of Lancers, one of whom she had gone to school with, that she
  was given the chance to join the Lancers, an opportunity she could not pass up. Though a captain in the AFFS, she joined as a lieu-
  tenant and slowly worked her way up. She was promoted to Colonel and given command of the Fourth in 3047. She is feeling her age,
  however, and is looking to retire in a few months.
  TACTICS
  The Fourth Rangers is known as a slow and heavy regiment, though the second battalion is made up entirely of fast heavies and
  assaults. This gives the regiment the ability to find weak areas and strike both hard and fast.
  
  42
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  9th Illician Rangers
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Kenneth Koppel
  XO: Lieutenant Colonel James Ford
  The first and second battalions deploy the most maneuverable
  machines, while the third fields primarily assaults and slow heavies.
  9th Illician Air Guard
  Wing/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Major Travis Watson
  Like the Fourteenth Air Guard, the Ninth suffered heavy loss-
  es over Sirdar and currently only has nine operational fighters.
  13th Armored Cavalry Regiment
  Regiment/Regular/Fanatical
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Karsta Offenbach
  Machines like the Patton, Rommel, and Manticore fill the
  Thirteenth ACR, giving the Ninth Rangers a strong backbone
  and base of fire.
  29th Mechanized Cavalry
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Linus Motoc
  Each of the regiment’s platoons uses hover transports and
  has an additional hovertank to provide support.
  9TH ILLICIAN RANGERS: ROADRUNNERS
  The Ninth Rangers began life as primarily a light- to medium-’Mech regiment, but as the
  Succession Wars waged on, the Ninth absorbed heavier elements from other broken regiments. Early
  in the Third Succession War, the Ninth bore little resemblance to the unit it once was, at which point
  the Illician leadership reorganized the entirety of the Lancers organization—selling off their
  JumpShip fleet, disbanding two units that were regiments in name only, and consolidating
  their BattleMechs into the four surviving units.
  The Ninth was brought back up to strength after the Lancers took up position within the Draconis March,
  though only after the purchase of a large number of ’Mechs and the acceptance of many new members
  into the Order. This new incarnation of the Ninth Rangers immediately struck Lima, spearheading a
  renewed FedSuns drive against the Combine. After the Lancers won the day there, they continued to
  push, raiding behind enemy lines for years.The Ninth Rangers took part in no less than three strikes
  on An Ting and two on Matsuida over the next two decades, easing the toll the Combine took on the
  AFFS when it finally counterattacked and seriously wounded Prince Joseph Davion II, forcing him to abdicate.
  But the regiment’s luck did not hold out forever.The Ninth took a pounding on Marduk in 3000, while on Harrow’s Sun in 3002 the Fourth
  Proserpina Hussars successfully predicted the regiment’s battle plans and kept them from reinforcing the Davion Heavy Guards. Only the
  unexpected Kuritan withdrawal from the world kept the AFFS force from losing the entire campaign.
  The Ninth wasn’t the only regiment to have problems. The Illician Lancers’ faltering on the border was symptomatic of the entire
  AFFS operation in the Draconis March, due in no small part to the continuous operational tempo against the Combine. Nevertheless,
  the entire Lancers organization was transferred to the Capellan March and given the chance to let loose against the Confederation. The
  regiment took every chance to repay the Capellans for what they had done to the Illician Lancers as a whole, but was hamstrung by New
  Syrtis until after the Fourth Succession War. From that point on, the Ninth Rangers, along with the rest of the Lancers, vigorously defend-
  ed the Sirdar PDZ, occasionally striking into the Confederation when JumpShips were available.
  Today the Ninth is assigned to Verlo, where the unit has been rebuilding and training since taking part in the costly campaign for
  Sirdar. The unit paints blue highlights on its equipment, and its insignia is two lightning bolts set atop an arrow on the ground pointing
  toward a setting sun.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Now in his 19th year of commanding the Ninth Rangers, Colonel Kenneth Koppel is beginning to lose his edge. Following the action
  on Sirdar, he began to voluntarily take a backseat within the unit and allow his deputy to handle the day-to-day operations. With a full
  ten years on any of the other active officers in the Lancers, he is more than ready to give up “the life” and enjoy retirement.
  The Ninth’s deputy commander, Lieutenant Colonel James Ford, is either a sixth- or a tenth-generation Lancer, depending on whether
  you look at his mother’s or his father’s lineage.The third child of Alexandra Steward and Terry Ford, he definitely has the genes to move high
  within the organization—his father was Order Master at Arms and his maternal grandmother commanded the organization for 14 years.
  TACTICS
  Though the regiment now fields a relatively heavy ’Mech force, advances in technology have given the regiment’s BattleMechs a
  great deal of speed and mobility. Their MechWarriors use this to great effect, allowing them to live up to their unit nickname.
  
  21st Illician Rangers
  Regiment/Regular/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Aynsley Zibler
  XO: Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Santos
  The great majority of the Twenty-first Rangers’ ’Mechs are
  jump-capable, including many that had to be refitted with jump jets.
  Those without jumpjets are grouped into two companies, one
  assigned each to the first and second battalions. All ‘Mech pilots in
  the Twenty-first are proficient in using jump packs and other
  descent equipment, whether their individual ‘Mech possesses such
  equipment or not.
  13th Illician Air Guard
  Reinforced Wings/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Major Duilio Arquette
  The Thirteenth Air Guard flies three squadrons of primarily
  heavy fighters and specializes in air-to-ground attacks, providing
  the powerful support that the Rangers need during airborne
  assaults. It also flies three squadrons of cargo aircraft.
  25th Armored Cavalry Regiment
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Stephanie Wayland
  The first battalion of the Twenty-fifth ACR is an assault forma-
  tion, though the other two battalions field lighter equipment, making
  it easier to deliver via airdrop or other battlefield insertion methods.
  55th Mechanized Cavalry
  Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical
  CO: Lieutenant Colonel Larry Patton
  All of the Fifty-fifth Cavalry’s combat personnel are jump-
  trained; despite this, they can operate for extended periods without
  their vehicles or other mechanized support.
  43
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  21ST ILLICIAN RANGERS: DROP-AND-STOP
  When the Illician Lancers were formed in the 26th century, the Twenty-first was conceived as an airmo-
  bile/special forces regiment.The unit was assigned enough Union- and Leopard-class DropShips for its entire
  combat force, which included two companies of LAMs, and trained extensively for high-risk combat drops. The
  regiment performed so well that five years after its formation, its MechWarriors were working with select SLDF
  CAAN and Jump Infantry Divisions, teaching Star League MechWarriors to perform the same tactics.
  Once equipped with LAMs and jump-capable BattleMechs, the Succession Wars stripped the regiment of
  some of its capabilities; the last LAM was taken out of service in 3018 while the unit had to content itself with organiz-
  ing one non-jumping company in each battalion. These facts forced the unit’s MechWarriors to develop new skills that
  would allow them to accomplish the same type of missions they had undertaken in the past.
  Because of its unique skills, the Twenty-first Rangers bore the brunt of the most difficult missions and heaviest combat
  of any Lancer regiment. In fact, it was a mission led by the Twenty-first Rangers that caused the Lancers to leave the Capellan
  Confederation. Chancellor Otto Liao sent the Illician Lancers to assault the world of Asuncion.The Twenty-first Rangers were to drop onto the
  world, paving the way for the rest of the Illician Lancers to move in and take control of the Kallon Industries production facility, after which a
  Capellan relief force was to move in. That force never even departed Capellan space, however, and the Lancers were left on Asuncion with
  no support and little chance of retreating intact.What hope they had was crushed when League reinforcements arrived shortly thereafter.The
  Lancers ultimately negotiated their way off of Asuncion, but only at a high price.
  Some two centuries later, the Lancers are still in the employ of the Federated Suns and remain unwavering in their hatred for the
  Confederation and its Chancellors. Likewise, the Twenty-first Rangers remain committed to their original mission statement; they continue to
  accept high-risk assignments that literally drop them into the middle of armed encampments. The unit was particularly hard-hit by the action
  on Sirdar and, though it has mostly rebuilt, still has far to go before its new personnel show the level of skill their predecessors possessed.
  The insignia for the Twenty-first Illician Rangers is a lightning bolt sundering a planet in half.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Aynsley Zibler recently took command of the 21st Rangers after Colonel Roy Barnard became the Lancers’ S-2/Intelligence
  Officer. Colonel Zibler is a third-generation member of the Illician Order, but is also a cousin to the Ziblers serving as senior officers in the
  AFFS. He began his career as an enlisted MechWarrior in the Fourth Rangers, but participated in an exchange program in the 3040s that
  saw him working within the Third Ceti Hussars and Davion Light Guards for five years before returning to the Lancers. Before joining the Light
  Guards he took OCS at the Albion Military Academy, allowing him to come back as a lieutenant. He rose quickly afterward, serving in each
  of the Lancers regiments before finding his “home” in the Twenty-first Rangers.
  TACTICS
  The Twenty-first specializes in airborne operations and high-risk combat insertions, and regularly performs maneuvers that most others
  would never consider.
  
  44
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Kirkpatrick’s Invaders
  Battalion/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Lt. Col. Damon “Indestructible” Kirkpatrick
  Aide: Hauptmann Cynthia Hasseldorf
  XO/1st Co. (Kirkpatrick’s Pack):
  Major Malavai Hollensteiner
  2nd Co. (Kirkpatrick’s Fireflies): Captain Jason Reeves
  3rd Co. (Warriors of Steel): Captain Ilse Ansuelo
  All three Invaders BattleMech companies are trained to
  operate independent of one another, complete with their own
  assigned air lance, conventional infantry platoon, and technical
  staff. Though Kirkpatrick routinely hires them out for various mis-
  sions—so long as no two Invaders units ever cross paths—he
  always keeps one in reserve at the Invaders’ current baseworld,
  to guard the mercenaries’ dependents while the others are away.
  KIRKPATRICK’S INVADERS: 
  AN INDESTRUCTIBLE LEGACY
  In 3049, Kirkpatrick’s Invaders were born when Kirkpatrick’s Bandit Killers, a minor mercenary ’Mech
  battalion commanded by Colonel James Kirkpatrick, was mysteriously lost on the Periphery world of
  Erewhon during a routine pirate-hunting mission for the Federated Commonwealth. The remains of the
  Killers—a single BattleMech company—resurfaced on Solaris VII in 3051, led by the late commander’s wife,
  Captain Morgana Kirkpatrick-LaFayre. The company consisted of some of the worst discipline cases from
  the original Bandit Killers, including the Kirkpatricks’ only son, Damon, and Trent Hasseldorf, a minor noble
  and former AFFC officer.
  Though disorganized and demoralized by one of the initial attacks of the Clan invasion, the battle-
  hardened survivors of Erewhon formed the heart of a new mercenary battalion that Colonel Morgana
  Kirkpatrick—and later, her son—would spend the next fifteen years rebuilding. Reforged as Kirkpatrick’s
  Invaders, they earned their stripes in numerous minor raids against the Clan Occupation Zones throughout the
  3050s, including a series of deep raids against the Jade Falcons during Operation Bulldog. It was during one such
  raid in 3061 that Colonel Morgana was killed on the world of Apollo, forcing a young Damon Kirkpatrick to assume command and lead the
  Invaders on a hasty retreat to the Inner Sphere.
  While recuperating on Outreach, Kirkpatrick and his Invaders crossed paths with the 51st Dark Panzer Jaegers. Little is known about
  what exactly sparked the rivalry between them, but it is said that Kirkpatrick and Sir Colonel Troy Allen of the Jaegers took a strong dislike to
  one another over a discussion about the Steiner-Davion split.
  Ironically, though Kirkpatrick publicly derided Allen’s distaste for “petty squabbles,” one such dispute would soon prove to be the Invaders’
  crucible under Damon’s command. In 3063, the Invaders were drawn into the Kaumberg Conflict, a brushfire war that pitted former Invader
  Trent Hasseldorf (Baron von Stuttgart) against his family rivals in a microcosm of the looming FedCom Civil War.The conflict and its aftermath
  have ensnared the Invaders ever since, but with peace once more returning to Kaumberg and the Lyran state, Damon Kirkpatrick is once
  more eyeing contracts along the Clan front.
  The Invaders’ colors are flat gray with red highlights. The unit insignia is a bold, gray letter “K” against an oval-shaped starfield trimmed
  in red. Each Invaders company superimposes its own symbol over this standard, with Kirkpatrick’s Pack featuring a grinning caricature of a
  fox, Kirkpatrick’s Fireflies featuring a flaming insect, and the Warriors of Steel employing a red sunburst encasing a steel-riveted “W”.
  Dragoons Rating: B
  OFFICERS
  Lt. Colonel Damon Kirkpatrick—he refuses to assume the rank of his parents, in honor of their memory—has destroyed so many enemy
  machines he no longer bothers to keep count. This impressive record is overshadowed, however, by the fact that he has also lost more
  machines than he cares to recall. Coupled with the fact that he has yet to sustain more than a scratch from so many uncounted emergency
  ejections, this record has earned Kirkpatrick the unwanted nickname “Indestructible” from his men.
  TACTICS
  Long used to splitting up to pursue and hunt down pirates and raiders, and hoping to ensure that another Erewhon never happens,
  Kirkpatrick’s Invaders rarely operate in formations larger than a reinforced company in size. Lt. Col. Damon Kirkpatrick himself prefers to fight
  under optimum weather and lighting conditions and so tends to shun battle at night or when the weather is inclement.
  SUPPORT
  Kirkpatrick’s Invaders boasts sufficient tech support to cover the maintenance and repair needs of over 80 percent of each Invaders com-
  pany; all technical support staff is broken up along with the battalion’s combat forces.Each company also boasts a Union and Leopard DropShip
  of its own, though the Invaders’ single Merchant-class JumpShip, Pack’s Den, has insufficient capacity to transport all of them at once.
  
  The Legion of the Rising Sun
  Regiment/Veteran/Regular
  CO: Colonel Jürgen Petersen
  Aide: Colonel Mitsuko Kanae
  Their raids against Clan Smoke Jaguar allowed the Legion
  to incorporate a small quantity of Clan tech into their rosters,
  though mostly as weapons upgrades rather than whole ’Mechs.
  In addition to its ’Mech forces, the Legion also fields a company
  of light tanks and a battalion of infantry, both of which usually
  provide rear-area security for the regiment but which occasional-
  ly accompany ’Mech forces on front-line operations to maintain
  their combat edge.
  45
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  LEGION OF THE RISING SUN: 
  HONORED EXILES
  In the wake of the Fourth Succession War, Takashi Kurita’s “Death to Mercenaries” order lead
  to a mass exodus of small mercenary units from the Draconis Combine, many of which had
  decades-long ties to the Combine. These exiles made their way to Galatea, Outreach, and a host
  of other mercenary worlds where they struggled to survive. On Galatea, a number of such groups
  came together in the mid 3030s under the leadership of Jürgen Petersen, a Kuritan of Rasalhague
  heritage. Petersen dubbed this hybrid ’Mech force the Legion of the Rising Sun and their first oper-
  ational deployment was in support of the newborn Free Rasalhague Republic, ironically serving
  against rebel forces of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery. Despite difficult financial circum-
  stances, the Legion refused several FedCom contracts during the War of 3039 and languished in
  poverty for much of the 3040s. Indeed, the unit would likely have simply faded away were it not for the
  sudden demand for stopgap forces that accompanied the Clan Invasion.
  The Legion escaped the bloody carnage that accompanied the first months of the invasion, find-
  ing itself assigned to support front-line FedCom units preparing to engage the invaders. After the Battle
  of Luthien and the rapprochement between the Coordinator and mercenary forces, the Legion accepted
  several short-term contracts with the DCMS and Kuritan corporations, gaining experience against the Clan menace in a series of raids
  staged from Wolcott. Petersen’s command recruited troops from the survivors of DCMS units crushed by the Clan juggernaut and by the
  late 3050s had reached regimental size. With the Clan invasion stalled, Petersen and his troops began casting about for new opportu-
  nities. Attempts by the Word of Blake to recruit the mercenaries came to naught and instead Colonel Petersen lead his troops first to the
  Lyran Alliance and then, on the eve of the FedCom Civil War, into the employ of the Free Worlds League, where they remain. However,
  the reduced significance of mercenary forces in Thomas Marik’s FWLM means that the Legion’s contract is not likely to be renewed when
  it expires in early 3068, and Major Mitsuko Kanae is currently exploring several possibilities for the Legion.
  The Legion of the Rising Sun uses camouflage as appropriate to the local terrain while on duty, or a pale gray color scheme with
  red highlights when on parade. The Legion’s insignia depicts a Dragon BattleMech, silhouetted against a rising red sun on a white field.
  Dragoons Rating: B
  OFFICERS
  Command of the Legion remains in the hands of Colonel Jürgen Petersen, who has led the regiment according to his strict princi-
  pals and code of honor for the last thirty-five years. He remains fit and healthy, commanding from the cockpit of his Hatamoto-Ku. Despite
  his mercenary status, Petersen regards himself as a samurai, albeit a masterless ronin, and only employs warriors who meet his rigor-
  ous personal and martial criteria.
  One such individual is Major Mitsuko Kanae who serves as both executive officer and contract negotiator for the mercenary force.
  A veteran of the Battle of Luthien, Kanae found her prospects for promotion blocked by the gender prejudices of the DCMS and chose
  to resign her commission and take up service with the Legion, whom she had encountered on Wolcott. She is an accomplished admin-
  istrator and pilot but tends to be prejudiced against warriors of a non-Combine origin.
  TACTICS
  The Legion specializes in small-unit operations and its warriors are adept at both raiding and dueling. Many have faced the Clans
  and are familiar with the tenets of zellbrigen, which meshes well with their own Combine traditions.
  SUPPORT
  The Legion is fully equipped with DropShips but do not own a JumpShip and are thus reliant on employers to move their forces
  across the interstellar void. The Legion is, however, fully self-sufficient for medical and technical support.
  
  46
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  LEXINGTON COMBAT GROUP
  Following General Kerensky’s drive on Terra and the death of Stephan Amaris, the SLDF was
  thrown into a state of chaos, at least until General Kerensky put an end to it with his mass Exodus
  from the Inner Sphere. Of course, only some 80 percent of the SLDF followed their Commanding
  General. Many of those that stayed within the Inner Sphere were senior officers and NCOs—
  some with families and commitments, some wishing to stand up to their commanders. Most
  either retired from military life completely or joined one of the Successor States’ militaries.The rest
  struck out on their own. Therein lies the genesis of the Lexington Combat Group (LCG).
  Shortly after preparations for the Exodus began, nine SLDF officers, all former classmates of the
  Lexington Military Academy, a small private school outside of Lexington, North America on Terra, met
  for a class reunion and came to the conclusion that they would not follow Kerensky, deciding instead to
  embark on a venture of their own. While the SLDF prepared to leave the Inner Sphere, these officers qui-
  etly used their own network of friends and contacts to recruit a group of like-minded officers and NCOs.
  Before the Exodus launched, they pulled a major administrative coup. One of the original nine officers was a brigade comman-
  der and two more were regimental commanders; they transferred out anyone that wanted to participate in the Exodus, filling all vacan-
  cies—and then some—with their recruits. The other six classmates used their various positions to gather supplies and secret them in an
  unused depot on Bryant. When the Exodus came, these units instead made the journey to that world and, after a short period of orga-
  nization, officially formed the Lexington Combat Group.
  In almost three centuries of existence, the LCG has worked for every single Successor State, though the great majority of those
  years have been in service to the Federated Suns. The Group left the Federated Suns several times during the Succession Wars due to
  strained relations, but always returned, lured not by overly generous contracts but instead by a wide operational latitude and a great deal
  of respect offered by the AFFS High Command.
  The LCG fell prey to significant financial difficulties in the 3040s, when the technological revolution struck the Inner Sphere and mer-
  cenary units were faced with either upgrading their ’Mechs and other equipment or be relegated to second-class status.The group quick-
  ly found itself heavily indebted to the AFFC and other Federated Suns State interests, a debt it continues to pay off today. Though some
  call this the curse of the “Company Store,” it has kept the Group on the technological cutting-edge. And while the LCG may not have its
  debt paid off for another seventy years, its personnel enjoy serving as an integral link in the defensive network within the Capellan March.
  COMMAND
  The founding officers of the LCG instituted a series of checks and balances that would ensure no member would be promoted with-
  out cause and no family or group would gain predominance and turn the LCG into a “family affair.” Three separate councils—one of senior
  officers, one of mid-level officers, and one of NCOs and recruits—meet to approve every significant promotion (to gunnery sergeant and
  higher and major and higher) within the Group.
  Major General Malcolm Feinman has commanded the LCG for almost 25 years and has spent a total of 47 years within the unit. He
  is ready for retirement, however, and with the help of his regimental commanders is grooming a new generation of officers to take com-
  mand of the Group and lead it to the next century.
  FORCES
  Each BattleMech regiment is teamed with an aerospace fighter wing, a combined armor and mechanized infantry brigade, and the
  DropShip group to form a Combat Group. The combined armor/infantry brigade is the LCG’s most notable departure from the accepted
  organizational norm. Two battalions of heavy armor are teamed with two battalions of mechanized infantry, an aviation battalion, and an
  artillery battalion, giving the combat group’s commander a wide range of capabilities on the battlefield. LCG MechWarriors and soldiers
  train extensively in combined-arms operations, making them deadly opponents in any situation.
  SUPPORT
  The LCG has technical and logistics staffs that are more than capable of providing most of the support required by the unit, but the
  logistics staff depends heavily upon the AFFS Department of the Quartermaster (DQ) for replacement units, spare parts, and other con-
  sumables; while most of that can be found on the free market, (and indeed the staff works with suppliers based throughout the Inner
  Sphere), the DQ gives the unit considerable price breaks.
  COLORS AND INSIGNIA
  The LCG’s insignia is a diagonal black stripe over white on a red shield, overlaid with a horizontal saber. The LCG employ a red
  paint scheme, with a black stripe down the left torso and leg on 'Mechs, and across the left side of vehicles and fighter craft.
  
  Lexington Combat Group Command
  Battalion/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Major General Malcolm Feinman
  XO: Lieutenant General Mifune
  The Group Command battalion consists of a company each of
  heavy ’Mechs, armor, and attack VTOLs, as well as a battle armor
  platoon. It provides security for General Feinman, his XO, General
  Mifune, and the LCG mobile command and control elements.
  32nd Recon Regiment
  Reinforced Regiment/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Jules Boruzescu
  The heaviest and slowest ’Mechs in the regiment
  belong to Golf Company, Third Battalion, which fields three
  Falconers, two Maelstroms, two Starslayers, two Warhammers,
  an Argus, a Barghest, and a Thanatos.
  2476th Tactical Fighter Wing
  Wing/Elite/Reliable
  CO: Major William Cassidy
  Major Cassidy and his “Sky Riders” are expert close air sup-
  port fliers. They are typically called upon to deliver precision
  bomb attacks against pockets of heavy resistance, paving the
  way for the Thirty-second to break through enemy lines and
  wreak havoc.
  1st Lexington Cavalry Brigade
  2 Regiments/Veteran/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Trish Franks
  Except for the artillery assets, all of the vehicles assigned to
  the First Brigade are fast attack and scout units.
  47
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  32ND RECON COMBAT GROUP:
  MALCOLM’S SPRINTERS
  The Thirty-second Recon is the direct descendant of the SLDF’s Thirty-second Recon Regiment,
  a specialized unit organized in 2765 after the New Vandenberg Uprising. Colonel Lochan Gael led the
  regiment during General Kerensky’s assault on Terra. In early 2780 it was assigned to the 312th Battle
  Brigade, which Gael took command of after his promotion to lieutenant general. Four years later, General
  Gael led his brigade to Bryant and into the mercenary life as part of the Lexington Combat Group.
  Since the formation of the LCG, the Thirty-second Recon has been the command group of
  the entire mercenary unit. It is decidedly lightweight, specializing in reconnaissance, raid-
  ing, and pursuit missions since its SLDF progenitor was formed. Its specialization means
  that the Thirty-second is often assigned missions that would be inappropriate for the com-
  mander of the entire LCG—a fact learned during the First Succession War when General Gael was killed in
  action, resulting in the loss of Bryant. Since then, a separate command battalion has been attached to the Thirty-second Recon.
  The LCG has jumped around the Federated Suns during its long history with that nation, but has been largely confined to the
  Capellan March for most of this century. Like their fellow mercenaries, the Illician Lancers, the LCG forms the core of a strong deterrent
  formation within the Sirdar PDZ; plans have existed since the start of the Fourth Succession War for a drive on Sian, spearheaded by
  these mercenaries. The fact that this operation has never been ordered is proof that the Capellan Confederation is fearful enough of the
  potential outcome to tread lightly.
  So, while the Thirty-second has a great deal of experience in dealing with cross-border raids, its most significant action in the last
  several decades was during the FedCom Civil War, first on the world of Brockway and then on Panpour.
  The Thirty-second Recon’s insignia is a rabbit jumping over a crater on a blasted landscape.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Jules Boruzescu is responsible for the Thirty-second Recon Combat Group and all of its personnel. A refugee from the Duchy
  of Andurien, he and his parents found asylum in the Federated Suns in 3031 while the Andurien War of Secession waged on. Boruzescu
  joined the LCG in 3036 as an infantryman and worked his way up from there. In 3042 he completed both OCS and MechWarrior training,
  serving in the 241st Battle for nine years before coming to the Thirty-second Recon. He was promoted to colonel in February of 3065 after
  Colonel Irina Gant was killed in action on Panpour and has led the unit since. He is a quiet officer, preferring to let his deputy and senior
  staff to “make the noise” within the unit, but has demonstrated an outstanding strategic mind. As the youngest of the LCG’s colonels, he
  is the favorite to take command of the entire organization when Major General Feinman and the rest finally retire.
  TACTICS
  Though the Thirty-second can operate in almost any environment, it prefers hilly, urban, or other terrain that affords a great deal of
  cover. In such terrain, the Thirty-second is nearly unstoppable. It fields a large number of ’Mechs and vehicles equipped with ECM gear,
  preventing an enemy from discerning their movements until it’s too late.
  
  48
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  241st Battle Regiment
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Frederic Zaffson
  Colonel Zaffson received one of the two Templars
  given the Lexington Combat Group by Field Marshal George
  Hasek for the mercenaries’ show of courage and skill during the
  FedCom Civil War. Unfortunately, that leaves the regiment some
  42 machines short of a full TO&E. For now, every company is
  running slightly understrength, though they still keep the organi-
  zation of at least three battalions in the field.
  191st Tactical Fighter Wing
  Wing/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Major Willard “Surfboy” DeLaurier
  The 191st “Goony Birds” fought hard against the massive
  March Militia fighter group on Panpour. While they ultimately won
  the day, they only had five functional fighters at the end—four of
  their pilots were dead and seven were in the hospital. On the
  other hand, they had the expertise of Jalestar Aerospace to bring
  them back up to strength. Fighters that could not be put back
  together were outright replaced by planes fresh off of the com-
  pany’s production lines.
  2nd Lexington Cavalry Brigade
  2 Regiments/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Gerd Kreitz
  The Second Brigade is a much stronger force than outsiders
  may think. Both armored battalions field massive machines like
  Demolishers, Ontos, and Partisans, along with a handful of
  Alacorns and Ajaxes as well. Additionally, one of the mechanized
  infantry companies is equipped entirely with Cavalier battle
  armor—though that battalion is currently twenty percent under-
  strength—while the artillery battalion has a full reinforced com-
  pany of Long Tom tubes, supported by eight Arrow IV
  Demolishers.
  241ST BATTLE COMBAT GROUP: 
  FREDERIC’S GAZELLES
  The battle for Bryant in 2786 proved the capabilities of the Lexington Combat Group
  to one and all. Though the mercenaries were ultimately pushed off that world, they sav-
  aged the opposing Capellans. It was also during this fight that the 241st Battle gained
  its more common moniker. The ’Mech regiment spread out across a wide savannah in
  preparation for battle, and Colonel R. Jacob Danforth, commander of the 180th Dragoon,
  quipped, “there go the herds of Graham’s Gazelles” in a transmission to the 241st’s com-
  mander, Colonel Graham Yu. Of course, the 241st fielded anything but a quick and
  graceful force of ’Mechs; since the beginning, the 241st has been composed of primar-
  ily heavy BattleMechs.
  The Gazelles have since come to be known as jacks-of-all-trades.Though they don’t
  have the armor to stand up against an assault regiment, they have fair maneuverability
  and can direct withering firepower against their enemies. That was no more evident than
  in the battle for Panpour just two years ago. Elements of the Islamabad CrMM and Warren CMM were holding the world for Archon
  Katherine Steiner-Davion and had to that point kept the Fighting Urukhai and the First Albion Cadre at bay. The LCG made a risky com-
  bat jump into the heart of the city of Kantara, led by the 241st Battle. That move caught the March Militia defenders off-guard, and the
  241st drove them from their defensive positions inside the Jalestar Aerospace production facility. While this charge sent the defenders
  into a near-rout, the Gazelles suffered heavily; two years later, the ’Mech regiment is still short almost an entire battalion of machines.
  The insignia for the 241st Battle is a crossed torch and sword on a black background with a pair of red eyes staring out from the black.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  A 44-year veteran of the Lexington Combat Group, Colonel Frederic Zaffson, like General Feinman, is looking to retire soon. Zaffson
  had wanted to oversee the rebuilding of the 241st, but the injuries he sustained on Panpour are slowly leaving him crippled and unable
  to function in a cockpit. He is still doing what he can in his office, but the administrative minutia is bringing him more and more frustra-
  tion. Fortunately, Colonels Gerd Kreitz, commander of the cavalry brigade, and Michele Furst, Zaffson’s deputy, are picking up the slack
  and getting the job done within the 241st.
  TACTICS
  Though the Gazelles often use straightforward tactics, they have been known to pull some tricks out of their sleeves. One they used
  to great effect on Brockway included a number of radical 90 degree shifts in their direction of march, rapidly displacing the entire group
  by some 20 kilometers and allowing them to catch the Eleventh Avalon Hussars by surprise.
  
  180th Dragoon Regiment
  Regiment/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Marie Stevens
  Like the 241st Battle, the 180th Dragoon suffered
  heavy losses in the battle for Panpour, though a relatively small
  number of machines were rendered irreparable. With the aid of
  the Jalestar Aerospace technical staff, the regiment quickly
  returned to active service. It is still approximately a company of
  ’Mechs short of full-strength, but is scheduled to receive replace-
  ment units within the next six months.
  755th Tactical Fighter Wing
  Wing/Elite/Reliable
  CO: Major Angela “Moms” Hill
  The “Air Hammers” fly mostly light and medium fighters, and
  are among the best dogfighters in the Capellan March, as evi-
  denced by their record on Panpour: in the initial assault on
  Kantara, they shot down thirty-seven enemy fighters without los-
  ing one of their own, and later accounted for fourteen more.
  3rd Lexington Cavalry Brigade
  2 Regiments/Veteran/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Harry Blake
  The Third Cavalry Brigade’s composition closely resembles
  that of the Second Brigade, except that its artillery battalion fields
  one full company of Arrow IV-equipped Demolishers and an extra
  troop of spotters in fast hovercraft.
  49
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  180TH DRAGOON COMBAT GROUP: 
  MARIE’S GOLDEN HAMMERS
  The dedicated assault force of the Lexington Combat Group, the 180th Dragoon has, somewhat
  surprisingly, seen the lightest combat of the three LCG Combat Groups. Simply put, the 180th Dragoon
  is a slow-moving death-dealing force that few opponents are willing to chance an encounter with. That
  does not mean the unit has never seen combat in its almost three centuries of existence. Its
  MechWarriors and soldiers were often called upon during the years of the Succession Wars, primarily
  to assault heavily defended fortifications or to strike a blow against another strong unit.
  Heavy assault may be the unit’s primary function on the battlefield, but it is not the only thing that
  the Golden Hammers can do, as evidenced by the unit’s performance during the FedCom Civil War. On
  Brockway, the 180th Dragoon crossed nearly 500 kilometers of highlands in severe weather during a
  single night to strike the 11th Avalon Hussars in their Whiteville base. A few months later, the entire
  ’Mech regiment participated in a massive orbital drop onto the city of Freddendal, a move that shocked
  the Avalon Hussars and sent them into retreat.
  Two years later, the Golden Hammers repeated this accomplishment, dropping onto the city of
  Kantara on Panpour to dislodge significant elements of two defending March Militia RCTs. The original
  Panpour battle plan called for surrounding the retreating March Militia units and have the Golden Hammers deliver the coup de grace;
  unfortunately, the DeMaestri’s Sluggers regiment of the Fighting Urukhai were angered by the arrival of the LCG on Panpour and tried
  to close the trap themselves, only to be nearly destroyed in the process.Worse still, friendly fire from the 180th destroyed several Urukhai
  ’Mechs. Even though two independent review boards found no fault with the Golden Hammers, or any LCG personnel for that matter,
  the Urukhai took the matter personally, finding any reason they could to clash with the LCG. Ultimately, they absconded with a DropShip
  full of salvage and fled the Federated Suns for the Taurian Concordat, where they were destroyed. The facts of the feud were disputed
  throughout the mercenary community, and many units already jealous of the LCG for their long-standing relationship with the AFFS have
  taken up the Urukhai’s banner in continuing the feud.
  The 180th Dragoon’s insignia is a war hammer set upon a rising sun.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Marie Stevens was hit particularly hard by the Fighting Urukhai’s vitriol. She has been a career mercenary for more than 40
  years and has always held herself and her personnel to the highest of standards. She has never tolerated firing upon an unarmed or
  non-functional target and is widely known for showing her enemies a higher level of compassion than was warranted. She feels sorry for
  the Urukhai’s losses, and has sent personal messages to the families of every Urukhai MechWarrior lost in the battle for Kantara, but
  can’t begin to fathom the reason for the hatred shown her and her comrades.
  TACTICS
  The 180th Dragoon can demonstrate incredible bursts of speed when necessary. Unfortunately, this can be extremely hard on its
  machines and is only used as a last resort or when the needs of the mission outweigh the potential for damage.
  
  50
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Martian Cuirassiers
  Battalion/Veteran/Questionable
  CO/1st Company: Colonel Zane Cole
  XO/2nd Company: Major Estefan Webb
  3rd Company: Captain Arlene Mosiro
  Medium-weight BattleMechs dominate the ranks of the
  Martian Cuirassiers, but a hefty number of these machines incor-
  porate recovered technology. Zane Cole’s First Company, how-
  ever, maintains the unit’s true pride and joy: a trio of Clan
  OmniMechs salvaged during a recent raid against ComStar’s Tall
  Trees garrison.
  Ares’ Swords
  2 Battalions/Regular/Questionable
  Armor CO: Major Virginia Helsi
  Infantry CO: Major Juan Webb
  The Ares’ Swords are the Martian Cuirassiers’ heavy sup-
  port section. Comprised originally of a battalion each of armor
  and infantry, and a heavy aerospace wing, the fighting on Gan
  Singh wiped out the aerospace assets and left the ground-based
  battalions heavily damaged. Colonel Cole has managed to sal-
  vage most of the Swords, but the Cuirassiers now rely heavily on
  employer-provided air support.
  MARTIAN CUIRASSIERS: 
  PAPER TIGER, STEEL FANGS
  The Martian Cuirassiers began in 3003 when John Webb, then-owner of the now-defunct Phobos
  Interstellar (a prominent mining corporation headquartered on Mars), inexplicably yielded control over
  the bulk of the family estate and his company’s private security force to his estranged son, Elliot. Rumors
  abounded that Elliot Webb—whose record as a militia officer was thin at best, and who was known in his
  youth as the quintessential spoiled brat—had somehow blackmailed his father into granting him the
  means to form his own mercenary command, but even today, nobody knows what really transpired.
  What is known is that Webb focused on developing his Martian Cuirassiers by emphasizing techni-
  cal support over all other considerations. A savvy and ruthless negotiator, he assured that all Cuirassier con-
  tracts rewarded his command exceptionally well for any combat, while simultaneously taking defensive missions
  well inside an employer’s territory. When on assignment, Webb used his considerable social skills to get into his
  employers’ good graces, simultaneously assuring that his Cuirassiers would stay relatively safe from harm while granting them access
  to their employer’s supply chain. However, this approach placed his mercenaries well beyond the reach of any combat that could have
  honed their skills as a fighting force. By the mid-3020s, the Cuirassiers, by then a longtime employee of the Free Worlds League, had
  fought in only five major engagements in their entire history, a fact that led many to consider the mercenaries a mere “paper tiger”.
  In the mid-3050s, after a string of low-profile garrison missions and fruitless pirate hunts along the League’s Periphery border, the
  Cuirassiers left House Marik’s employ for greener pastures. During Operation Guerrero, they were hired by Styk’s provisional govern-
  ment to secure the neighboring world of Gan Singh, but while their mission was a success, helping to forge the short-lived Styk
  Commonality, the Cuirassiers’ long-awaited trail by fire cost them the bulk of their aerospace assets and the life of then-commander
  Ricardo Webb. Ever since, the Martian Cuirassiers have grown up fast in the dangerous Chaos March. While undertaking a variety of
  small jobs for local leaders, Cuirassier troops have engaged and survived enemies both great and small, proving that even a paper tiger
  can have fangs of steel.
  The Martian Cuirassiers use a camouflage scheme composed primarily of shades of red and gray. The unit logo is a black shield
  upon which is an image of the planet Mars, flanked by its two moons, Phobos and Deimos.
  Dragoons Rating: C
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Zane Cole took over the Cuirassiers upon Ricardo Webb’s death on Gan Singh. Ricardo’s son, Estefan, Cole’s executive
  officer, remains reluctant to assume full command of his family’s legacy, and has not contested this apparent usurping of his birthright.
  TACTICS
  Since losing their aerospace assets over Gan Singh, the Cuirassiers have been forced to restructure their tactics by incorporating
  more of their armor and infantry elements into their main body force. This approach has proven useful, but the mercenaries remain most
  effective when friendly air support is available.
  SUPPORT
  Owing to their perennial obsession with maintaining all of their equipment in excellent shape, the Martian Cuirassiers boast full tech-
  nical support for all their machines. However, the command currently lacks transportation assets and must rely on employers for
  DropShip and JumpShip support.
  
  51
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  NORTHWIND HIGHLANDERS: A SCOTTISH LEGACY
  The Northwind Highlanders can trace their origins back to the first Scottish regiments, which began to
  appear on ancient Terra around the seventeenth century. During the next two centuries of military growth, the
  precursors of the current Northwind Highlanders were raised. However, in the latter half of the twentieth century,
  as Terra’s nations began to downsize their militaries, most of the Scottish regiments were decommissioned or
  amalgamated. By the time of the formation of the Terran Alliance in 2086, only the Royal Black Watch and
  Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) remained, and they were no more than parade units.
  During the middle of the twenty-second century, Clan Stuart made the decision to build a new life away
  from the Terran Alliance and its decaying regime. Accompanying Clan Stuart was the last remaining vestige
  of Scottish regiments.
  In 2362, the Clan Elders of Northwind raised the first of several regiments: the First Kearny Highlanders. Most
  of the volunteers who formed the First were descendents of the original regiment that made landfall, creating an unbro-
  ken chain of blood and traditions stretching back centuries.
  In subsequent centuries, the Highlanders grew in fame, garnering a reputation as tenacious, honorable fighters. As the regiments spent
  more time abroad, a rift began to grow between them and the Clan Elders, which eventually led to the Highlanders accepting mercenary ser-
  vice with the Confederation toward the end of the Star League.
  During the Succession Wars, their reputation grew further, inspiring fear and respect in equal measure. In 2841, House Davion forces
  captured Northwind, destroying Stuarts Highlanders and Third Kearny Highlanders. Though this tragedy might have shattered a lesser com-
  mand, the Highlanders simply firmed their resolution to return to Northwind one day.
  That day came during the Fourth Succession War when the Highlanders left House Liao to accept service in House Davion, allowing
  them to return from exile. The next decades saw very little action for the Highlanders, until the return of Kerensky’s children. On the Jade
  Falcon border, Highlander regiments, though battered to within a finger’s breadth of destruction in several actions, showed the Clanners that
  not all Inner Sphere units—particularly mercenaries—could be taken lightly.
  A new chapter for the Highlanders unfolded in 3057. As Houses Liao and Marik launched assaults on the Federated Commonwealth’s
  Sarna March, acting senior Colonel MacLeod made the fateful decision to turn away from their employers—due to a rift with ambitious offi-
  cials who tried to exploit the chaos to further their own goals—and ordered all Highlander regiments home.The Third Royal Guards tried, and
  failed, to stop the move.
  Truly independent for the first time in all the centuries of their existence, the Highlander regiments are making their own way, despite con-
  siderable friction between them and the Clan Elders, especially over the regiment’s recent decision to join the Wolf’s Dragoons Allied
  Mercenary Command.
  At the current time, all Highlander regiments are currently en route to Northwind—activating a seldom-used clause in their contracts—
  due to the accidental death of the top four Clan Elders in succession, requiring the regiments to be on hand for a new election.
  COMMAND AND FORCES
  Though some families have gained a power and influence over the centuries—leading to well-concealed but still evident issues of class
  and bloodlines—no lineage can guarantee command of Highlander regiments. However, a person must be able to trace their lineage to an
  original member of the Highlander regiment that made landfall with Clan Stuart if they wish to command above battalion level.Though at one
  time the Clan Elders—the governing body of Northwind, made up of the eldest members of the most important Clans on Northwind—appoint-
  ed each regimental commander, the long years of their exile did away with that prerogative. However, the Elders can still exert considerable
  pressure to support or remove a commander.
  The Highlanders currently field five combat reinforced regiments, with a single independent command attached to the First Kearny. Unlike
  many mercenary commands, the Highlanders fully integrate their forces at the company level, though ’Mechs predominate.
  Each regiment has a command company with an integrated air wing, while each battalion includes a command lance.
  SUPPORT
  The Highlanders pride themselves on the fighting quality of their troops, as well as the equipment they utilize. As such, each regiment
  boasts over one hundred percent support from their superb technical teams.
  Each Highlander regiment has integrated transport assets, with enough DropShips and JumpShips to transport the entire brigade.
  COLORS AND INSIGNIA
  There is no uniform paint scheme, with each command using a camouflage scheme appropriate to their mission.
  The Northwind Highlanders insignia was recently changed to reflect their return to Northwind and to re-establish firm ties with Clan Stuart:
  a shield of the Clan Stuart tartan, emblazoned with a claymore.
  The brigade logo is displayed on the left chest, turret, or fuselage, with a slightly smaller regimental crest displayed on the right side. A
  swatch of the regiment’s tartan is displayed below the regimental logo, while the warrior’s personal family tartan is displayed on the right leg,
  right wing, or front of the vehicle.
  
  52
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Regimental Command Company
  Company/Elite/Fanatical
  XO: Colonel Stell Kozyra
  The entire command company is composed of Clan
  BattleMechs.
  Commanded by Captain Lydia Patterson, the First Kearny
  Air Wing are the most elite aerospace pilots of any Highlander
  regiment. Considered a ‘prestige posting,’ a minimum ten years
  in the cockpit is a base requirement before Captain Patterson
  even considers a transfer.
  1st Kearny Highlanders
  Reinforced Regiment/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Colonel Edward Senn
  Queen’s Own: Major David Lee Senn
  78th Highland: Major Til Honey
  Gordon: Major Evelyn Marks
  Only Gordon’s battalion, third company, contains vehicles—
  twelve total.The rest of the regiment is eight-five percent upgraded
  with Star League technology.
  First Gurkhas
  Battalion/Elite/Reliable
  CO: Lt. Colonel Michael McPherson
  6th Comp: Major Charles Ford
  7th Comp: Captain Robert Shay
  10th Comp: Captain Julie Stiles
  The First Gurkhas are the special forces of the Northwind
  Highlanders. As some of the finest mercenary special forces cur-
  rently in service—on par with DEST and Rabid Fox personnel—the
  Gurkhas are used judiciously and only at the discretion of the
  senior regimental commander. Their name stems from a desire to
  honor the fighting prowess of the original Brigade of Gurkhas from
  ancient Terra and to create a myth for this modern unit.
  Never wanting for supplies, the Gurkhas are in the process of
  fully incorporating battle armor.
  FIRST KEARNY HIGHLANDERS: TRADITION’S WEIGHT
  Established in 2362, the history of the First Kearny Highlanders stretches unbroken almost seven hundred years.
  More, they tap into an ancestry of an additional seven hundred years, to the first Scottish regiments raised in the
  Highlands of ancient Terra. With such a history of traditions and excellence, the First are the epitome of what the
  Inner Sphere has come to expect from a Highlander.
  One of their first combat actions occurred in 2366 against the Second Oriente Hussars on the world of Lopez.
  The unexpected appearance of PPC-carrying Maniticores radically shifted the balance of power, and the First
  took a pounding before a daring raid against the Hussars’ supply depots allowed them to escape annihilation.
  In 3008, the First fought the famed Wolf’s Dragoons on the world of New Aragon. Though they put up a
  tenacious fight—along with the Second Kearny, they handed the Dragoon’s Zeta Battalion one of the few defeats of their career—
  in the end the rest of the Capellan defenders could not hold against the determined Davion assault, and New Aragon fell.
  The First participated in the liberation of Northwind from Combine forces in the Fourth Succession War, then enjoyed several decades
  of relative peace. However, following the Truce of Tukayyid, the First, along with two other Highlander regiments, found themselves on the Jade
  Falcon border, where repeated raids for the next several years took their toll.
  In 3054, the First were directed by Mogyorod’s planetary governor to forcibly seize illegally held Clan contraband from the Dragonslayers
  mercenary unit. With their usual fervor, the First launched a massive dawn assault which caught the Dragonslayers totally flatfooted. As nei-
  ther unit were willing to sacrifice men or equipment over a blatant breach of contract, the Dragonslayers promptly surrendered.
  The First Kearny Highlanders display the Royal Stuart tartan: a black background overlaid with white.
  Dragoons Rating: A+
  OFFICERS
  Fascinated by the exploits of ancient military leaders from a young age, Colonel Edward Senn uses the knowledge he has gained from
  such studies in his quest to better his Highlanders. During an engagement fought against House Kurita forces just before the War of 3039,
  First Kearny’s stubborn refusal to give way regardless of the cost earned Senn and his unit the respect of the enemy DCMS commander. As
  the DCMS forces lifted off-planet, their commander broadcast a solemn vow to meet the man he named “the Mountain” again; an impressive
  tribute comparing Senn to Takeda Shingen, a feudal Japanese warlord, legendary for his implacable refusal to quit any battlefield.
  TACTICS
  The First Kearny simply refuse to leave the field of battle under any circumstances other than victory; a tenacity which has allowed them
  to snatch victory from defeat many times, but usually at a high cost in equipment and personnel.
  SUPPORT
  The First Kearny Fleet, commanded by Admiral Paul Doohan, consists of the Monolith-class Spirit of Edinburgh, the Star Lord-class
  Queen Anne and Queen Mary, Invader-class King’s Own, Jacoby, and Monymusk, and the Scout-class Argyll and Princess Louise.
  
  Regimental Command Company
  Company/Elite/Reliable
  XO: Lt. Colonel Jeremiah Johnson
  As though to set themselves apart from the First,
  not a single Clan ’Mech is found in the regimental command
  company, though they are all Inner Sphere OmniMechs.
  The Second Air Wing, commanded by Captain Carmella
  Barbara, surprisingly contains all pre-3050 designs, as though
  to thumb their noses at the First. However, this inhibits them
  very little.
  2nd Kearny Highlanders
  Reinforced Regiment/Elite/Reliable
  CO: Colonel James D. Cochrane
  Ambercromby: Major Elia Smith
  Cameronian: Major Connie Evans
  100th: Major Peter Green
  The second company of the One Hundredth Battalion is fully
  composed of vehicles; the rest of the regiment is ninety percent
  upgraded, with the few Clan ’Mech at their disposal found in
  Ambercromby Battalion.
  53
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  SECOND KEARNY HIGHLANDERS: 
  HONOR BOUND
  The Second have a history and reputation every bit as storied as their sister regiment. Raised in 2363,
  the Second served on both Lopez and Berenson against House Marik and took part in the occupation of
  Demeter in 2761, but were quickly withdrawn to deal with an insurrection on Hsien in 2762. In an act that
  demonstrated Highlander tenacity, the Second spent the next forty years tracking down and destroy-
  ing the mercenary unit Gladston’e Gladiators after they broke contract with House Liao.
  Since that time, the Second have shown a particular antipathy for other merce-
  nary units; in the defense of Lincoln against Kurita mercenaries in 2802, the Second
  refused to give quarter to Daemian’s Destroyers, despite repeated pleas on the part of the Kurita
  defenders to be allowed to surrender. The Highlanders current involvement with the Dragoon’s
  Allied Mercenary Command is particularly galling to the Second—they’ve refused to be involved
  after Cochrane’s vehement arguments did not dissuade the final Northwind commitment.
  Unfortunately, one of their most famous battles ended in defeat: the Great Lee Turkey
  Shoot. In 2953, Chancellor Ingrid Liao ordered the invasion of the Davion world of Lee. She
  believed she had found the Achilles heel of the other Great Houses—their heavy reliance on ground forces, especially ’Mech units. She
  assumed the light Sparrowhawks of the defending Fifth Davion Heavy Guards were no match for the heavy Eagles and Thunderbirds of
  the Second Kearny Highlanders. The sheer perseverance and daring of the defending units, however, blunted the easy victory for which
  Chancellor Liao had hoped. After a running battle of several days, the Davion fighters pushed the invaders from the sky. With air superi-
  ority belonging to the defenders, the Highlander ground troops had no choice but to withdraw.
  The Second Kearny Highlanders display the Stuart tartan: a red background overlaid primarily with green, secondarily with blue.
  Dragoons Rating: A-
  OFFICERS
  Colonel James D. Cochrane fought to rise to his position. Many members of the First Battalion preferred then-Major Andrea Stirling,
  whom the previous commander had been grooming. However, Stirling graciously turned down command, throwing her support to
  Cochrane. Though he has the total loyalty of the Second, at times Cochrane does not see it, and he carries a slight inferiority complex
  that was deepened when the Second was not included in either Operation Bulldog or the operation against the Smoke Jaguars on
  Wayside. The rest of the regimental commanders turn a blind eye to this situation, but the Clan Elders do not, and they are beginning to
  agitate for his removal.
  TACTICS
  The Second is devoted to its officer corps, particularly its commander, James Cochrane. As such, even when a commander has fall-
  en, they will not leave him behind on the field of battle.
  SUPPORT
  Commanded by Admiral Jacqueline Fredericks, the Second Kearny Fleet consists of the Star Lord-class Alexandria and Aboukir
  Bay, Invader-class Sultan of Mysore, Xhosa and Quatre-Bras, the Merchant-class Tullibody, Seaforth, and Erracht, and the Scout-class
  Fassieffern and Dargai.
  
  54
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Regimental Command Company
  Company/Elite/Reliable
  XO: Lt. Colonel Garry Shean
  In a regiment of ‘bad boys,’ the command company
  outdoes itself in reinforcing the mystique, as though they have a
  legacy to live up to; MacLeod has to rein them in now and then.
  MacLeod’s Regiment
  Reinforced Regiment/Elite/Reliable
  CO: Colonel William MacLeod
  Roughnecks: Major Chastity Mulvaney
  Rangers: Major Jeff Huff
  Jaegers: Major Lloyd Chang
  Due to their inclusion in Operation Bulldog, the Bad Boys
  boast the highest Clan tech percentage of any Highlander regi-
  ment outside the Fusiliers, with the rest of the unit upgraded with
  Star League technology. Only the Third Company of Jaegers
  Battalion is composed of vehicles.
  Regimental Old Guard
  Company/Elite/Fanatical
  CO: Lt. Colonel Aria Jacobs
  Started as a joke, the typical Highlander propensity
  for tradition soon turned the Old Guard into ‘clan law.’ Usually
  only Highlanders over the age of fifty may request a positing to
  the Old Guard; though some are accepted outside of the Bad
  Boys, not many make the cut. A few ‘young bloods’ have been
  members from time to time, but only by unanimous vote are they
  accepted. Regardless of their age, however, they are one of the
  most potent companies within the entire Highlander Brigade.
  Strangely enough, the MacLeod Air Wing is attached to the
  Old Guard, instead of the Regimental Command Lance. Captain
  Seth McDaniels commands.
  MACLEOD’S REGIMENT: BAD BOYS
  The unit originally known as Marion’s Highlanders when raised in 2369 quickly earned a reputation as the
  least disciplined of all Highlander regiments. During their centuries of Capellan employ, this reached almost leg-
  endary status, eventually leading to a disband order in 2899, which remained in effect until 2902; as usual, they
  ignored the order.
  In 2425, an officer from the Second Battalion, hired by local radicals, assassinated Chancellor Arden Baxter.
  Though the unit managed to escape wholesale retribution—most likely the new Chancellor did not wish to alienate the
  rest of the Highlander regiments—they were reassigned to the Periphery-Davion border where their reputation for politi-
  cal unreliability kept them for three centuries.
  During the First and Second Succession Wars, the Bad Boys saw heavy action against House Davion. In 2761,
  they participated in the assault on Demeter, and they successfully raided the aerospace repair facility on Brighton in 2872.
  In 2834, along with McCormack’s Fusiliers, the Bad Boys defeated elements of the Deneb Light Cavalry during the Davion attack on Acala.
  Of all the Northwind regiments, MacLeod’s suffered the most during the Highlanders bid for independence during Operation Guerrero of
  3057. Not only did Field Marshal Harrison Bradford, commander of the Third Royal Guards RCT, send a First NAIS Cadre strike force on a
  headhunting mission to eliminate Colonel MacLeod and his command, but the unit split over the decision to leave Davion service, forcing
  Highlander to fight Highlander for the first time in their long history.
  By far their most impressive—and famous—action involved their inclusion in Task Force Serpent. As with all the units that participated,
  the Bad Boys took horrendous losses, but in the end were instrumental in destroying the final vestiges of Clan Smoke Jaguar. Upon return-
  ing to the Inner Sphere, they took the unusual step of heavily recruiting off-world personnel to quickly refill their ranks.
  MacLeod’s Regiment displays the MacLeod tartan: a yellow background overlaid primarily with black, secondarily with red.
  Dragoons Rating: A-
  OFFICERS
  Colonel William MacLeod’s every word and action tells those under his command he will always do what is best for the regiment—and
  the Highlanders as a whole, when he acts as senior commander—regardless of the consequences.This trait was clearly seen when he made
  the fateful decision to order all Highlander regiments home, splitting from the Federated Commonwealth. This ‘bad boy’ attitude fits the regi-
  ment to a tee, earning him an almost fanatical devotion from his troops.
  TACTICS
  The Bad Boys are wild and unpredictable, allowing them to seize the initiative more often than not; when you run against them, you never
  know what tactics they’ll bring to bear.
  SUPPORT
  MacLeod’s Fleet, commanded by Admiral Bridgett McCollin, consists of the Star Lord-class St. Ives, Invader-class T. Beach, J. Jee, A. S.
  Cameron and E. Lawson, the Merchant-class Sutherland and Lochnell, and the Scout-class Overton.
  
  Regimental Command Company
  Company/Veteran/Reliable
  XO: Lt. Colonel Kurt Blakadar
  As with many Highlander regiments, the command
  company of the Fusiliers uses all Clan ’Mechs.
  The Air Wing, commanded by Captain Jaime Pierson, is the
  only aerospace wing in the Highlanders to field Clan aerospace
  fighters—two squadrons of mixed second line and OmniFighters.
  Stirling’s Fusiliers
  Reinforced Regiment/Elite/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Andrea “Cat” Stirling
  The Kilsyth Guards: Major Jake Fuller
  The Black Adders: Major Richard Fey
  The Guardsmen: Brevet-Major Grace Lyons
  Following their actions on Wayside, the Fusiliers boast twen-
  ty-five percent Clan technology; the highest of any Highlander
  regiment. The rest of the unit is fully upgraded with Star League
  technology.
  The Fusiliers incorporate more vehicles than any other
  Highlander unit (two full companies; one each in the Adders and
  Guardsmen respectively), while also incorporating a full compa-
  ny of battle armor in the Guardsmen.
  55
  STIRLING’S FUSILIERS: 
  NEVER SECOND BEST
  Formed in 2377, the Fusiliers have long vied with the Bad Boys for the title of ‘most auda-
  cious’ Highlander regiment. Over the centuries, this has created a strong rivalry, leading to
  many contracts and daring operations that the Fusiliers might not have taken without the watchful eye
  of their ‘rivals’ staring over their shoulders.
  The campaign that put the Fusiliers on the interstellar map occurred in 2616 on the world of Bellatrix
  against Ajax’s Avengers. Arriving to find themselves outnumbered three to one, the Fusiliers quickly used their
  superior grasp of tactics and their ferocity to smash the defending unit. The retreating Avengers tried desperate-
  ly to shake the Highlanders as they fled east across the southern continent of Bellatrix, but to no avail. Exhausted and
  bogged down by bad weather, the Avengers had no choice but to stand and fight—and die.
  The operation that made the Bad Boys green with envy occurred in 3058, when House Kurita hired the Fusiliers to destroy one
  of the main supply bases of Clan Smoke Jaguar in the Deep Periphery. Upon arriving, however, in place of a PGC they found a full front-
  line Galaxy. With no available retreat, they settled upon a bold (some would say suicidal) plan. While the bulk of the Fusiliers settled in for
  a guerilla campaign, a small group posed as Smoke Jaguars and set out to strike select Nova Cat targets. The longstanding enmity
  between these two Clans had the Cats chomping at the bit to strike back at such a bold Jaguar unit.The Cats followed the fleeing Fusiliers
  back to Wayside V, where a titanic battle unfolded between all three sides. In the end, the Jaguar forces were annihilated, leaving the
  Fusiliers alive and victorious, though losses in personnel and equipment were extremely high.
  Currently, the Fusiliers stand toe-to-toe with Word of Blake forces in the Chaos March and have clashed several times in the last year.
  Stirling’s Fusiliers display the Stirling tartan: a non-traditional plaid of overlaid square blocks of green, light red, and white.
  Dragoons Rating: A-
  OFFICERS
  Attractive, tenacious, and devious, Andrea “Cat” Stirling has carved her own niche in the annals of Highlander history as well as that
  of the Inner Sphere. Though she originally commanded the first battalion of the Second Kearny Highlanders, she was not content with
  the unit and deferred to Cochrane. She wished to mold a unit exactly to her liking—a regiment that would proudly bear her name, thus
  cementing her immortality in the Northwind Highlander’s Hall. She has accomplished her goal with cunning, bravery, and amazing audac-
  ity, going so far as to take on the Smoke Jaguars on one of their own worlds within the Periphery and handing them defeat.
  TACTICS
  Though not as suicidal as the Bad Boys, the Fusiliers are still a daring command, never hesitating to use whatever tactics are need-
  ed to achieve victory.
  SUPPORT
  Commanded by Admiral Thomas Doohan, Stirling’s Fleet consists of the Star Lord-class Karlota’s Gate, Invader-class Fox’s Bane
  and Dragon’s Bane, the Merchant-class Third’s Ghost, Stuart’s Own, and Jewel of the Highlands, the Scout-class Wail of the Bagpipes,
  Lochaber, and Cuidich ‘n Righ and the Magellan-class Kobayashi.
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  
  56
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Regimental Command Trinary
  Company/Elite/Reliable
  XO: Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Collins
  Following their actions in Operation Bulldog and sev-
  eral live-fire training exercises with ComStar’s 472nd Division
  (Invader Galaxy), Jaffray re-organized his command company into
  a Trinary; unlike most Highlander regiments, none of the Clan
  ’Mechs in the Hussars are found in the Command Trinary, but are
  instead spread through the command lances of the three battal-
  ions. Colonel Jaffray is currently evaluating the Command Trinary to
  see whether to extend such re-organization to the entire regiment.
  Commanded by Captain Sara Jones, the Air Wing fields a
  mix of field-upgraded designs, along with new OmniFighters,
  supplied by the Combine to the Star League.
  Northwind Hussars
  Reinforced Regiment/Elite/Reliable
  CO: Lt. Colonel Loren Jaffray
  Jaffray’s Own: Major Michelle Oakley
  Jaguar’s Bane: Major Edborah McVain
  Wolf Slayers: Major Ezra Oakley
  Outside of the standard attached fighter wing, the Hussars
  exclusively field ’Mechs; ten percent upgraded with Clan tech-
  nology, with the rest fully upgraded with Star League technology.
  The Hussars recently added an additional light battalion,
  with most of the unit’s equipment acquired as part of the Hussars
  new contract with the Star League.
  NORTHWIND HUSSARS: CLAN’S BANE
  The Northwind Hussars were created with the express goal of fighting and defeating the Clans. With that in mind, the
  Hussars have trained relentless not simply to fight like Clansmen, but to get into their heads, which Colonel Jaffray, with his
  roots in House Liao’s Death Commandos and their infamous psychological terror tactics, knows to be extremely effective.
  Though this tactic has been successful, it has made the Hussars into the ‘black sheep’ of the Highlander regiments.
  The Hussars, along with Stirling’s Fusiliers, participated in Operation Bulldog. The fighting on Virentofta was
  particularly violent, with no side asking or receiving quarter and the Smoke Jaguars dying to the last warrior. By way
  of comparison, the Highlanders ran into only token resistance on the world of Rockland, with the Smoke Jaguar
  warriors barely putting up a fight before retreating not only from the world but also the entire Inner Sphere.
  Now stationed on Tukayyid under Star League employ, the Hussars new Third Battalion has taken heavy
  casualties in several raids against Clan Wolf, earning their nickname of Wolf Slayers.
  The Northwind Hussars display the Rose hunting tartan: a blue background overlaid primarily with green,
  secondarily with red. After finding out that Jeremiah Rose first approached the Clan Elders to form an anti-Clan
  unit before being denied and leaving to form the Black Thorns mercenary unit, Colonel Loren Jaffray
  approached Clan Rose in order to use their hunting tartan for the Hussars. To the surprise of many, Clan Rose
  agreed. Why Jaffray chose this unusual route, and why Clan Rose agreed, is not known.
  Dragoons Rating: A-
  OFFICERS
  When the Highlanders left the Confederation for Davion employ during the Fourth Succession War, the grandfather
  of Colonel Loren Jaffray, along with a handful of other Highlanders, felt they could not in good conscience betray the
  trust of House Liao and stayed. Such dedication to the Confederation led Jaffray’s father to serve with the Death
  Commandos—a path Jaffray would follow himself. When offered the chance to help force the Highlanders from FedCom
  service while destroying them for their betrayal, Jaffray jumped at the chance. However, though he succeeded in aiding
  the Highlanders move to independence by separating them from FedCom employ, in the end the call of his blood could
  not be ignored and he accepted a post in Stirling’s Fusiliers; why the Chancellor allowed this, with no reprisals against
  Jaffray, is still unknown. His brilliantly unorthodox actions against Clan Smoke Jaguar during the Wayside operation con-
  vinced the Clan Elders that Jaffray was the man to command a new anti-Clan regiment. However, this move did not occur without con-
  sequences; some regimental commanders still cannot fully trust Jaffray, creating additional friction between the colonels and Clan Elders.
  TACTICS
  The Hussars are experts at using the Clans’ tactics against them. While fully capable of fighting using standard Inner Sphere tac-
  tics, they are also adept at using zellbrigen, when appropriate.
  SUPPORT
  The Hussars Fleet, commanded by Admiral Jim McFarlan, consists of the Star Lord-class Scotland Forever, Invader-class Lady of
  the Lake, Tradition and Honor, and Flight of Icarus, the Merchant-class Necromo and Bellatrix, and the Scout-class Deep Hunter, Star
  of David, Prince’s Own, and Juniper.
  
  Redfield Renegades
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Edward Redfield
  Aide: Captain Gail Piazzi
  Alpha Batt: Major Alan Earker
  Delta Batt: Major Robert Pigeon
  Omega Batt: Major Hunter Adams
  Alpha and Delta are Redfield’s striker battalions, fielding
  light and medium ’Mechs equipped with jump jets. Omega bat-
  talion is the regiment’s heavy ’Mech unit deploying mediums and
  heavies with few assaults. Each battalion has its own command
  lance and the regiment deploys a command company. The
  Renegades are 75 percent upgraded with advanced technology
  and a few OmniMechs.
  57
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  REDFIELD RENEGADES: WARRIORS OF DEFIANCE
  The Renegades started out as a militia unit for the planet of Redfield, defending the world against
  Capellan aggression. In 2760, Redfield fell to House Liao, who executed the governor and most of his fami-
  ly. Only his eldest son, Angus, survived. When news reached him, he assumed command of the surviving
  militia and initiated a guerilla campaign against the Capellans. The Capellans branded the militia as rene-
  gades for attacking the new planetary government as the militia made their lives a living hell. When the
  Davions liberated Redfield, they found demoralized Capellan defenders who fled instead of fighting. Hailing the
  renegade militia as heroes, they offered Angus the governorship, which he turned down. He and the Renegades
  had a debt to pay the Capellans, and they spent centuries harassing their enemies.
  In 3028, the Renegades garrisoned on Demeter, one of the hotspots on the Capellan border, where they grew
  to a reinforced regiment thanks to battlefield salvage. When the Fourth Succession War erupted, the Renegades
  landed on Aldebaran in support of the Fourth Deneb and Fourth Davion Guards RCTs.Here they destroyed a com-
  pany of House Ijori ’Mechs after launching a surprise attack from the Mystic Swamps. The Renegades then traveled to Liao where they were
  instrumental in defeating House LuSann and capturing the planet, which left them standing on the ancestral home for House Liao as a Davion
  garrison. Following the war, the Renegades formally ended their feud with the Capellans and, when their contract expired in 3041, left House
  Davion’s employ for a more lucrative Free Worlds League contract. Garrisoned on Harsefeld, they ostensibly defended the Marik border against
  the FedCom, but spent decades idle, save for the occasional pirate raid.When Operation Guerrero launched, the Renegades found themselves
  helping the Capellans, the very same people they swore to kill centuries before. Nevertheless, the Renegades supported several Liao regiments
  and returned to Harsefeld early in 3058, battered and worn, needing time to rebuild his shattered infantry and aero support assets. Then in
  September 3067, House Liao offered the Renegades a generous assignment on Epsilon Eridani, defending Minroc Mining.
  The Renegades set up camp west of the Shamus Mountains, near Minroc’s main outpost, but deployed elements of Alpha Battalion
  towards the mountains after hearing of a rumored lost Star League cache. There, these elements ran headlong into the Lone Star
  Regiment’s namesake battalion, sparking a major skirmish that caused the deaths of many warriors and civilians alike when a Renegade
  warrior inadvertently fired on and killed a patrolling Lone Star MechWarrior. For two days, both units pounded each other mercilessly,
  despite an attempt by the Renegades commander to negotiate a truce with Lone Star. In the end, the Renegades charged through the
  Lone Star’s base camp in an attempt to escape, inadvertently slaughtering many Lone Star dependents. When the fighting finally ended,
  the Renegades withdrew, having lost a battalion’s worth of ’Mechs in the worst defeat in the unit’s history.
  The Renegades paint their BattleMechs olive-drab with red and gold highlights. The unit insignia is a stylized red “R” on a black
  disc, trimmed in red.
  Dragoons Rating: C+
  OFFICERS
  Historically, skilled leadership is the hallmark of the Renegades, and Colonel Edward Redfield fits well into this tradition.
  Resembling Angus Redfield in appearance and mannerisms, Redfield has exceptional tactical skills and fanatical devotion to his
  work. Captain Aleksandr Kent, the Renegade’s security officer, joined after the FedCom Civil War. Kent, a former security operative,
  pinpointed the Star League cache on Epsilon Eridani.
  TACTICS
  The Renegades prefer ambushes and other guerrilla tactics. They employ these tactics using a lead company followed by fading
  attacks with the remaining companies.
  SUPPORT
  The Renegades posses enough technical help to provide 60 percent of their overall support. The command has two Overlord and
  four Union-class DropShips. They have no JumpShips.
  
  58
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  The Regulators
  Regiment/Regular/Questionable
  CO: Colonel Dragan Lukovich
  XO/1st Battalion: Major Andrej
  2nd Battalion: Captain Jeff O’Neill
  3rd Battalion, 1st Company: Captain Jamie Storr
  Third Battalion presently consists of a short company of
  medium-class ’Mechs.
  Stealer’s Wheel
  Battalion/Regular/Questionable
  CO: Major Gary Roberts
  This mixed-bag unit of infantry and vehicles serves as the
  Regulators’ security force. Its commander has a reputation for
  being hard-nosed and demanding, even under fire.
  THE REGULATORS: VICTORY IN LOSS
  After the Capellan-St. Ives War, Major Dragan Lukovich of the Second St. Ives Armored Cavalry was
  given a choice: serve the Capellan Confederation or resign his commission. Major Lukovich elected to
  retire and went to Outreach with his life savings and personal BattleMech to seek his fortunes as a mer-
  cenary. There he befriended Andrej, an expatriate MechWarrior from Clan Diamond Shark. When nei-
  ther of them could find a unit that would hire them, they decided to take matters into their own hands
  and form their own command. After securing space in the Hiring Hall, the two men got down to the task
  of hiring personnel. They tended to hire older warriors that had either been turned away or released from
  other units, a quirk that contributed to the unit’s initial rating of “Regular.”
  Shortly after its formation, the battalion-sized Regulators took a brief garrison contract on Kansu in the
  Federated Suns and continued to build strength by taking in smaller commands that had fallen on hard times,
  even as the FedCom Civil War heated up around them. Among these smaller commands was Stealer’s Wheel,
  a two-company force of medium and heavy vehicles, and a company of infantry calling themselves Manic
  Street Preachers.
  With the FedCom Civil War still raging, the Regulators’ contract was extended until the end of the conflict,
  and the unit remains on Kansu even though hostilities have now ceased. Using the planet as their home base for the time being, the
  Regulators await their next contract.
  The Regulators’ insignia is the silhouette of a gunslinger from Terra’s old west in a long duster, a revolver in each hand, set against
  a rising moon. Their ’Mechs and vehicles are painted in navy blue with white trim and gold and silver accents.
  Dragoons Rating: D
  OFFICERS
  Colonel Dragan Lukovich prefers hiring veteran warriors over rookies. This has brought in quality personnel, while also hampering
  the unit’s growth by slowing the flow of new hires to a trickle and limiting their ability to get a contract due to the new unit’s higher-than-
  average median age (42).
  Major Andrej is not what one would expect of a trueborn Clansman. Possessed with an insatiable curiosity about the Inner Sphere
  and its people, Andrej has been known to engage new recruits in conversations about where they hail from and what life is like there,
  often driving them to the point of distraction with a seemingly endless stream of questions.
  TACTICS
  The Regulators have not yet seen full combat action. In exercises, the unit has held back at range and barraged the enemy with
  missile and long-range weapons fire to soften them up before moving in for the kill with the two vehicle companies providing support.
  SUPPORT
  The Regulators have a small technical support staff and two Union-class DropShips (the Finnegan’s Wake and the Larionov), but
  must hire JumpShips and extra DropShips to transport the entire command.
  
  Sathen’s Snipers
  2 Battalions/Veteran/Reliable
  CO: Major Illuminada Kesteel
  XO: Captain Patrick Snodgrass
  The Snipers are broken down into two companies each of
  ’Mech’s, armored vehicles and infantry. One company of aero-
  space fighters provides air support.
  59
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  SATHEN’S SNIPERS: FANGS AND CLAWS
  Sathen’s Snipers has an interesting history, which until recently has been shrouded in
  mystery. The unit formed from a garrison battalion stationed on New Delos when the Marik
  Civil war broke in 3014. Force Commander Branden Kesteel found himself in a precarious posi-
  tion trying to decide which side to join. In the end, instead of declaring allegiance to any one party,
  he simply stated he would maintain his post. His stand slid his unit away from the regular army.
  When the Wolf’s Dragoons assaulted New Delos in revenge of the murder of Joshua Wolf,
  Kesteel’s unit was put to the test. Although suffering heavy losses at the hands of the Dragoons, the
  Snipers held the spaceport until word arrived that loyalist forces were not giving quarter to any military per-
  sonnel who did not directly oppose Anton Marik. They were left with only a single option.
  Quickly combining forces with a JumpShip crew and her compliment of DropShips, the Snipers departed the system; all were
  thought destroyed. Using the confusion of the final days of the war, Kesteel and his men managed to secretly bring most of their family
  members with them into exodus; since the unit was simply a garrison battalion and not a main-line regiment, the questions its disap-
  pearance might have aroused did not raise enough red flags to lead to a full investigation. Kesteel’s act of bravery and loyalty has inspired
  a sense of family that is the cornerstone of the Snipers’ strength today.
  To avoid notice, Kesteel intentionally kept the unit small, while accepting contracts for remote locations and even pirate hunting, which
  called for quick hits or diversions that became the norm. Kesteel also took great measures to hide the origins and identity of the unit; the
  Snipers left their beloved Marik and have not taken a contract with House Marik yet, afraid of what such close proximity might reveal. The
  unit’s name and origin has only recently come to light due to their recurring (if not spectacular) successes against the Clans using innov-
  ative and often unorthodox tactics. This prompted the Word of Blake to contact them on Outreach in 3062 with a lucrative contract.
  Using their success and improved status, the Snipers have recently increased to two battalions, including full tech and aerospace
  support; this included the acquisition of an Assault Triumph-class DropShip from the Blakists. The new additions have made the Snipers
  one of the few mercenary units able to operate completely independent of outside support for extended periods of time. However, this
  newfound notoriety and success has sparked rumors of discontent within the Snipers for the first time in their history. After spending so
  long in the shadows, a hint of limelight has caused some Snipers to worry that Illuminada Kesteel is leading them in the wrong direction.
  The Sniper’s insignia is a winged black panther in front of a full moon. Sathen’s Snipers use standard camouflage schemes that
  depend on their current operational environment.
  Dragoons Rating: B
  OFFICERS
  Sathen’s Snipers are still led by Major Branden Kesteel, though he has turned over all combat duties to his daughter, Illuminada
  Kesteel. Both are well respected, enjoying a loyalty not often seen in a mercenary outfit, though Illuminada’s leadership has led to recent
  scattered grumbling.
  TACTICS
  Having lost most of their heavy units to the Dragoons at their inception, the Snipers were forced to develop some unusual tactics
  around faster ’Mechs and armor units, supported by mechanized infantry. Combined with the use of diversionary tactics, the unit often
  achieves its objective before the enemy is even aware of the real target.
  SUPPORT
  Sathen’s Snipers support staff run at 120 percent due to the feeling of family that pervades the unit. Everyone in the unit is always
  willing to do what is needed, even if it is not their normal job.
  The Sniper’s transport consists of the Invader-class JumpShip Implied Odds, the Fortress-class DropShip All In, the Seeker-class
  DropShip Bad Beat, and the Assault Triumph-class DropShip Kicker.
  
  60
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Spade’s Brigade
  Company/Green/Questionable
  CO: Major Chuong Spade
  XO: Lieutenant Alyssa Darko
  Spade’s Brigade is composed of three separate commands.
  Spade has maintained each command’s coherency while trying to
  gradually increase the unity of the Brigade to the point where it can
  be truly considered a single force. The vast majority of Brigade
  ’Mechs are lighter models.
  A notable subcommand is Garand’s Giants, a lance made up
  entirely of Dragons from the Draconis Combine.
  SPADE’S BRIGADE: 
  RESILIENCE AGAINST ALL ODDS
  Major Chuong Spade’s Brigade has seen a few reversals of fortune recently. Hired by Mitchell
  Avellar to strengthen the ground forces of the Outworld Alliance, it seemed that the mercenary com-
  mand could look forward to pirate hunting missions and garrison duty. While both are not the most
  glamorous tasks available to a mercenary, they allowed Spade to expand the unit so long as he leapt
  on opportunity when it appeared. When a heavy raiding party from the Tortuga Dominion assaulted
  Jordan Wais via a pirate point, Spade’s Brigade acquitted itself well and even managed to salvage three
  ’Mechs. Jordan Wais, its citizens, and infrastructure stayed relatively unharmed due to the Brigade’s swift victory.
  Despite this accomplishment and the gratitude the Alliance has for the unit, the Brigade’s contract ended
  when Avellar reinstated a law preventing the Alliance from hiring Mercenaries.
  Spade relocated to Port Krin, where he has been accepting contracts from various employers. He has also
  begun to expand the Brigade drastically, convincing other small commands to sign on under the Brigade’s aegis.
  The Brigade’s reputation is a bit questionable, since many Brigadiers, through necessity, have become specialists at not
  taking casualties when on offensive missions. This is typically accomplished by retreating before damage becomes too serious. This unusual
  “specialty” has earned these mercenaries the unfortunate nickname “the Surrender Monkeys.”
  The Brigade features a variety of paint schemes, each differing depending on their origins. All wear the Grenadier unit insignia, a stylized
  BattleMech throwing a grenade, sometimes in addition to their old emblems. Spade insists that the official parade scheme of the Grenadiers
  is jade on cobalt, but so far only his ’Mech conforms to this ‘standard’.
  Dragoons Rating: D
  OFFICERS
  Major Chuong Spade is a colorful character. Fifty-five years old, life has taken him in many different directions. As a youth, he briefly
  supervised a chain of fast-food restaurants on Hsien before joining the merchant marine. Having worked his way up to captain of a Triumph-
  class DropShip, he suddenly quit and joined a MechWarrior academy at age 37. After a brief stint in the Capellan Confederate Reserves, he
  raised Spade’s Brigade and signed on for various minor contracts. A steady track record and his business skills allowed him to net a slightly
  higher profile contract with the Outworld Alliance.
  Spade’s appearance is as unusual as his career. He normally cuts his hair in a mohawk style, typically dyeing it a bright color that clash-
  es with whatever he is wearing. How the tall mohawk fails to obstruct his neurohelmet is a mystery.While on duty Spade always wears a well-
  groomed uniform, a stark contrast with his slovenly casual attire and an even greater contrast with his hairstyle.
  Leading his troops from his GAL-1GLS Gallowglas, Spade commands the respect and attention of his troops. His eloquence only adds
  to his innate charisma.
  TACTICS
  When Spade directly commands the unit, the Brigade stands out due to their innovative tactics.The Major seems to make a habit out of
  trying to think of new maneuvers, but he does not always re-invent the wheel successfully. As a result, the Brigades have lost some engage-
  ments they could have won with more conservative tactics.
  SUPPORT
  The Brigade lacks indigenous DropShip support. Technical support for the mercenary command is rather dismal. Serious malfunctions
  are barely kept at bay by the few qualified technicians the unit possesses.
  
  Stealthy Tigers
  2 Batt/Regular/Reliable
  CO: Colonel Yuri Rauschenbusch
  XO/1st Bat: Maj. Mason Markoja
  2nd Bat: Maj. Kirsten Markoja
  Colonel Rauschenbusch commands the heavier third battal-
  ion, which normally has a company of assaults and heavies to
  back up the mediums and lights of the rest of the unit, with a few
  fast heavies sprinkled in.
  61
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  STEALTHY TIGERS: 
  THE EMPEROR’S NEW TROOPS
  Though originally formed as a mercenary command in name only (to avoid limits on the size
  of private armies in the Lyran Commonwealth while assuring the defense of their homeworld of
  Tamar) the Stealthy Tigers have come into their own in the nearly two centuries since their initial
  founding. Built for fast-strike operations yet equipped with heavy firepower, the Stealthy Tigers mim-
  icked the Tamar Tigers, a lost Steiner unit destroyed in the Succession Wars. They placed duty to
  their contract over any obligation to a noble scion or Great House, and for a century and more they
  served as one of the most effective units protecting Tamar, until shortly before the Fourth Succession
  War when they were sent to shore up the Marik front.
  After the abortive War of 3039 and the recognition of the Free Rasalhague Republic—after so
  much Tamaran blood had been spilled to secure the Kurita front—the Stealthy Tigers refused to sign their
  next contract and instead accepted a long-term assignment within the Free Worlds League. Once considered a virtual House unit for the
  Lyran Commonwealth, the Tigers served House Marik for close to thirty years, defending the Free Worlds until the launch of Operation
  Guerrero in 3057 found them loaned to the Capellan Confederation. Accompanying the Always Faithful in an assault of Caph, the Tigers
  failed to complete their objective before House Marik withdrew its support for the war, but the unit nevertheless managed to tie up the
  three other factions fighting there, creating a stalemate that only broke when the Word of Blake arrived to secure the world.
  After Caph, the Tigers moved on to other Chaos March contracts, helping to pacify Carver V, and later Hall. Under contract with
  Hall’s self-proclaimed Emperor Baranov, the Tigers battled the forces of Baronov’s rival, Count McNally, including the minor mercenary
  unit, Critchley’s Cavaliers, when McNally launched an assault upon Baranov. The enemy forces retreated after a Tiger drop assault on
  McNally’s command killed the upstart count, and the Allied Mercenary Command Burton’s Brigade withdrew to leave only the Cavaliers
  to oppose the Tigers. The Tigers drew out the inexperienced Cavaliers and used their superior speed to outflank them, forcing their sur-
  render within a day.The Tigers are now rebuilding from combat salvage as their forces mop up the remaining guerrillas on Hall, but work-
  ing for the repressive Baranov has damaged their reputation somewhat.
  The Stealthy Tigers prefer to use camouflage appropriate to their field of operations, defaulting to a desert scheme for parade duty.
  The unit’s logo is a snarling tiger’s head on a yellow circular field.
  Dragoons Rating: C
  OFFICERS
  Having led the Tigers for over 30 years, Colonel Rauschenbusch is looking to groom a successor. His tactical expertise has allowed the
  Tigers to excel and he wants future leadership to continue that tradition. At this time, it appears that twins Mason and Kirsten Markoja will lead
  the unit when he retires. Mason has soaked up the Colonel’s teaching like a sponge, while Kirsten specializes in behind-the-scenes dirty work.
  TACTICS
  The Tigers rely on out-maneuvering the enemy. With entire battalions capable of moving over 80 kph, they attempt to flank the
  enemy and send them into disarray.
  SUPPORT
  The unit has enough DropShips to transport its combat units but does not have any JumpShip support. The technical staff is usu-
  ally sufficient to maintain the unit, but massive damage and parts shortages have strained their ability. The first ’Mechs to have been
  fixed are many of the now salavaged Cavalier’s older, heavier designs. Colonel Rauschenbusch is contemplating hiring some extra tech-
  nicians to bring the unit back up to full strength, knowing that they could probably expand to an additional battalion if they could fix all
  the damaged ’Mechs they own.
  
  62
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Swann’s Cavaliers
  Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  CO/Colonel Edmund Repplier
  XO/Able Battalion: Major Shadra Ling
  Baker Battalion: Major Cullen Craig
  Charlie Battalion: Major Muhammad Vandercamph 
  Despite fielding three heavy ’Mech battalions, the
  Cavaliers have always placed the emphasis on speed and
  mobility. BattleMechs with integral jump jets or above-average
  speed are favored.
  Black Swans 
  Wing/Regular/Reliable
  Wing Commander: Major Orville Wong
  Combat and operational losses have seen old Eagle and
  Lightning models gradually replaced with League-manufactured
  Riever and Stingray aerospace fighters.
  Swann’s Trumpeters
  Regiment/Regular/Reliable
  Armor Commander: Lt Colonel Loren McKean
  McKean’s regiment deploys one light reconnaissance battal-
  ion and a mix of medium and heavy armor skilled in defensive
  operations in the other two.
  Cygnus Group 
  Reinforced Regiment/Veteran/Reliable
  Infantry Commander: Lt. Colonel Rodger Young
  The Cygnus Group field an additional battalion of combat
  engineers, making them exceptionally dangerous if given time to
  dig in. The burden of policing Galisteo had fallen on the Black
  Swans—a task made easier by the acquisition of a platoon of
  battle armor.
  SWANN’S CAVALIERS: HOLDING THE LINE
  Formed amidst the chaos of the Second Succession War, Swann’s Cavaliers retain their
  founders’ name though it has been eighty years since there was a Swann in their ranks. After
  serving the Federated Suns, the Cavaliers relocated to the Free Worlds League in 3026.
  Based on Galisteo, Swann’s Cavaliers operated as a rapid reaction force on the Periphery
  and Lyran Commonwealth borders.
  Remaining on station through the Fourth Succession War and the Andurien succession,
  the Cavaliers didn’t face a significant challenge until the Federated Commonwealth dis-
  patched the Thumpers to probe Galisteo’s defenses in 3038. Swann’s Cavaliers rushed to
  concentrate their scattered forces, barely preventing the Lyran Mercenaries from overrunning their headquarters. Subsequently the two
  commands traded blows across the frontier on several occasions.
  Most of the Cavalier’s recent problems come from the independent-minded citizens of Galisteo. The Galisteos did not accept their
  forced incorporation into the Free Worlds League with good grace, and League garrisons were seen as an occupying army. Fear that the
  Word of Blake would be enforced as the League’s state religion only served to add fuel to the fire on the religiously diverse Trinity Worlds.
  The growing unrest has led to clashes with defiant locals and their hastily armed CattleMaster IndustrialMechs.
  When not using camouflage, Swann’s Cavaliers adopt a color scheme of white with black and yellow trim. Their regimental insignia,
  a swan flying across a blue field, is displayed on the right leg of BattleMechs, right wing of fighters, and the front-right of vehicles.
  Dragoons Rating: B
  OFFICERS
  A shadow of his former self, the strain of dealing with intractable Southwesterners for two decades have taken their toll on
  Colonel Repplier.
  Formally of the Northwind Highlanders, Major Cullen Craig resigned his commission after the Assembly of Warriors ignored his
  warnings about accepting a Capellan Death Commando into their ranks. Viewed with respect (and even awe) by many Cavaliers, Major
  Craig has extensive combat experience against Inner Sphere and Clan opponents. It is no secret that Craig is a popular choice to suc-
  ceed Colonel Repplier.
  TACTICS
  With their own DropShips and JumpShips, the Cavaliers are experts at rapid deployment. After fixing an opponent in place with
  armor and infantry (often supported by a ’Mech battalion), the rest of the command then drops to hit the enemy from the flank or rear.
  
  The Thumpers
  Battalion/Green/Reliable
  CO: Major Buck Tripp
  XO: Captain Jennifer Dorricott 
  Although originally fielding forty assault-class BattleMechs, the
  Thumpers have often had to accept heavy designs as replacements
  for lost units, and now the lighter machines account for a third of the
  force. Defiance Industries-constructed Zeus, Atlas, and Banshee
  chassis remain common. The expensive task of upgrading these
  ’Mechs with advanced technology is progressing slowly.
  All members of the battalion are shareholders, with the five
  majority holders forming a board of directors. The board makes all
  contract decisions, but battlefield command falls to an appointed offi-
  cer. Often the chairman of the board holds this post, but another tal-
  ented individual has sometimes commanded.
  63
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  THE THUMPERS: BUSINESS IS BUSINESS
  Often called “the poor man’s Zeta Battalion,” the Thumpers were originally formed as a sub-
  sidiary of Defiance Industries. Sensing a shift in LCAF thinking towards lighter designs (due to
  “contaminating” Federated Suns influence), Defiance Industries created a demonstration unit to
  showcase their new assault ‘Mechs.The new force took to the field in 3023, fighting on Severn. As
  a defensive force, the Defiance Industries Demonstration Battalion seemed invulnerable, but in
  mobile operations the battalion did more to highlight the merit of the new “Davion Ways” than to
  promote Defiance units.
  Ultimately the command would keep fighting until Kurita forces withdrew in late 3024, but
  Defiance never realized the profits they thought would be forthcoming, and they viewed the
  Demonstration Battalion as a failure. Upon Defiance’s announcement of the dissolution of the
  command, the unit’s MechWarriors banded together, launching an employee buy-out to keep the Battalion running. Unable to secure a contract
  with the LCAF, the newly created Thumpers Assault Battalion LCC subsisted on a string of private garrison contracts for various Lyran com-
  mercial concerns.
  It was not until 3034 that more lucrative employment beckoned. The Free Rasalhague Republic was desperate for troops, and the
  Thumpers secured a very generous contract with the fledgling state.The Ronin War and subsequent anti-mercenary backlash (caused by some
  mercenaries avoiding combat through loopholes in their poorly negotiated contracts) would make the final three years of service to the Republic
  a grueling experience. Once free of Rasalhague’s mercenary reservations, the Thumpers returned to Lyran territory, clashing repeatedly with
  Swann’s Cavaliers.
  Sitting out the Clan Invasion on a private security contract with Edasich Motors, the Thumpers were left behind as the Inner Sphere re-
  armed with ever more sophisticated technology. Thankfully, the less-sophisticated opposition they faced in the Chaos March allowed the
  Battalion to remain an effective force until Capellan encroachment and Word of Blake activity in the region effectively eliminated many employ-
  ment opportunities.
  Moving into the Periphery, the Thumpers were hired by the Taurian Concordat for action against the breakaway Calderon Protectorate.With
  the outbreak of hostilities between the Concordat and the Federated Suns, that campaign would never take place. Instead, the TDF positioned
  the Battalion on Mithron to guard against an AFFC counterattack that has yet to develop.
  The Thumpers’ insignia is a white fist on a purple background; originally a right hand on a blue field, at some point the insignia made a
  mysterious change to a left fist on purple. For acts of selfless heroism that save Thumper lives, individuals are allowed to display the logo with
  the fist pointing downward. Believing that the foe can be intimidated by the sight of a solid wall of assault ’Mechs, the Thumpers have adopted
  a highly visible color scheme of yellow with black trim.
  Dragoons Rating: D
  OFFICERS
  As the current chairman of the board, Major Buck Tripp runs the Thumpers as a business, allowing nothing to stand in the way of turning
  a profit. Tripp recognizes the problems lack of mobility has caused his command, and he plans to recruit light armor to support his ‘Mechs.
  TACTICS
  The Thumpers have always relied on their assault ‘Mechs to carry the day.When on the defensive they present a foe with an unbreakable
  wall of metal. On the attack, the Thumpers form an armored spearhead to smash any enemy who stands their ground.
  Traditionally the Thumpers have encountered problems dealing with mobile opponents.
  SUPPORT
  The task of maintaining so many assault units places an enormous drain on the Thumpers small technical support team.This situation has
  only become worse as the mercenaries have slowly acquired newer technology.
  The Thumpers lack their own DropShip and JumpShip assets.
  
  64
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  Wannamaker’s Widowmakers
  Battalion/Green/Reliable
  CO: Major Cheryl Wannamaker
  XO: Captain Tomas Vokoun
  The bulk of the Widowmakers’ force is comprised of heavy-
  and assault-class BattleMechs. There are, however, two lances
  of light- and medium-weight ’Mechs, which are used for recon-
  naissance. Unfortunately, the ongoing efforts to rebuild her unit
  after the debacle over Outreach and subsequent combat losses
  have left Wannamaker with many MechWarriors who are still
  adjusting to her style of command.This sometimes causes havoc
  in the field and has contributed to the unit’s green rating.
  Wannamaker’s Flying Widowmakers
  Element/Regular/Reliable
  Wing Cmdr: Lieutenant Shawna White
  The two fighters in this aerospace element have but one
  advanced-tech weapon between them, but still manage to
  hold their own in reconnaissance missions and the occasion-
  al combat role.
  WANNAMAKER’S WIDOWMAKERS: 
  LESSONS LEARNED
  After a blunder nearly caused this unit to be wiped out by a Wolf’s Dragoons WarShip before it
  even set foot inside the Hiring Hall on Outreach, Wannamaker’s Widowmakers took the first contract
  offered to them and left to begin the unenviable task of rebuilding on the fly. Over the next two years,
  Major Cheryl Wannamaker recruited members of other shattered commands and increased the
  Widowmakers’ integrity and experience by taking small, short-term contracts in the Chaos March first,
  and later in the Periphery.
  As the Federated Commonwealth slid ever closer toward civil war, the Widowmakers—fresh
  from a long pirate-hunting stint for the Taurian Concordat—approached representatives from both
  sides for possible employment, only to be rebuffed in favor of commands perceived to be more reliable.
  Undaunted by this setback, Major Wannamaker continued advertising for employment, and the
  Widowmakers moved back to the Inner Sphere to set up shop on Galatea. Arriving after Group W finished
  putting down planet-wide riots that broke out shortly before the start of the Civil War, the Widowmakers hired
  on with Galatean City authorities and helped to keep the peace in the wake of Group W’s departure, remain-
  ing there ever since. Wannamaker, however, is said to be negotiating a lucrative offer for work in the Chaos March
  and may be taking her unit off Galatea soon.
  The Widowmakers paint their machines black, with a red spider-like mask (rumored to have changed from gold due to Major
  Wannamaker’s resentment towards the Dragoons, and the possibility of a fued) painted over the faces of the unit’s BattleMechs and the
  fighters’ engine cowlings.
  Dragoons Rating: Unrated
  OFFICERS
  Major Cheryl Wannamaker’s grudge against Wolf’s Dragoons still simmers. In 3061, she officially pulled the Widowmakers from the
  MRBC and closed their offices in the Dragoons’ Hiring Hall after moving to Galatea, having had her fill of what she termed “Dragoon
  hypocrisy.” Though the resulting loss of their official mercenary rating has hampered their ability to find work (the Widowmakers have yet
  to re-register, even with the Galatean MRBC office), Major Wannamaker maintains the attitude that the less her unit has to do with Wolf’s
  Dragoons, the better.
  TACTICS
  Since acquiring two lances of light and medium BattleMechs, Wannamaker’s Widowmakers has slowly learned to use reconnais-
  sance to their advantage. During their most recent contract for the Taurian Concordat, these scout lances provided advance warning of
  an attempted flanking maneuver by pirate forces, allowing the Widowmakers to prepare for them.
  SUPPORT
  Wannamaker’s Widowmakers has an adequate technical support crew, but the loss of a DropShip over Outreach forces them to hire
  additional transportation whenever the entire unit travels to a new contract. Wannamaker’s focus on rebuilding her combat force first sug-
  gests that the Widowmakers may continue to face this hindrance for years to come.
  
  Wilson’s Hussars
  Battalions/Veteran/Questionable
  CO/1st Battalion: Major Donna Wilson
  XO: Captain Kern Verrik
  Wilson’s Hussars have very little in the way of advanced-
  technology weaponry. What little they have is reserved for the
  best shots in the unit, so that it can be used to maximum effec-
  tiveness.The Hussars are currently negotiating with the AFFS for
  upgrade kits for the more dilapidated ’Mechs in the unit, to be
  used with equipment salvaged on Small World.
  Murphy’s Wrath
  Mixed Company/Regular/Reliable
  Able Platoon: Captain Malcolm Kavanaugh
  Baker Platoon: Lieutenant Scott Walker
  Mighty Mighty Drillsons: Lieutenant Daniel Jarra
  A former corporate security unit, Murphy’s Wrath signed on
  with the Hussars to improve their own chances for employment
  outside the private sector and to help give the Hussars a hand
  up. The unit uses the Hussars’ insignia with the hand holding a
  gold wrench.
  65
  FORCE BRIEFS SUPPLEMENTAL
  WILSON’S HUSSARS: NEVER GIVE UP
  Long considered the epitome of hard luck units, Wilson’s Hussars suffered for years from
  a combination of bad luck, poor commanders, and abysmal battlefield performance until Major
  Donna Wilson began a one-woman crusade to drag her unit away from its hand-to-mouth exis-
  tence. After several months of fruitless attempts to land even minor garrison contracts, the
  Hussars received a lucky break when a small-time freelance corporate security force with lim-
  ited technical support resources offered to join the unit. The addition of three lances of Drillson
  hovertanks, two platoons of infantry, and a small technical support crew provided a much-need-
  ed boost to the Hussars, who landed a contract with the Federated Suns at the outset of the FedCom Civil War.
  During the war, Wilson’s command experience was put to the test when she and the Hussars were given command of an ad-hoc
  force comprised of various Chaos March mercenary commands, and the unit sustained moderate damage in the fighting for Small World
  under contract to Major General Robert Koenig of the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers. In return for promises of “quite favorable” salvage rights and
  preferential treatment for future AFFS contracts, the Hussars led a two-battalion force to victory against the Seventeenth Arcturan Guard
  after two weeks of heavy fighting. General Davis Lillie of the Seventeenth ultimately surrendered the planet to Koenig after a Hussar-led
  combat drop on their landing zone shattered the last of the Loyalist regiment’s resolve.
  After the fighting on Small World ended, the Hussars negotiated mergers with several of the units that had been attached to their com-
  mand. Though some—including one company from Harlock’s Warriors—opted to return to their former posts and commands, the addition
  of the others as new assets swelled the Hussars’ ranks from two ’Mech lances to one battalion and has given them renewed confidence.
  They still have a long way to go, however, before they completely erase the hard-luck image that has haunted them for so long.
  Today, Wilson’s Hussars paint their machines in a patchwork of purple and white—a vast improvement over the mismatched colors
  and primer schemes of their leaner years. The unit insignia is a rectangular field split horizontally into purple and white halves, with a
  hand giving the “OK” sign.
  Dragoons Rating: D
  OFFICERS
  Major Donna Wilson takes great pride in the unit she inherited from her father, and she treats each Hussar as if they were one of
  her own blood relations. Major Wilson gave birth to twin sons Charles and Theodore during the unit’s time on Outreach, ensuring that
  Wilson’s Hussars will continue to stay in the family.
  A native of Tikonov, Gunnery Sergeant Marek Malik is reticent about his life before joining the unit as the gunner/loader on the com-
  mand vehicle of the Mighty Drillsons. A skilled marksman, Sergeant Malik has been known on occasion to pop the hatch on his tank in
  the middle of combat to take potshots at enemy infantry with a Minolta 9000 Sniper System.
  TACTICS
  The Hussars display a fondness for physical attacks and close-in fighting where possible, with the vehicles harassing enemy forces
  from the flanks and the infantry slipping behind enemy lines to cause trouble.
  SUPPORT
  Each member of the Hussars is able to perform basic maintenance on individual machines but must make extensive use of their
  own support crew and outsourced technical support for more complicated repairs. The unit currently owns an aging Union-class
  DropShip, the Raconteur.
  
  66
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  CAPELLAN CONFEDERATION
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Grael’s Grinders (Comp.)
  G/R
  Hsien
  90%
  0/45/5(B)
  (CO: Captain Louise Holley)
  Hell’s Black Aces (Aero Reg.)
  E/R
  Ningpo
  100%
  10/35/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Hohiru Tanaga)
  Olson’s Rangers
  R/Q
  Victoria
  25%
  0/55/0(D)
  (CO: Major Timothy Rain)
  Wolf’s Dragoons
  Gamma Regiment
  E/R
  Tikonov
  120%
  15/100/20(A)
  (CO: Colonel Irwin Tyrell)
  CHAOS MARCH
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Always Faithful
  R/R
  Hsien
  75%
  0/40/0(B)
  (CO: Colonel James Burrill Riel)
  Burton’s Brigade (Comp.)
  G/R
  Hall
  75%
  0/35/0(C)
  (CO: Captain Elly Burton)
  Canned Heat (Batt.)
  G/R
  Saiph
  80%
  0/45/0(D)
  (CO: Major Bob Smith)
  Deliah’s Gauntlet (Comp.)
  R/R
  Capolla
  100%
  0/40/0(C)
  (CO: Captain Deliah Finn)
  Devil’s Advocates (Comp.)
  R/Q
  Caph
  95%
  0/55/0(C)
  (CO: Captain Charlene Cypher)
  The Fist of Mokal (Batt.)
  V/R
  Terra 
  105%
  0/65/5(B)
  (CO: Major Rocco Valdez)
  Firma
  The Furies (Armored Reg.)
  R/R
  Capolla
  110%
  0/45/0(B)
  (CO: Colonel Ria Sung-hei Fury)
  Grim Determination
  R/Q
  Sheratan
  85%
  0/40/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Oliver Haarhar)
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Langendorf Lancers
  R/R
  Epsilon
  120%
  0/75/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Gregory Millsey)
  Ind
  Lindon’s Battalion (Batt.)
  V/R 
  Liberty
  140%
  10/80/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Sarah Lindon)
  Lone Star Regiment
  R/R
  Epsilon 
  110%
  0/60/0(B)
  (CO: Colonel Meschach Granger)
  Eridani
  Martian Cuirassiers (Batt.)
  V/Q
  Fletcher
  90%
  10/85/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Zane Cole)
  Redfield Renegades
  V/R
  Epsilon 
  125%
  0/75/5(C)
  (CO: Colonel Edward Redfield)
  Eridani
  Stalwart Support (Infantry Reg.)
  V/R
  New 
  130%
  —
  (CO: Colonel Harry Sanders)
  Canton
  Stealthy Tigers
  R/R
  Hall
  70%
  0/50/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Yuri Rauschenbusch)
  Tooth of Ymir
  V/R
  Epsilon 
  65%
  0/70/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Susan Brownell Shadwell)
  Indi
  CIRCINUS FEDERATION
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Bullard’s Armored Cava. (Batt.)
  R/Q
  Zorn’s
  105%
  0/15/0(F)
  (CO: Colonel Frank Bullard)
  Keep
  The Fighting Shamrocks (Comp.) 
  R/Q
  Thadora’s
  65%
  0/20/0(D)
  (CO: Captain Angus O’Leary)
  Land
  Quint’s Olympian Groundpounders (Cp.) V/R
  Diedre’s 
  100%
  0/35/0(C)
  (CO: Captain Hilary Quint)
  Den
  MERCENARY 
  EMPLOYMENT ROSTER
  (Deployment as of 1 September 3067)
  This list includes all major mercenary commands currently registered or recognized by the Mercenary Review and Bonding
  Commission and with all fees paid in full and/or those known to be operating under direct contract with a recognized nation. It should
  be noted, however, that there are well over a thousand known mercenary commands at large throughout the Inner Sphere and Periphery
  at any given time. This listing, therefore, should not be considered exhaustive, and does not include various subcommands for the sake
  of brevity.
  Tech represents a given mercenary force’s technology level, given as a percentage of the total command. The Tech abbreviations
  are C (Clan), SL (Star League), and O (OmniMech). If a unit has overlapping percentages in Clan and Star League technologies, the
  overlap refers to Clan equipment field retrofits made to existing designs already upgraded with advanced Inner sphere technologies.
  
  67
  COMSTAR
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  The Black Outlaws (Batt.)
  V/R
  Tukayyid
  135%
  5/90/10(A)
  (CO: Major Freeman Johns)
  21st Centauri Lancers
  E/F
  Tukayyid
  120%
  10/100/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Evelena Haskell)
  DRACONIS COMBINE
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Black Omen (Comp.)
  V/Q
  Wolcott
  80%
  10/30/15(C)
  (CO: Captain Richard Smith)
  Black Thorns (Comp.)
  V/R
  Galedon V
  125%
  50/45/45(A)
  (CO: Captain Jeremiah Rose)
  Crater Cobras
  V/Q Wapakoneta
  90%
  10/70/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Shelly Trudeau)
  Dragon’s Breath
  R/R
  Kiesen
  95%
  5/60/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Peter Tate)
  Narhal’s Raiders
  R/R
  Fellanin II
  120%
  5/55/10(C)
  (CO: Colonel Pedro Antonio Giraudoux)
  Northwind Highlanders
  1st Kearny Highlanders
  E/F
  Formalhaut
  115%
  10/85/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Edward Senn)
  MacLeod’s Regiment
  E/R
  Kiamba
  115%
  15/90/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel William MacLeod)
  Wolf’s Dragoons
  Alpha Regiment
  E/R
  Najha
  140%
  20/100/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Kelly Yukinov)
  Delta Regiment
  E/R
  Kiesen
  145%
  20/100/20(A)
  (CO: Colonel Shelly Brubaker)
  FEDERATED SUNS
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  The Arcadians
  V/F
  Acamar
  115%
  15/90/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Bradley Andrews)
  1st Cunningham’s Commandos
  V/R
  Zurich
  100%
  10/90/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel James Longstreet)
  2nd Cunningham’s Commandos
  V/R
  Novaya 
  125%
  10/95/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Helmut Krein)
  Zemlya
  Federated Freemen
  V/R
  Gallitzin
  90%
  5/80/10(B)
  (CO: Colonel Xavier Pelt)
  Hansen’s Roughriders
  E/Q
  Midale
  55%
  5/95/20(A)
  (CO: Colonel Wolfgang Hansen)
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Harlock’s Warriors
  G/R
  Errai
  90%
  0/75/0(B)
  (CO: Colonel Larette Thomas)
  Illician Lancers
  59th Strike Regiment
  R/R
  Hadnall
  100%
  5/90/15(A)
  (CO: General Brenda Bradley)
  4th Rangers
  V/F
  Ashley
  85%
  10/95/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Alicia Ramaley)
  9th Rangers
  V/R
  Verlo
  90%
  0/100/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Kenneth Koppel)
  21st Rangers
  R/F Deifenbaker
  85%
  10/95/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Aynsley Zibler)
  Khorsakov’s Cossacks
  V/R
  Chesterton
  90%
  0/75/0(B)
  (CO: Colonel Mikhail Khorsakov)
  Lexington Combat Group
  32nd Recon
  E/F
  Midale
  90%
  10/95/15(A)
  (CO: Major General Malcolm Feinman)
  Frederic’s Gazelles
  V/R
  Bromhead
  65%
  0/100/5(A)
  (CO: Colonel Frederic Zaffson)
  Marie’s Golden Hammers
  E/F
  Carmichael
  90%
  0/90/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Marie Stevens)
  Mick’s Blue Skye Rangers (Comp.)
  R/R
  Kawich
  90%
  0/35/0/(B)
  (CO: Captain Keith A. Mick)
  New Avalon Cavaliers
  E/F New Avalon 140%
  20/100/20(A)
  (CO: Dr. John Parker)
  Screaming Eagles
  V/R
  Kilbourne
  120%
  0/100/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Tam Lafayette)
  Vanguard Legion
  E/Q
  Lothair
  42%
  0/90/10(B)
  (CO: Colonel Chad Dean)
  12th Vegan Rangers
  Alpha Regiment
  E/R
  Angol
  80%
  5/95/10(A)
  (CO: General Tom Stancel)
  Beta Regiment
  V/F
  Demeter
  75%
  0/100/5(A)
  (CO: Colonel Miller al-Nahib)
  Gamma Regiment
  R/Q Wappingers
  35%
  0/100/20(A)
  (CO: Colonel Christie Desantis)
  Wilson’s Hussars (Batt.)
  V/Q
  Nopah
  110%
  0/20/5(F)
  (CO: Major Donna Wilson)
  MERCENARY EMPLOYMENT ROSTER
  
  68
  MERCENARY EMPLOYMENT ROSTER
  FREE WORLDS LEAGUE
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  The Bad Dream
  V/R
  Kendall
  105%
  0/85/15(B)
  (CO: Colonel Henry Bortman)
  The Blackhearts
  V/R
  Wasat
  110%
  0/90/20(B)
  (CO: Colonel Marcus Johnson)
  The Krushers
  E/F
  Augustine
  35%
  0/100/50(A)
  (CO: Duchess Alys Rousset-Marik)
  Legion of the Rising Sun
  V/R
  Hardefeld
  85%
  5/75/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Jürgen Petersen)
  Romanov’s Crusaders
  R/F
  Connaught
  130%
  0/75/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Sir Krispin Romanov)
  Swann’s Cavaliers
  V/R
  Galisteo
  95%
  0/80/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Edmund Repplier)
  LYRAN ALLIANCE
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Blackstone Highlanders (Rein. Batt.)
  R/R
  Inarcs
  80%
  5/80/20(B)
  (CO: Colonel Scott Blackstone)
  Blue Star Irregulars
  1894th Light Horse 
  E/F
  Black Earth
  75%
  15/100/25(A)
  (CO: Colonel Wu Sen Tang)
  21st Rim Worlds
  R/R Black Earth
  30%
  20/100/20(A)
  (CO: Colonel Hank Hatfield-McCoy)
  Brion’s Legion
  1st Regiment
  V/R
  Crimond
  60%
  20/95/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Octavius Brion)
  2nd Regiment
  R/R
  Tomans
  90%
  0/95/10(A)
  (CO: Lt. Colonel Douglas Li)
  The Dioscuri (2 Batt.)
  V/Q
  Morges
  60%
  25/100/20(A)
  (CO: Colonels Timothy & Brenda Nels)
  Gabhardt’s Carabineers 
  V/R
  Timbuktu
  75%
  5/40/10(B)
  (CO: Colonel Alexis Gahardt)
  The Fighting Intellectuals (Comp.)
  R/R
  Atocongo
  100%
  10/40/10(B)
  (CO: Captain Shinto Kubusaka)
  The Grave Walkers (Batt.)
  V/Q
  Arc-Royal
  20%
  25/100/10(C)
  (CO: Lt. Col. Goran Tevdt)
  Group W
  E/F
  Rigil 
  90%
  15/95/15(B)
  (CO: Colonel Andrew Bethke)
  Kentarus
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Kell Hounds
  1st Kell Hounds
  E/F
  Graceland
  110%
  65/90/25(A)
  (CO: Lt. Col. Akira Brahe)
  2nd Kell Hounds
  E/F
  Arc-Royal
  125%
  70/90/20(A)
  (CO: Lt. Col. Scott Bradley)
  Kirkpatrick’s Invaders (Batt.)
  V/R
  Kaumberg
  115%
  5/80/10(B)
  (CO: Colonel Damon Kirkpatrick)
  Knights of St. Cameron
  V/R
  Borghese
  100%
  0/85/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Mortimer Dewey)
  Mobile Fire (Armored Reg.)
  G/Q
  New Earth
  85%
  0/85/20(A)
  (CO: Colonel Fred Laurencin)
  Rubinsky’s Light Horse
  E/R
  Blackjack
  90%
  0/45/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Marko Rubinsky)
  Snord’s Irregulars (2 Batt.)
  E/F
  Blair Atholl
  85%
  40/100/20(A)
  (CO: Colonel Rhonda Snord)
  Storm’s Metal Thunder
  V/R
  Blue Hole
  45%
  15/90/10(B)
  (CO: Colonel Griff Storm)
  MAGISTRACY OF CANOPUS
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Avanti’s Angels (Batt.)
  V/R
  Joppa
  90%
  10/65/10(C)
  (CO: Colonel Marcus GioAvanti)
  Caesar’s Cohorts (Batt.)
  R/R
  Lockton
  105%
  0/40/0(D)
  (CO: Major Worrell Orosco)
  Canopian Highlanders
  R/F
  Gallis
  100%
  0/45/0(D)
  (CO: Colonel Judith Wood)
  Green Mountain Boys (Batt.)
  V/R
  New
  125%
  0/50/0(C)
  (CO: Major Ethan Allen)
  Abilene
  Gregg’s Long Striders
  G/Q Weistheimer
  85%
  0/50/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Davis Car)
  Harcourt’s Destructors (2 Batt.)
  R/R
  Addasar
  110%
  0/40/0(D)
  (CO: Colonel Kamala Rahman)
  Lethal Injection (2 Batt.)
  R/Q
  Zanzibar
  115%
  0/45/0(D)
  (CO: Colonel Ryan O’Neil)
  Markson’s Marauders
  V/R
  Thraxa
  105%
  0/65/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Patrick Markson)
  
  69
  MERCENARY EMPLOYMENT ROSTER
  MARIAN HEGEMONY
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  The Dragonslayers
  V/R
  Valerius
  90%
  0/45/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Sturm Hellecksen)
  Head Hunters (Batt.)
  G/Q
  Lummatii
  100%
  0/20/0(F)
  (CO: Major Sharon Karasek)
  Winfield’s Regiment
  R/R
  Blantleff
  100%
  5/75/15(B)
  (CO: Colonel Jeremiah Winfield)
  STAR LEAGUE
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Killer Bees (Battalion)
  R/R
  Tukayyid
  100%
  0/80/0(C)
  (CO: Major Ernst Murdoch)
  Northwind Highlanders
  Northwind Hussars
  E/R
  Ueda
  80%
  10/85/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Loren Jaffray)
  TAURIAN CONCORDAT
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Bannockburn’s Bandits (2 Batt.) 
  V/R
  MacLeod’s 
  75%
  0/45/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel David Bannockburn)
  Land
  The Clean Kill (Batt.)
  R/R
  Althea’s 
  100%
  0/30/0(F)
  (CO: Major Phormes Bullard)
  Choice
  Gordon’s Armored Cavalry
  V/Q
  Amber 
  70%
  0/35/0(D)
  (CO: Colonel Nicholas Gordon)
  Grove
  Longwood’s Bluecoats (2 Batt.)
  V/Q
  Jansen’s 
  90%
  0/50/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Moses Longwood)
  Hold
  Prey’s Divisionals (Batt.)
  R/R
  New Vallis
  90%
  0/45/0(D)
  (CO: Major J. Benderoth)
  The Thumpers (Batt.)
  G/R
  Mithron
  100%
  0/60/0(D)
  (CO: Major Buck Tripp)
  WORD OF BLAKE
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Blanc’s Coyotes
  R/Q
  New Home
  80%
  0/60/10(C)
  (CO: Colonel Martin Blanc)
  Broadstreet Bullies (Comp.)
  R/Q
  Unknown
  65%
  0/35/0(F)
  (CO: Captain Daniel Grover)
  Bronson’s Horde
  V/Q
  Epsilon 
  125%
  0/65/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Dwayne Bronson)
  Eridani
  Burr’s Black Cobras (Batt.)
  R/Q
  Bryant
  110%
  0/40/0(D)
  (CO: Colonel Richard Burr)
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Carson’s Renegades (Batt.)
  G/Q
  Caph
  85%
  0/30/0(D)
  (CO: Colonel Rupert Carson)
  Clifton’s Rangers (Batt.)
  G/R
  Keid
  100%
  0/35/0(F)
  (CO: Major Jack Burton)
  Hannibal’s Hermits
  R/R
  Keid
  115%
  0/70/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Hannibal Aufkophen)
  Hsien Hotheads
  V/R
  Hsien
  95%
  5/65/0(B)
  (CO: Colonel Brenn Twohy)
  Jacob’s Juggernauts (Comp.)
  G/R
  Bryant
  135%
  0/40/00(C)
  (CO: Captain Jacob McDaniels)
  Simonson’s Cutthroats
  R/Q
  Caph
  95%
  0/55/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Victor Simonson)
  INDEPENDENT/UNCONTRACTED
  (*Uncontracted)
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Ace Darwin’s Whipits (1-2 Lances)
  R/R
  Outreach* variable
  0/25/0(D)
  (CO: Ace Darwin)
  Battle Magic (Company)
  E/R
  Outreach*
  120%
  —
  (CO: Captain-tech Jana Nakitsu)
  Barrett’s Fusiliers
  V/R
  Zion*
  100%
  0/50/15(C)
  (CO: Colonel Nikita Barrett)
  Broadsword Legion (Batt.)
  G/R
  Outreach
  100%
  5/80/15(B)
  (CO: Colonel Kari Marita)
  Brock’s Buccaneers (Comp.)
  R/Q
  Galatea*
  100%
  0/50/0(C)
  (CO: Major Keith Brock)
  Crimson Crusaders (Batt.)
  V/R
  Outreach
  110%
  0/60/0(C)
  (CO: Major Brent Matis)
  Devil’s Brigade (Batt.)
  V/R
  Galatea*
  75%
  0/30/0(B)
  (CO: Major Alex Keller)
  Dismal Disinherited
  1st Dismal Disinherited
  V/F New Canton 115%
  5/75/15(B)
  (CO: General Terrence Krieger)
  2nd Dismal Disinherited
  R/R
  Tall Trees
  105%
  0/80/5(B)
  (CO: Colonel Hopin Morrison)
  3rd Dismal Disinherited
  V/R
  Hall
  110%
  0/75/10(B)
  (CO: Colonel John Marik-Johns)
  51st  Dark Panzer Jaegers
  V/R
  Outreach*
  90%
  0/15/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Troy Allen)
  Golden Boys (2 Comp.)
  R/Q
  Herotitus*
  100%
  0/35/0(D)
  (CO: Major Charice Kush)
  
  70
  MERCENARY EMPLOYMENT ROSTER
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  The Green Machine (Batt.)
  G/Q Westerhand*
  85%
  0/20/0(F)
  (CO: Colonel Maxwell Green) 
  Greenburg’s Godzillas
  V/R
  Cabalrai*
  90%
  0/50/10(C)
  (CO: Colonel Ivo Greenburg)
  Hampton’s Hessens (3 reg.)
  V/R
  Galatea*
  100%
  0/50/0(C)
  (CO: General Kurt Festerling)
  HeavyHell Raisers (Batt.)
  R/Q
  Galatea*
  90%
  0/20/0(C)
  (CO: Major Manu Sharma)
  Kraken Unleashed (Batt.)
  G/R Remshield* 125%
  0/45/0(C)
  (CO: Major Phill McBain)
  Northwind Highlanders
  2nd Kearny Highlanders
  E/R
  Northwind
  100%
  10/90/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel James D. Cochraine)
  Stirling’s Fusiliers
  E/R
  Ingress
  95%
  25/90/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Andrea Stirling)
  Ramile’s Raiders (2 Batt.)
  E/R
  Cygnus*
  110%
  0/30/0(F)
  (CO: Colonel Newton Ramile)
  Reed’s Brew (Batt.)
  V/Q
  Galatea*
  60%
  0/35/5(D)
  (CO: Major Lucas “Hurly” Reed)
  The Regulators
  R/Q
  Kansu*
  75%
  0/75/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Dragan Lukovich)
  Rubinsky’s Renegades (1.5 Lances)
  V/R
  Galatea*
  100%
  0/75/35(B)
  (CO: Captain Maxophilia Rubinsky)
  Sathen’s Snipers (2 Batt.)
  V/R
  Galatea*
  78%
  5/10/0(C)
  (CO: Major Illuminada Kesteel)
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  World
  Strength
  C/SL/O(R)
  Smithson’s Chinese Bandits (Comp.)
  V/Q
  Outreach
  135%
  0/100/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Ada Gubser)
  Spade’s Brigade (Comp.)
  G/Q
  Antallos*
  90%
  0/35/0(C)
  (CO: Major Chuong Spade)
  Vandelay’s Valkyries (2 Batt.)
  G/Q
  Cerillos*
  85%
  0/40/0(C)
  (CO: Colonel Charles Houver)
  Wannamaker’s Widowmakers (Batt.)
  G/R
  Galatea*
  90%
  0/60/5(C)
  (CO: Major Cheryl Wannamaker)
  Wolf’s Dragoons
  Beta Regiment
  E/R
  Epsilon 
  140%
  20/100/10(A)
  (CO: Colonel Anton Rand)
  Eridani*
  Epsilon Regiment
  E/R
  Outreach*
  140%
  10/100/15(A)
  (CO: Colonel Elizabeth Nicole)
  Wolf Spider Battalion
  E/F
  Epsilon 
  130%
  100/0/80(A)
  (CO: Major John Clavell)
  Eridani
  Zeta Battalion
  E/F
  Epsilon
  130%
  100/0/90(A)
  (CO: Colonel J. Elliot Jamison)
  Indi
  PRIVATELY CONTRACTED
  Home-
  Tech
  Unit Name
  Exp/Loy
  Contractor
  World
  Strength C/SL/O(R)
  One-Eyed Jacks
  V/R
  Caesar  
  Giausar
  100%
  5/10/5(C)
  (CO: Colonel Darrel “Ramrod” Duke) Steiner
  Camacho’s Caballeros (2 Batt.)E/R
  Tanadi 
  Hachiman
  105%
  0/70/10(B)
  (CO: Colonel Carlos Camacho)
  Computers
  DropShip Irregulars (2 Batt.) V/R
  Dr. R.
  Bethel
  95%
  2/68/5(C)
  (CO: Colonel Medron Pryde)
  Raisley
  
  71
  MERCENARY EMPLOYMENT ROSTER
  
  72
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  Each mercenary command possesses certain specialties
  and skills based on its experience and the abilities of its com-
  mander(s). The regiment descriptions in the Force Briefs
  Database discuss these characteristics in detail. The following
  game rules simulate these characteristics and are intended to
  supplement existing Classic BattleTech and CBT: RPG rules.
  They should add variety to and enhance game play but not give
  unfair advantage to players, and so gamemasters and players
  should all agree on any supplemental rule before using it in play.
  Similarly, players should feel free to modify any rule that seems
  inappropriate for their campaign. All of the following rules are con-
  sidered Level 3 rules and are inappropriate for tournament play.
  Many of the following rules are specifically designed for use
  with the Creating Scenarios rules (see p. 103, BMR). Players
  should feel free to use them in other game situations if appropri-
  ate. Unless otherwise stated, the following rules apply to Classic
  BattleTech games only.
  USING HIDDEN UNITS RULES
  Certain commands can use the Hidden Units rules (see p. 83,
  BMR) to set up part or all of their forces when scenario circum-
  stances allow. If a scenario offers no such opportunity, these forces
  cannot exercise this option. In a chase scenario, for example, both
  sides move right from the start, so neither side can employ these
  rules. In a stand-up fight scenario, however, one side can use the
  Hidden Units rules. Players must decide for themselves if a sce-
  nario accommodates the use of hidden units; in all cases, both
  players must agree before using the rules in a scenario.
  If the rules for a scenario type already call for hidden units,
  ignore the command’s special ability to set up hidden units.
  OVERLAPPING ABILITIES AND
  ADVANTAGES
  If opposing forces possess identical abilities or advantages,
  the advantages cancel each other out. For example, if two
  opposing units both have the advantage of choosing the side of
  the map from which they enter, ignore the advantage and instead
  determine entrance edges using standard rules.
  BANKING INITIATIVE
  Some mercenary commands possess an innate grasp of the
  ever-changing battlefield. They can take advantage of this by
  electing to give up Initiative only to seize it later in combat.
  In game play, the player controlling these forces may, before
  making the Initiative roll, choose to give the Initiative to his oppo-
  nent. For each two turns the controlling player elects to lose
  Initiative in this manner, he may—at a later turn, before making
  his Initiative roll—choose to take the Initiative. The controlling
  player may only “bank” up to two Initiatives (giving up four before-
  hand) at any one time in this way. For purposes of any other spe-
  cial abilities, consider the opponent to have won or lost the
  Initiative (as appropriate) by a margin of 1.
  FORCING THE INITIATIVE
  Several mercenary commands have the ability to “force the
  Initiative” and gain bonuses to their Initiative rolls in BattleTech
  games.The bonus is equal to the number of enemy units the side
  destroyed in the previous turn, reduced by the number of its own
  destroyed units.
  For example, a side with this capability receives a +2
  Initiative bonus if it destroyed 4 enemy units and lost 2 of its own
  during the previous turn.
  OFF-MAP MOVEMENT
  Some mercenary units are proficient in tactical movement
  behind the lines of combat. Commands with the off-map movement
  ability may move units off the map during play.These units re-enter
  play at a predetermined map edge. This ability may only be used if
  the scenario type allows for it. For example, an offensive force may
  not use this ability in breakthrough scenarios; in a hold-the-line
  scenario, the defending force cannot use off-map movement.
  To use this ability, the controlling player writes down the exit
  hex and mapsheet of each unit moving off-map. The controlling
  player then writes down the hex, mapsheet, and turn at which
  each unit will re-enter. Before re-entering the map, an exiting unit
  must remain off the map for the amount of time it would take to
  travel from its exit hex to its entrance hex. To calculate this travel
  time, count the number of blank half hexes along the map edges
  between the entrance and exit hexes. Then divide this number by
  the unit’s Running/Flank MP rating (rounding fractions up). The
  result is the minimum number of turns the unit must remain off
  the map. The controlling player can delay the unit’s re-entry
  beyond this period if he desires, but must select the re-entry turn
  when the unit leaves the map.
  Each returning unit re-enters the map in the End Phase of
  the turn noted on its “written orders.” At that time, the opposing
  player can check the unit’s orders to make sure the move was
  legal. If the move was illegal, the unit is considered destroyed and
  removed from play (a move is illegal if the unit does not remain
  off the map for the required travel time or does not enter at the
  location and turn noted on its written orders). In a campaign set-
  ting, these “destroyed” units may be brought back into play in a
  later battle, since they are actually lost rather than destroyed.
  If a returning unit is supposed to enter the map in a hex con-
  taining an enemy unit or containing a friendly unit that would violate
  the stacking limits of the hex, the returning unit is placed in a hex of
  the opposing player’s choice adjacent to the intended entry hex.
  Once the returning unit has re-entered the map, any enemy
  unit adjacent to it may immediately attack it using the rules for
  Point Blank Shots from Hidden Units (see p. 83, BMR), as long
  as the attacking unit made no other attacks during the Weapon or
  Physical Attack Phases. This does not restrict the attacking unit’s
  ability to make attacks in the following turn.
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  
  73
  Units off the map cannot engage in combat. If the opposing
  force destroys all the units remaining on the map before off-map
  units return, the battle is lost.
  OVERRUN COMBAT
  Some mercenary commands are capable of “overrun” combat
  during Classic BattleTech games. Under certain circumstances,
  these forces may fire before enemy units can move or fire.
  When rolling Initiative for overrun-capable forces, note the
  die roll result’s Margin of Success. Divide the Margin of Success
  by 2 and round fractions down. The result equals the number of
  individual units that may move, designate their targets, and fire
  before any other units move and fire; Target Movement Modifiers
  are 0. “Extra” successes (such as when the player has more suc-
  cesses than there are units available to move) do not carry over
  to later turns.
  For example, an overrun-capable force makes an Initiative
  roll of 11, while its opponent rolls a 6. That gives the overrun-
  capable force a Margin of Success of 5, allowing two units to
  move and fire before any opposing units may move (5 divided by
  2 is 2.5, rounding down to 2).
  Units employing the overrun capability do not take part in
  the normal move/fire sequence and so do not count when deter-
  mining how many units each side must move when alternating
  turns during the Movement, Reaction, and Weapon Attack phas-
  es. Overrunning units make physical attacks as normal during
  the Physical Attack Phase.
  EQUIPMENT RATINGS
  A letter in parentheses follows the name of each of the fol-
  lowing mercenary commands. This letter is the unit’s equipment
  rating, which represents the force’s access to advanced
  BattleMechs and other equipment. This includes access to refit
  kits, exceptional salvage, the purchase of new designs and pre-
  served (or recovered) Star League-era technology. Players can
  use the rating when assigning ’Mechs to a unit with the Random
  Unit Assignment Table, or when building a mercenary unit
  according to the rules starting on page 79.
  If using an alternate generation method or if exercising a
  commander’s prerogative to choose ’Mechs, the equipment rat-
  ing can serve as a guideline for those choices.
  FORCE-SPECIFIC RULES
  The following level 3 rules reflect the special tactics and abil-
  ities of the various mercenary commands featured in this book.
  THE BLACK THORNS (A)
  The Black Thorns may deploy using the Hidden Units rules,
  within the restrictions set by the scenario type.The Black Thorns may
  also use the Banking Initiative and Overrun Combat special abilities.
  BLACKSTONE HIGHLANDERS (B)
  When fighting this force, opponents gain no bonuses for ter-
  rain or mission type unless the normally appropriate bonuses
  exceed +3; in this case, apply a –2 modifier to the bonus. If the
  opposing force suffers any numerical penalty because of the ter-
  rain or mission type, add an additional –1 penalty to reflect the
  Highlanders’ ability to exploit this weakness.
  BRION’S LEGION
  Because of ComStar’s past involvement with the Legion,
  this mercenary force includes several Star League-era
  ’Mechs. To reflect this, when randomly rolling to determine
  composition, for every five ’Mechs in the Legion player’s start-
  ing force, the controlling player may randomly exchange one
  for a ’Mech of equal weight class from the “B” column of the
  Random Unit Assignment Table: ComStar (see p. 219, Field
  Manual: Updates).
  Brion’s 1st Regiment (A)
  First Regiment receives a +2 Initiative bonus against oppos-
  ing forces rated Green or Regular, but only a +1 bonus if the
  opposing force is rated Veteran or Elite.
  Because of their past disgrace, Legion units do not retreat
  and may not be intimidated until they have suffered at least fifty
  percent casualties.
  If fighting on hilly, mountainous, or wooded terrain maps, the
  First Regiment suffers a –1 Initiative penalty.
  Finally, to reflect their love for non-standard unit configura-
  tions, the First Regiment player adds a +1 Initiative bonus when
  his total starting force employs a number of units not evenly divis-
  ible by four, but only when battling ComStar or Clan opponents.
  All Initiative modifiers are cumulative.
  Brion’s 2nd Regiment (A)
  The Legion’s Second Regiment can employ a special intim-
  idation tactic on any opposing force rated Regular or Green. At
  the beginning of each turn where the Second Regiment’s ’Mechs
  outnumber those of their opponent by two-to-one or more (or if
  the opposing force has no ’Mechs at all), the Regiment player
  may intimidate the opposing force. While intimidated, no more
  than a single enemy unit may declare a weapon or physical
  attack on a given Second unit or move any closer to the Second’s
  side of the map than one hex from where it began the current
  turn. However, while intimidating, the Second Regiment’s ’Mechs
  may not move faster than walking speed.
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  NAMED MERC UNITS EQUIPMENT
  RATING TABLE
  Rating
  Description
  Example
  A
  Heavy Upgrades
  Northwind Highlanders
  B
  Good Upgrades
  Legion of the Rising Sun
  C
  Fair Upgrades
  Grave Walkers
  D
  Average Upgrades
  Carson’s Renegades
  F
  Poor Upgrades
  Wilson’s Hussars
  
  74
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  The second battalion of Second Regiment has developed a
  knack for cautious maneuvering, and so gains a –1 modifier to
  the target number for all Piloting Skill Rolls to avoid falling.
  BROCK’S BUCCANEERS (C)
  Brock’s Buccaneers receive a +1 modifier to all Contract
  Negotiation Checks, reflecting the edge Major Brock receives
  when he brings the eccentric MechWarrior Kendel with him to
  the bargaining table.
  As a very green unit, the Buccaneers are still learning how
  to fight as a team. To reflect this, the Buccaneers receive a –2
  Initiative penalty. Reduce this penalty to –1 if Major Brock’s Uziel
  is present in the Buccaneers’ force.
  CANNED HEAT (D)
  As the majority of its membership hails from the fractured,
  multi-ethnic world of Saiph, the armored units of the Canned
  Heat’s Groundpounders battalion suffer a –1 Initiative penalty
  during any scenario.
  In any battle where Canned Heat ’Mechs and armor units
  are deployed together, the Canned Heat player must roll a sepa-
  rate Initiative for both the ’Mech force and the Groundpounders,
  adding a –1 Initiative penalty to both (so the Groundpounders
  suffer a net penalty of –2). These separate Initiatives reflect the
  difficulties each force has in cooperating during battle.
  None of the above rules or modifiers apply if Canned Heat
  is fighting on Saiph.
  CARSON’S RENEGADES (D)
  Carson’s Renegades suffer a –1 Initiative penalty on the
  field, but opposing commands cannot use the Force the Initiative
  special ability against them.
  CLIFTON’S RANGERS (F)
  The Rangers player may set up half his force using the
  Hidden Units rules, regardless of the scenario type, receiving a
  +1 Initiative bonus for each hidden unit to a maximum of +4.
  However, the Rangers must have a single lance of unhidden light
  to medium ’Mechs on the board to take advantage of this ability,
  and a bonus point is lost with each unit that is exposed during the
  Movement or Attack Phases.
  Rangers may use the Off-Map Movement special ability for
  the remainder of the force not hidden in the initial set up.
  Additionally, all Rangers units receive a +1 modifier to be hit
  while they are in wooded hexes or when using partial cover.
  CRATER COBRAS (B)
  When randomly generating force composition, the Crater
  Cobras player may roll one ’Mech using the Ghost Bear column
  of the Random ’Mech Assignment Table: Warden Clan Front Line
  (see p. 212, FM: Updates) per company of total force fielded.
  The Crater Cobras receive a +2 Initiative bonus against the
  Ghost Bears and a +1 Initiative bonus against any other Clan
  force, and they do not succumb to any form of intimidation by
  Clan or Inner Sphere forces. Clan units must accept any chal-
  lenge for an Honor Duel at Level 2 rules of engagement when
  challenged by a Cobras unit.
  When attacking any building, the Cobras receive an addi-
  tional –1 to-hit modifier.
  DEVIL’S ADVOCATES (C)
  In Hostile Environments (see p. 83, BMR) or any terrain type
  that causes damage, the Advocates can prepare their troops and
  equipment to resist their effects. Reduce environmental damage,
  such as for acid or lava, by three points and triple the time delay
  for the occurrence of deteriorating effects, such as from radiation.
  The Advocates also receive a –1 Piloting Skill Roll modifier
  when exceeding running/flank MPs in low gravity environments,
  or for checking against becoming mired in swamp hexes.
  This same modifier applies to all rolls when checking for hull
  breach in vacuum or underwater environments.
  In high heat environments, Advocate units suffer no negative
  effects until temperatures exceed 70 C.
  In addition to these effects, the brashness this command
  displays in such environments gives any opposing force a –1
  Initiative penalty.
  DROPSHIP IRREGULARS (C)
  The Irregulars’ unconventional approach to battle often
  results in their opponents being demoralized or confused. The
  Irregulars start with a +3 Initiative modifier, but this modifier is
  reduced by 1 after they lose Initiative. This process continues
  throughout the battle (representing the Irregulars’ less than per-
  fect battlefield discipline) until it is reduced to zero.
  In addition, the DropShip Irregulars’ advanced technical sup-
  port grants them a +2 bonus for all repair and scavenging rolls
  (see Repair and Scavenging, p. 89, BMR).
  THE GRAVE WALKERS (C)
  The Grave Walkers may place minefields of any type on the
  map before the start of the game provided they are the defenders
  in a scenario that allows for minefields.The controlling player may
  not place more minefields than two for every Grave Walker unit
  deployed, to a maximum of sixteen fields in any given scenario.
  GREGG’S LONG STRIDERS (C)
  In any Hold the Line or Breakthrough scenario where they
  are the attacker, Gregg’s Long Striders can make use of the
  Overrun Combat special ability.
  GRIM DETERMINATION (C)
  Thanks to its combat losses in the Chaos March, Grim
  Determination has shifted its focus to anti-guerilla operations and has
  completely reworked its tactics to suit battlefield conditions where
  enemy units can easily hide or where increased mobility is needed.
  To reflect this, when randomly determining force composi-
  tion, the Grim Determination player may not choose any ’Mechs
  from the assault weight class and should re-roll any heavy units
  that have a Walking/Cruise MP of 4 or less, taking the second
  result regardless of its MP.
  
  75
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  Furthermore, the Determination suffers a –1 Initiative penal-
  ty when operating in any formation larger than a company, reflect-
  ing its greater emphasis on small-scale warfare and mobility.
  If Major Smith is in play and the opposing player has hidden
  units on the field, that player must roll 2D6 for each hidden unit
  and reveal its position on a result of 7 or less.
  GROUP W (B)
  When randomly rolling to determine unit composition, the
  Group W commander may choose to roll on the “C” or lower col-
  umn on the Random Unit Assignment Table: Lyran Alliance (see
  p. 227, Field Manual: Updates or p. 127, Field Manual: Lyran
  Alliance) instead of using the “B” column on the Random Unit
  Assignment Table (see p. 126, Field Manual: Mercenaries,
  Revised or p. 228, Field Manual: Updates).
  Group W may use the Bank Initiative special ability.
  HANSEN’S ROUGHRIDERS (A)
  The Roughriders gain a +1 Initiative bonus for every edge of
  the map they control. “Control” is defined as having at least one-
  sixth of the surviving Roughrider forces (round up to the nearest
  whole unit) between the map edge and the enemy unit closest to
  that map edge (the Roughriders usually start with a +1 Initiative
  bonus for its home edge).
  Pointblank shots may not be fired against the Roughriders.
  Additionally, the Roughriders receive a –3 bonus to hit a hex with
  Artillery weapons if a Roughrider unit ended its movement phase
  in that hex during a given scenario.
  A CBT: RPG character affiliated with the Roughriders gains
  Quirk/Hatred of Taurians.
  THE HEAD HUNTERS (F)
  The Head Hunters receive a +3 Initiative bonus when oper-
  ating in urban or mountain terrain. When operating in more open
  terrain (such as Badlands or Hill), they receive a +1 Initiative
  bonus; in all other terrain, they receive no bonus (see Terrain-
  Specific Mapsheet Tables, p. 107, BMR).
  When randomly determining force composition, regardless of the
  size of the force deployed in a scenario, Head Hunter players may field
  two ’Mechs rolled from the B column of the Random Unit Assignment
  Table: Free Worlds League (see p. 226, Field Manual: Updates).
  ILLICIAN LANCERS
  When rolling randomly to determine lance composition, the
  player controlling any of the Illician Lancers units may roll on the
  Random Unit Assignment Table: Federated Suns (see p. 225, Field
  Manual: Updates or p. 139, Field Manual: Federated Suns), though
  at one equipment category lower (instead of rolling on the “A” col-
  umn, the Lancers would roll on the “B” column on these tables).
  59th Strike Regiment (B)
  When rolling randomly to determine lance weight, apply a
  –2 penalty.
  The 59th Strike may make use the Off-Map Movement and
  Overrun Combat special abilities.
  4th Illician Rangers (B)
  When rolling randomly to determine lance weight, apply a +1
  bonus.
  The Fourth Rangers gain a +1 Initiative bonus for every full-
  strength lance in which each unit has a Walk/Cruise MP of 5 or
  better, to a maximum of +3; as soon as one of the units in one of
  these lances is destroyed, the entire force loses the +1 bonus for
  that lance.
  9th Illician Rangers (A) 
  When rolling to randomly determine lance weight, apply a
  +2 bonus.
  The Ninth Rangers may make use of Off-Map Movement
  special ability.
  21st Illician Rangers (A)
  When randomly determining ’Mech force composition, the
  player controlling the 21st Rangers may choose to re-roll any
  result from the Random Unit Assignment Table that does not indi-
  cate a jump-capable BattleMech; the player may only re-roll once
  per ’Mech (if the second roll does not come up as a jump-capa-
  ble ’Mech, he must keep the unit indicated), but may re-roll for
  every ’Mech in a given lance (thus providing the player the
  chance to re-roll four times per lance, once for each ’Mech “slot”).
  The 21st Rangers may use the Force the Initiative and
  Overrun Combat special abilities.
  Additionally, its personnel receive a –2 bonus to all Piloting
  Skill Rolls made to determine the effects of Dropping ’Mechs and
  battle armor (see Dropping Troops, p. 78, BMR).
  KIRKPATRICK’S INVADERS (B)
  The Invaders’ constituent ’Mech companies are so accus-
  tomed to operating independently that whenever units of more
  than one Invader company takes part in a scenario, a –2 Initiative
  penalty applies. This penalty is reduced to –1, however, if Damon
  Kirkpatrick is also among the Invaders’ force (the controlling play-
  er must designate a ’Mech as ‘Kirkpatrick’; if that ’Mech is
  destroyed or leaves the map, the –2 Initiative penalty applies for
  the remainder of the scenario).
  Kirkpatrick’s Pack is adept at counter-Clan operations, and
  gains a +2 Initiative bonus when engaging Clan forces. Because
  the Pack also insists on fighting during ideal weather and visibili-
  ty conditions, a penalty of –2 applies to Initiative rolls in any sce-
  nario that involves night combat, or combat during poor weather
  (rain, snow, and so on), regardless of Damon’s presence.
  The Warriors of Steel company favors ambush tactics and
  may begin any scenario where it acts as defender with up to two-
  thirds of its units hidden per the Hidden Units rule.
  LEGION OF THE RISING SUN (B)
  Troops of the Legion of the Rising Sun can choose to follow
  Clan Honor rules (honor level 2 as found on p. 122-124 of The
  Clans: Warriors of Kerensky) in a scenario. When they do so, they
  gain a +1 Initiative bonus (+2 if facing Clan opponents).
  
  76
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  LEXINGTON COMBAT GROUP
  When rolling randomly to determine lance composition, twice
  per lance the player controlling any of the Lexington Combat
  Group units may roll on the Random Unit Assignment Table:
  Federated Suns (see p. 225, Field Manual: Updates or p. 139,
  Field Manual: Federated Suns) or the Random Unit Assignment
  Table: Lyran Alliance (see p. 227, Field Manual: Updates or p. 127,
  Field Manual: Lyran Alliance), at the same equipment category.
  32nd Recon (A)
  When rolling randomly to determine lance weight, apply a
  –2 penalty.
  Likewise, when rolling to randomly determine lance compo-
  sition, the player controlling the Thirty-Second Recon may select
  one ECM-equipped unit from an available Random Unit
  Assignment Table for every full company (12 units), or fraction
  thereof, to be used in the game.
  The Thirty-Second Recon gains a +2 Initiative bonus any
  time one of its units is on a map that includes pavement or three
  or more buildings (rubbled buildings included).
  Further, in BattleForce 2 games, the Thirty-second Recon
  replaces the “Alpha Strike!,” “Hello, HQ?” and “Stand and Shoot”
  commands on the Basic Command List: Inner Sphere (see p. 30,
  BattleForce 2) with “Jam Transmission.”
  241st Battle: Frederic’s Gazelles (A)
  When rolling randomly to determine lance weight, apply a
  +1 bonus.
  The 241st Battle may use the Off-Map Movement special
  ability.
  In BattleForce 2 games, the 241st Battle replaces the “Ambush”
  and “Hello, HQ?” commands on the Basic Command List: Inner
  Sphere (see p. 30, BattleForce 2) with “Doubletime March.”
  180th Dragoon: Marie’s Golden Hammers (A)
  When rolling randomly to determine lance weight, apply a
  +1 bonus.
  The 180th Dragoon may use the Overrun Combat special ability
  Further, its units may move at twice its Walk/Cruise MP every
  other turn. Moving at this rate generates three Heat Points per turn
  and inflicts a +3 to-hit modifier for attacker movement (instead of
  the typical +2 for Running/Flanking). Using this movement mode is
  not considered “Sprinting” and a unit may engage in combat or
  otherwise function normally. These extra bursts of speed have the
  potential to cause serious damage to the unit, however. Any time
  a unit moves in this way, the controlling player rolls 2D6 immedi-
  ately after finishing movement. If the unit is a ’Mech, a critical hit is
  indicated on a 9 or better; randomly determine which leg suffers
  the damage (roll on the front/back column of the BattleMech Kick
  Location Table) and then randomly assign one critical hit (as if the
  location had suffered a critical hit normally). If the unit is a vehicle,
  refer to the Motive System Damage Table (see p. 32 in Maximum
  Tech, Revised) and apply the indicated damage. Effects from any
  such damage take effect immediately.
  THE MARTIAN CUIRASSIERS (A)
  The Martian Cuirassiers receive a –1 Initiative penalty in any
  scenario where they field only one unit type (BattleMech, armor,
  or infantry).
  In any scenario where friendly aerospace is available for
  ground support missions, the Cuirassiers receive a +1
  Initiative bonus.
  All repair rolls made by Cuirassier technicians receive a –1
  TN bonus, reflecting the mercenaries’ expertise with technology
  and its maintenance.
  In CBT: RPG games, Martian Cuirassiers characters may
  add a +1 bonus to either Scrounge or any one Technician Skill
  after character creation.
  NORTHWIND HIGHLANDERS
  With a thousand years of military tradition, acumen, and his-
  tory behind them, the Northwind Highlanders are arguably some
  of the finest fighting troops in the Inner Sphere.
  To reflect this, Highlander forces may ignore the special abil-
  ities of their opponents (if possible) once per scenario (provided
  they apply during that scenario); the controlling player deter-
  mines if and when this ability is used.
  First Kearny Highlanders (A)
  The First is the ultra-conservative unit of the Highlanders and
  is renowned for refusing to give ground no matter what the cost.
  If the First is outnumbered 4 to 1 or more at the beginning of
  any turn and does not lose a single unit during that turn, its oppo-
  nent must retreat at the fastest possible speed toward his home
  map edge. He may still direct weapon attacks at Highlander
  units. If the First loses half of its remaining units in one turn
  (rounding up) before the last enemy unit has retreated off the
  map, the enemy may cease retreating. However, enemy units
  already removed from the map remain out of play.
  Second Kearny Highlanders (A)
  The impassioned Second is known for its burning desire to
  succeed.This imperative never to fail gives all Second warriors a +1
  modifier added to the dice roll when making Consciousness Rolls.
  Additionally, when deploying a force of more than four units,
  the controlling player of the Second must designate a comman-
  der. The Second gains a +1 Initiative bonus every turn the com-
  mander’s unit is not destroyed. If at any time the commander’s
  unit is destroyed, for the subsequent three turns the Second
  receives a -2 Initiative penalty, but gains a –1 to-hit modifier to all
  weapon attacks. However, no Highlander unit may retreat from
  the playing area for five turns following the destruction of its com-
  mander’s unit; after that time, the units may retreat normally.
  MacLeod’s Regiment (A)
  Members of this regiment receive a –2 Initiative penalty at all
  times. However, because of the unit’s confusing fighting style,
  units opposing MacLeod’s Regiment receive an additional +1 to-
  hit modifier when making attacks.
  
  77
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  Additionally, anytime a MacLeod’s force faces an opponent
  with two or more special abilities that apply during a scenario, on
  a 1D6 roll of 5 or 6, MacLeod’s mimics one of those abilities for
  the rest of the scenario, starting at the beginning of the next turn.
  When this roll is made and which ability is ‘stolen’ is at the dis-
  cretion of the MacLeod’s force controlling player, but it must be at
  the beginning of a turn; i.e. the controlling player cannot wait for
  his opponent to announce his intention to use his ability and then
  attempt to ‘mimic’ it.This roll can only be made once per scenario.
  When randomly assigning ’Mechs to MacLeod’s, once per
  six ’Mechs, before determining weight class, the player may
  choose to roll on any Clan Second Line Random ’Mech
  Assignment Table (see pp. 223 and 213, Field Manual: Updates).
  However, the player must roll one weight class less than deter-
  mined; if already light, roll on the light table.
  Stirling’s Fusiliers (A)
  The Fusiliers are cunning and innovative tacticians. Every
  time the Fusiliers win three consecutive Initiative rolls, the
  Fusiliers player chooses half his force, rounding down, and
  moves them at the end of the Movement Phase after all other
  units have moved; these units do not count when determining
  Unequal Numbers of Units (see p. 15, BMR).
  When randomly assigning ’Mechs to the Fusiliers, once per
  lance, after determining weight class, the player may choose to roll
  on the Random Unit Assignment Table: Clan Nova Cat (see p. 223,
  Field Manual: Updates). Randomly roll 1D6. On a 1–3 the player
  rolls on the Second Line column, on a 4–6 on the Front Line column.
  Northwind Hussars (A)
  Against any Clan force, the Northwind Hussars’ intimate
  knowledge of how to counteract Clan tactics gives them a +2
  Initiative bonus.
  When randomly assigning ’Mechs to the Hussars, for every
  two full lances, before determining weight class, the player may
  choose to roll once on the Random Unit Assignment Table: Clan
  Nova Cat (see p. 223, Field Manual: Updates), and once on the
  Random Assignment Table: Star League (see p. 222, Field
  Manual: Updates). For the Clan Nova Cat table, randomly roll a
  1D6. On a 1–4, the player rolls on the Second Line column, on a
  5–6 on the Front Line column.
  REDFIELD RENEGADES (C)
  Before the beginning of any scenario, the Renegades play-
  er may set up one third of his force as hidden units provided he
  is fielding a total force size of one company or more. Additionally,
  the Renegades player receives a +1 Initiative bonus as long as
  all such units remain hidden.
  Use of questionable tactics by the Renegades gives them an
  ability to intimidate opposition that cancels any opposing force’s
  Initiative bonus after any turn where the Renegades destroy more
  units than they lose. Additionally, the Renegades also receive a
  +1 Initiative bonus for every lance of enemy BattleMechs they
  destroy, but when the Renegades’ designated commander’s
  ’Mech (designated at the beginning of the scenario) is destroyed,
  they lose all Initiative bonuses, while the opposition receives a +2
  Initiative bonus for the remainder of the game.
  THE REGULATORS (C)
  The number of veteran soldiers in this unit often helps tip the
  tide of battle in its favor, their patience and experience winning out
  over zeal. To reflect this, in any scenario where the Regulators are
  the attacker, they may use the Banking Initiative special ability.
  In any scenario where they act as defender, the Regulators
  receive a +1 Initiative bonus.
  SATHEN’S SNIPERS (C)
  When the Sathen’s Snipers deploy only ’Mechs and vehicles
  with Walking/Cruising MP of 6 (they may deploy any type of
  infantry) or greater in any scenario, they automatically receive a
  +2 Initiative bonus for the entire scenario and may employ the
  Forcing the Initiative and Banking the Initiative special abilities.
  During every contract negotiation (see p. 165, Running a
  Mercenary Unit, Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised), Sathen’s
  Snipers gain a free 5% increase to Straight Support under
  Support Rights.
  SPADE’S BRIGADE (C)
  If more than a lance of the Brigade is deployed in any sce-
  nario, the whole unit suffers a –3 Initiative penalty until the num-
  ber of surviving units drops back down to a lance or less. This
  penalty is –1 when Chuong Spade is in command (his unit must
  be designated at the beginning of a scenario and if his unit is
  destroyed at any time during the game, the standard –3 Initiative
  penalty applies for the remainder of the scenario).
  STEALTHY TIGERS (C)
  When deploying, the Tigers may choose to incur a –1 Initiative
  modifier in exchange for placing a single unit behind the opposing
  force. The Tigers may deploy a maximum of three units in this fash-
  ion, taking a maximum –3 Initiative penalty; this cumulative modifier
  applies for the entire scenario.These units may begin to arrive on the
  opposing player’s edge of the map (the exact hex they enter and
  which movement mode the unit uses to enter the scenario is left up
  to the controlling player), one per turn, beginning during the
  Movement Phase of Turn 4; they move onto the map after all other
  forces have moved and do not count toward the controlling player’s
  number of units on the board during movement.The controlling play-
  er need not move a unit onto the board during the Movement Phase
  of Turn 4, but may move them on at any time beginning on Turn 4 or
  thereafter. Only one such unit may enter the scenario per turn.
  SWANN’S CAVALIERS (B)
  Because of its long-term employment in the Free Worlds
  League, when randomly determining force composition, the Cavaliers
  may roll on the Random Unit Assignment Table: Free Worlds League
  (see p. 226, Field Manual: Updates or p. 126, Field Manual: Free
  Worlds League) rather than the standard Mercenary table.
  
  78
  MERCENARY COMMANDS
  Up to two-thirds of the Cavaliers’ BattleMechs (and
  BattleMechs only) can use the Off-Map Movement special abili-
  ty provided this is allowed by the scenario, but the departing hex
  can only be along the Cavaliers’ home edge of the map.
  THE THUMPERS (D)
  As an assault force, the Thumpers have a significantly high-
  er average unit weight than seen in many other commands.
  When rolling randomly to determine the weight class of a
  Thumpers force, add +4 for Lance and +2 for Company roll
  results. When randomly rolling for an assault class BattleMech
  use the Lyran Alliance tables (see p. 227, Field Manual: Updates
  or p. 127, Field Manual: Lyran Alliance) in place of the standard
  mercenary table (see p. 228, Field Manual: Updates or p. 126,
  Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised).
  In any Hold the Line, Breakthrough, or Extraction scenario
  where the Thumpers act as defenders, the Thumpers can
  employ the Overrun Combat special ability. Whenever the
  Thumpers operate as attackers in those same scenarios, they
  suffer a –1 Initiative penalty.
  WANNAMAKER’S WIDOWMAKERS (C)
  Cheryl Wannamaker is an instinctive tactician in small-
  scale conflicts, but her command is having trouble working
  together in its ongoing effort to rebuild and lacks focus unless
  she personally takes to the field. To reflect this, if a scenario
  involves no more than a company (12 units) on each side at the
  start of a scenario, the Widowmaker player receives a +1
  Initiative bonus—but only if Wannamaker herself is part of the
  Widowmaker force (the destruction of her unit has no effect on
  this bonus, so her unit need not be specified at the beginning
  of the scenario).
  In CBT: RPG games, characters in the Widowmakers
  receive one free Trait worth 1 point.
  WILSON’S HUSSARS (D)
  In any Hold the Line, Breakthrough, or Extraction scenario
  when acting as attacker, Wilson’s Hussars can employ the
  Overrun Combat special ability. If acting as defender in any
  such scenario, the Hussars may employ the Hidden Units rule
  to place all of its infantry and up to two of its vehicle lances.
  In addition, the Hussars have developed several effective
  close-range combat specialties that afford them a –1 to-hit mod-
  ifier for all attacks made at a range of less than three hexes and
  enable any Hussar BattleMech which spends two MPs at the end
  of its Movement Phase to deny any enemy ’Mech the ability to
  enter any of the three hexes in the Hussar unit’s forward arc; this
  cannot stop a unit from exiting such a hex. If the opposing unit
  has jump jets, however, the Hussar unit may not deny these
  hexes unless it, too, has functioning jump jets.
  
  79
  MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL 
  The organic, path-based mercenary force generation system
  introduced in the Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised book cre-
  ates a fully rounded mercenary command, complete with a back-
  ground and a fleshed-out commanding officer that is equally com-
  patible with the Classic BattleTech RPG (CBT: RPG) system and
  with the Classic BattleTech Master Rules, Revised (BMR).
  However, this system may not be to everyone’s tastes. The Point-
  Based Force Creation system described below offers such play-
  ers a faster and less randomized means of building a mercenary
  command with more direct control over its size and composition,
  albeit at the expense of an evolutionary background.
  Following these rules generates a mercenary force that may
  then be run using Running a Mercenary Force (see p. 153, Field
  Manual: Mercenaries, Revised).
  Terminology: In these rules, the term unit is used at it is in
  the BMR, to refer to a single battlefield unit such as a ’Mech,
  vehicle, or infantry platoon. The term force is used specifically
  when referring to the mercenary force a player will build.
  POINT-BASED FORCE
  CREATION
  The general procedure for creating a new mercenary com-
  mand using the point-based system is outlined below.The system
  is designed for compatibility with the Classic BattleTech and CBT:
  RPG games, as well as the mercenary creation and operations
  rules laid down in Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised (FMMR).
  However, CBT: RPG rules should only be used in gamemastered
  role-playing campaigns. For players interested in greater depth,
  the Combat Operations rules expansion may be used to supple-
  ment these rules.
  Players should read through the entire system at least once
  to get a basic idea of how it works before using it, and gamemas-
  ters should feel free to modify any rules to produce fair and
  believable campaigns for their playing groups.
  PROCEDURE OUTLINE
  Step 1: Determine Starting Point Values
  Stage 1: Identify Commander
  Stage 2: Identify Hiring Hall
  Stage 3: Determine Final Starting Point Pool Values
  Step 2: Select Personnel and Experience Levels
  Step 3: Select Equipment and Tech Levels
  Step 4: Determine Payroll, Support Requirements, and
  Maintenance Costs
  Step 5: Finishing Touches
  In Step 1, the controlling player identifies the capabilities of
  the force’s commander either by converting his CBT: RPG statis-
  tics or using a Fast Commander Generation system (see p. 140,
  FMMR).Together with modifiers from a designated hiring hall, the
  player then establishes the starting point values for purchasing
  Personnel, Experience, Equipment, and Technology Ratings,
  depending on the desired size of the mercenary command.
  In Step 2, the player spends points to raise the manpower
  needs of the mercenary command, with additional points used to
  improve their skills for better overall effectiveness.
  In Step 3, equipment is purchased and upgraded using the
  same system for determining personnel and skills as in the pre-
  vious step, and these machines are then identified as the player
  desires and assigned to appropriate recruited personnel.
  In Step 4, support personnel, maintenance needs, and the
  chain of command are firmed up.
  Step 5 completes the force creation process by naming the
  mercenary command and establishing its starting funds.
  FORCE CREATION BASICS
  Throughout the creation process, a number of different fac-
  tors influence how many personnel (both warrior and noncom-
  batant) the force recruits and their capabilities. The abilities of the
  force leader and other events in the various stages and sub-
  stages of development add modifiers to these key areas, reflect-
  ing the competing influence of the force’s founders, though the
  point-based system eliminates the factor of random chance.
  Under the streamlined point-based system, the mercenary cre-
  ator must pay attention to five categories.
  Point Pools: Each of the five categories below utilizes a pool
  of points which are generated in Step 1: Starting Values (see p. 80),
  then are spent throughout the rest of the force generation process.
  During the creation process, all five Category Point Pools
  can be overspent (called ‘deficit spending’). However, the sum
  total of all points “overspent” across all five categories may not
  exceed one hundred under any circumstances. Furthermore, any
  purchases made in excess of a Category Point Pool increase
  their costs by fifty percent (rounding up), so a commander
  attempting to purchase a complementary warrior after using all
  the Warr Pool points would spend 5 points, rather than the cus-
  tomary 3 (3 x 1.5 = 4.5, rounding to 5).
  Warriors (Warr Pool)
  Warrior personnel in a mercenary command consist of three
  basic types—Same, Complementary (Comp), and Distant
  (Dist)—that reflect their relation to the founder/commander’s field
  of expertise. “Same” warriors come from the same combat role
  (i.e. a MechWarrior) as the founder, while “Complementary” war-
  riors perform a battlefield role that directly supports or comple-
  ments that of the founder. “Distant” warriors are those whose bat-
  tlefield specialties are farther removed from the commander’s
  than complementary troops, such as infantry might be consid-
  ered to aerospace units. The full definition of what constitutes a
  Same, Complementary, or Distant warrior class is noted in the
  Warrior Personnel Relation Guide Table below. The exact nature
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY
  CREATION RULES
  
  80
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  of these troops is not defined in the point-based system until
  later in the development process.
  It should be noted that—as with the creation rules used in
  Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised—every single MechWarrior
  tracked in this system equates to a vehicle with a full crew, or a
  full squad of infantry. This should be kept in mind during later
  stages of force development, when the technical and medical
  support needs are being determined. Note also that while
  infantry may technically complement all primary force types, their
  definition as “distant” on the table is used to define their relative
  point values under unit purchasing rules later on.
  WARRIOR PERSONNEL RELATION
  GUIDE TABLE
  Commander’s Role
  Same
  Complementary
  Distant
  MechWarrior
  MechWarrior
  Armor/Aerospace
  Infantry
  Armor
  Armor
  MechWarrior/Aerospace
  Infantry
  Aerospace
  Aerospace
  MechWarrior/Armor
  Infantry
  Infantry
  Infantry
  Armor
  MechWarrior/Aerospace
  Support (Supp Pool)
  Support personnel consist of the technicians, mechanics,
  medics, and administrators who keep a mercenary command
  organized, well supplied, and in fighting trim. As with warriors,
  this category has been streamlined under the point-based sys-
  tem; separating support into component technicians, medics,
  and administrators is handled later.
  Experience (Exp Pool)
  The Experience category reflects the relative level of exper-
  tise that each element of the mercenary command possesses.
  Factors such as a commander’s background and the hiring hall
  of choice can influence the average Experience Pool a starting
  commander has at his disposal.
  Equipment (Equip Pool)
  The Equipment category indicates the relative weight class-
  es and types of a new mercenary command’s combat equipment
  and transport assets, effectively representing a combination of
  resources including cash and barter that a mercenary comman-
  der may draw upon to buy more or bigger machinery. The
  founder uses this category to arm the command and organize it
  as she sees fit, equipping the command with everything from
  conventional infantry squads and battle armor to BattleMechs,
  DropShips, and even JumpShips. This category, like all the oth-
  ers, is influenced by the chosen size of the mercenary command,
  its founder’s background, and the hiring hall used under the
  point-based system.
  Tech Level (Tech Pool)
  The Tech Level category of the point-based system reflects
  the sophistication of the mercenary command’s equipment. A
  commander uses this pool of points to upgrade the ’Mechs, vehi-
  cles, and other combat elements, and the pool is a vital step
  towards identifying exactly what units may be chosen to fill out
  the command’s final rosters.
  STEP 1: DETERMINE
  STARTING VALUES
  STAGE 1: IDENTIFY COMMANDER
  The nature of the mercenary force’s founder/commander
  heavily influences the allotment of resources and manpower that
  form a “core” for the new force. Depending on his background, a
  commander may be able to bring more troops or more
  resources, or a little of each. Generally speaking, this leader may
  be generated using the rules found in CBT: RPG, and such com-
  manders remain compatible with this system. However, in the
  interests of brevity and in the spirit of the point-based creation
  system, players may opt for the quick commander generation
  reviewed below. Players interested instead in using an “organi-
  cally-generated” commander should consult the rules in Field
  Manual: Mercenaries, Revised (p. 140).
  Commander Generation
  The rules provided here presuppose that players creating a
  new mercenary command have already developed a mercenary
  commander using the CBT: RPG rules or the Fast Commander
  Generation rules found on page 140 (FMMR). If such sources
  are unavailable, or if time is of the essence, the following rules
  restate the Fast Generation system once more.
  To generate a commander, the player simply selects the
  commander’s training, origins, and combat experience from the
  Mercenary Founder Modifiers Table below. The origins, training,
  and experience combine to determine his base CBT piloting/gun-
  nery target numbers (P/G TNs) and age, as well as add modifiers
  that apply to the five categories of the point-based force creation
  system. The character may take a maximum of one training type
  for any commander who hails from Clan origins and up to two
  training types for an Inner Sphere commander (so long as one of
  the two is Family Trained). Note that for training, the higher base
  age and lower base P/G TNs apply, while personnel and point
  pool modifiers are cumulative. Note also that for some non-
  MechWarrior commanders (such as conventional infantry), pilot-
  ing skills do not apply, and so the TN reflects gunnery only.
  A commander may choose one, two, or three of the combat
  experience types shown on the table, though only the Tour of
  Duty and Covert Operations may be taken more than once (to
  the maximums given in the table). Note that all of these listings
  are applicable to CBT: RPG-generated characters as well, so this
  same table may be used by such “organically-generated”
  founders to gain the same point-based category modifiers.
  However, the age and base P/G TN modifiers given do not apply
  to characters generated using the CBT: RPG rules, whose sta-
  tistics should already be determined after running through the
  character creation system, plus any additional experience points
  
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  earned during roleplay or granted by the gamemaster for charac-
  ter advancement.
  As an optional rule for the fast generation method, players
  may wish to add any of the Attributes, traits, or skills featured for
  a CBT: RPG-based character (thus gaining the additional per-
  sonnel and point pool modifiers) by choosing up to five different
  “positive” Attributes, traits, or skills from the CBT: RPG
  Commander Modifiers Table below. This number can be
  increased by one, however, for every “negative” Attribute, trait, or
  skill the commander also takes. For determining whether or not a
  given Attribute, trait, or skill is positive or negative, simply add all
  the personnel and point pool modifiers together. If the number is
  less than zero, it is a negative Attribute, trait, or skill. Otherwise, it
  is positive. Note that for purposes of integration with the CBT:
  RPG system, all traits and skills purchased in this fashion may
  only be taken once, and they are set to the minimum possible
  level necessary to attain the bonus. This means that a fast-gen-
  erated commander with Wealth, poor CHA, and high Leadership
  is assumed to have a 1-level Wealth trait, a CHA score of 3, and
  a Leadership skill bonus of +3.
  MERCENARY FOUNDER MODIFIERS TABLE
  Base Base P/G
  Category Point Pool Modifiers
  Highest Training
  Age
  TNs
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience Equipment Tech Level
  Family Trained (Nobility)
  18
  7/6
  +0.08
  +0.05
  0
  +0.05
  0
  Academy/Clan Dropout
  18
  6/5
  0
  0
  –0.05
  0
  0
  Academy/Clan Graduate
  20
  5/4
  +0.05
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Academy Graduate w/ OCS
  22
  4/4
  +0.10
  0
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Clan Graduate w/ 2+ Kills
  20
  4/3
  0
  0
  0
  0
  +0.05
  Age
  P/G
  Commander’s Origins
  Mod
  Mod
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience Equipment
  Tech Level 
  Clan Origins
  –2 yrs
  –1/–1
  –0.15
  –0.15
  +0.05
  -0.08
  +0.10
  Periphery Origins
  +1 yr
  +1/0
  +0.15
  +0.10
  0
  -0.03
  –0.10
  Age
  P/G
  Combat Experience
  Mod
  Mod
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience Equipment
  Tech Level
  Covert Ops (each, 2 max)
  +4 yrs
  –1/–1
  +0.03
  +0.03
  +0.10
  –0.10
  +0.05
  Paramilitary Service 
  +2 yrs
  –0/–0
  +0.05
  +0.03
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Training Battalion
  +2 yrs
  –0/–0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.05
  +0.05
  0
  Tour of Duty (each, 3 max)
  +2 yrs
  –1/–1
  +0.05
  +0.05
  +0.05
  0
  +0.05
  Attribute/Trait/Skill
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience Equipment
  Tech Level
  Bad Reputation
  –0.13
  –0.10
  0
  0
  0
  Brave
  +0.05
  +0.05
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Combat Paralysis
  0
  0
  -0.10
  0
  0
  Combat Sense
  0
  0
  +0.10
  0
  0
  Contact or Well-Connected
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.08
  +0.05
  Enemy
  0
  -0.10
  0
  0
  0
  Good Reputation 
  +0.08
  +0.08
  0
  0
  0
  Land Grant, Property, or Wealth
  0
  +0.08
  0
  +0.13
  +0.05
  Madness
  –0.10
  –0.15
  0
  0
  0
  Timid
  0
  0
  -0.05
  0
  0
  Title
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.08
  0
  Unlucky
  –0.13
  –0.10
  –0.10
  –0.03
  –0.05
  SOC or CHA 3 or less
  0
  –0.10
  –0.05
  0
  0
  SOC or CHA 7 or more
  0
  +0.10
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Administration Skill (+3 or higher)
  0
  +0.08
  0
  +0.03
  0
  Leadership Skill (+3 or higher)
  +0.05
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Negotiation Skill (+3 or higher)
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.03
  0
  Scrounge Skill (+3 or higher)
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.03
  +0.05
  81
  
  82
  Paul’s mercenary commander/founder hails from a
  noble family, attended a prestigious MechWarrior acade-
  my, and graduated with officer training before serving one
  tour in a training battalion and two on the front. Generated
  by CBT: RPG rules, he possesses the Brave, Combat
  Sense, Good Reputation, and Wealth Traits, a Leadership
  Skill of +3, and his own BattleMech. Paul decides that is
  enough to forge a distinctive new mercenary company,
  and so he adds up all the category modifiers.
  In cross-referencing all of his background and rele-
  vant traits, then adding up the modifiers by category, Paul
  finds that his commander gets a total of 0.51 in the
  Warrior category, 0.36 in Support, 0.35 in Experience,
  0.23 in Equipment, and 0.15 in Tech Level. With these
  modifiers in mind, he then moves on to select a hiring hall.
  STAGE 2: IDENTIFY HIRING HALL
  As in the organic process for developing a new mercenary
  command featured in FMMR, the selection of a hiring hall from
  which to do business influences the point-based system, apply-
  ing modifiers to the Personnel, Experience, Tech, and Equipment
  Categories. Unlike the organic process, however, there is no
  mechanism for switching halls between formation, recruiting, and
  combat experience stages, because there are no stages to
  progress through. Instead, the commander receives a flat series
  of modifiers for choosing one of the recognized hiring halls
  shown in the Hiring Hall Modifiers Table below (or no modifiers at
  all, if no hall is used).
  Paul chooses to base his new mercenary com-
  mand out of Galatea, which adds 0.15 to his Warrior
  Category modifier, 0.03 to his Equipment Category
  modifier, and subtracts 0.05 to his Tech Level modifier.
  His current totals are now 0.66 in Warriors, 0.36 in
  Support, 0.35 in Experience, 0.26 in Equipment, and
  0.10 in Tech Level.
  STAGE 3: DETERMINE FINAL STARTING
  CATEGORY POINT POOL VALUES
  Now that the category modifiers are known for the founding
  commander’s background and for the hiring hall to be used, the
  player must choose a mercenary command size from the table
  on p. 83, as appropriate for the intended size of a mercenary
  command. Multi-regimental commands should build their force
  as though each regiment or other independent formation were a
  separate command, assembling forces no larger than a regiment
  at any one time.
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  HIRING HALL MODIFIERS TABLE
  Category Point Pool Modifiers
  Hiring Hall World (Location)
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment
  Tech Level
  Antallos/Port Krin (Periphery)
  +0.15
  –0.05
  –0.10
  +0.05
  –0.10
  Arc-Royal (Lyran Alliance)
  +0.15
  +0.15
  +0.10
  -0.13
  +0.05
  Astrokaszy (Periphery)
  +0.25
  +0.05
  –0.05
  –0.05
  –0.05
  Fletcher (Chaos March)
  +0.10
  +0.05
  –0.05
  +0.10
  –0.05
  Galatea (Lyran Alliance)
  +0.15
  0
  0
  +0.03
  –0.05
  Heroditus (Periphery)
  +0.20
  +0.15
  0
  +0.03
  –0.05
  Northwind (Chaos March)
  +0.10
  +0.05
  +0.05
  -0.03
  +0.05
  Outreach (Chaos March)
  +0.25
  +0.05
  +0.10
  -0.08
  +0.10
  Solaris VII (Lyran Alliance)
  +0.15
  +0.15
  +0.05
  –0.10
  –0.05
  Westerhand (Capellan Confederation)
  +0.10
  0
  –0.05
  –0.05
  –0.05
  
  Note that the size chosen should
  be the closest one to the intended
  mercenary command size, so a com-
  mander seeking to create a company-
  sized mercenary outfit should select
  the point balances from the Company
  column, rather than choosing three
  lances. Also note that in the case of
  armor and infantry formations, a lance
  is known as a platoon.
  Optional Rule: Irregular Force Sizes
  Some mercenary commanders operate along alternative force
  sizes, such as four-lance companies or four-company battalions,
  not to mention Stars or Levels. In such a case, the player should
  build these commands by taking the largest whole component first,
  then using the appropriate column for the smaller remainder. For
  example, a four-lance company would be constructed by building a
  company first, then by building a separately constructed lance. A
  four-company battalion would be built by constructing one battalion
  (three companies), followed by a separate company.
  Category Point Pool Modifiers
  To determine the actual value in each Category Point Pool
  that a mercenary commander has, add up all point modifiers for
  the commander’s background and the hiring hall by category, then
  add one to the final result for each.The results yield a multiplier for
  each category that increases or decreases the base point value for
  each Category Point Pool. Round all fractions for the final point
  balances to the nearest whole number (rounding 0.5 up).
  For example, a commander who wants to build a mercenary
  company and who sums his modifiers to +0.35 in his Support
  Category would receive 39 points in the Supp Pool, rather than
  the base value of 29 (29 x (0.35+1) = 39.15, rounding to 39).
  Paul seeks to found a mercenary company using
  the modifiers he has accumulated. Adding one to each
  category modifier, then multiplying the appropriate point
  balance in each category (under the Company column)
  by the result, he finds he has the following results:
  The 1.66 modifier in his Warriors Category increas-
  es the point balance in the Warr Pool from 22 to 37 (22
  x 1.66 = 36.52, rounded to 37), while the 1.36 in
  Support brings his total Supp Pool from 29 to 39 (29 x
  1.36 = 39.44, rounded to 39). His Experience Category
  points improve from 16 to 22 (16 x 1.35 = 21.6, round
  to 22), while Equip Pool climbs from 176 points to 222
  (176 x 1.26 = 221.76, round to 222), and Tech Pool
  rises from 16 to 18 (16 x 1.10 = 17.6, rounded to 18).
  With these final point pool balances, Paul is now
  able to build a mercenary company.
  STEP 2: SELECT
  PERSONNEL AND
  EXPERIENCE LEVELS
  Once point pools have been computed, selecting personnel,
  equipment, and experience levels is simply a matter of spending
  the points as the commander sees fit. In this step, personnel—
  both combat and support—are selected using the points accu-
  mulated for personnel and experience.
  PERSONNEL (WARRIORS AND
  SUPPORT)
  Purchasing personnel is simply a matter of determining the
  overall command’s needs, based on its size and the commander’s
  area of expertise. Under the point-based system, the recruiting of
  warriors is performed simply as an act of purchasing Same,
  Complementary, or Distant warrior types as desired, to the limit of
  the points in the forming command’s relevant Category Point Pools.
  The Personnel Cost Table on p. 84 indicates the costs of
  recruiting both warrior and non-warrior (Support) troop types.
  The types are not interchangeable, so commanders must be
  sure to purchase as many troops as needed using the point bal-
  ance from the Warr Pool and as many techs, mechanics, medics,
  and administrators as needed using the Supp Pool points. Any
  points left unspent at the end of personnel purchases may be
  added to any other leftover points to determine the command’s
  war chest later on, or to hire additional support personnel, should
  the command’s final maintenance needs exceed those anticipat-
  ed at this point in the creation process. (Note: the maintenance
  and support needs of the various combat and non-combat units
  in a command will be addressed in Step 4: Determine Payroll,
  Maintenance Costs, and Support Requirements, see p. 87.)
  The Unit/Manpower Value Guide, provided in the same
  table, reminds new mercenary command founders roughly how
  many actual warm bodies are being recruited per unit, a factor
  that impacts the medical support needs and base salary of the
  entire command later on.
  Note that a mercenary founder/commander does not spend
  points on himself during this step, either as a “recruit” or to pay
  for experience upgrading later on. The commander is essentially
  a freebie; his capabilities (and possibly even his vehicle) are
  already determined through his creation as a CBT: RPG charac-
  ter or through the Commander Generation method.
  83
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  BASE INITIAL CATEGORY POINT POOL TABLE
  Base Category Point Pools
  Base Force Size
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment
  Tech Level
  Lance
  6
  8
  4
  36
  4
  Company
  22
  29
  16
  176
  16
  Battalion
  70
  93
  70
  630
  70
  Regiment
  214
  285
  250
  2350
  250
  
  84
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  Paul’s mercenary company commander/founder is
  a MechWarrior, who seeks to lead his own force of
  ’Mechs but also wishes that it be fully supported, both
  in the field and off. He thus elects to spend 22 of his
  Warr Pool points on 11 MechWarriors (Same category,
  so each warrior costs 2 points), 6 on two aerospace
  fighters (aerospace fighters are Complementary, thus
  cost 3 points apiece), and 8 on two squads of conven-
  tional infantry for base defense (infantry, classed as
  Distant to MechWarriors, are worth four points per
  squad). Having spent 36 points after these purchases,
  Paul still has one point left from the Warr Pool. This
  point goes into the command’s war chest.
  For support staff, Paul decides to pick up 16 tech-
  nicians, a little over one for each BattleMech and fight-
  er in his new force, at a cost of 32 points from the Supp
  Pool. He also decides to obtain 3 medics for the bene-
  fit of his warriors and techs, costing another 6 Supp
  Pool points. The remaining point in this category he
  spends on a single administrator, to see to the unit’s
  more mundane day-to-day operations.
  EXPERIENCE LEVELS
  All troops purchased using the points in the Warr and Supp
  Pools are automatically assumed to have a skill rating of regular,
  indicating competent soldiers, but not necessarily the kind who
  can always carry the day. To reflect the expense of training and
  recruiting from higher standards, the Experience Category
  allows the mercenary creator to upgrade warriors and support
  personnel as desired. Note that only a single Exp Pool exists for
  experience, meaning improvements (if any) should be distributed
  among warriors and support staff alike.
  In addition to determining the cost for upgrading skills (or the
  benefits of downgrading skills, which can allow the player to improve
  some warriors at the expense of others), the Experience Cost Table
  below also provides the average CBT Piloting and Gunnery skill tar-
  get numbers (TNs) for the various levels, as well as the combined
  value, and the TNs and man-hours of support staffers. Players inter-
  ested in cultivating a greater variety of skills may use the Combined
  figure to determine the target numbers of some warriors, emphasiz-
  ing gunnery at the expense of piloting and vice versa (such as mak-
  ing an elite warrior with a gunnery of 1 and a piloting of 4). However,
  the separation between piloting and gunnery skills should never be
  more than 3 points (so that changing a 5/4 MechWarrior to a 7/2 is
  not allowed, but making the same warrior a 6/3 is perfectly legal).
  In the case of combat units that do not have a piloting rating
  (such as infantry), determine the gunnery or primary skill by sim-
  ply dividing the Combined TN ratings in half and rounding up. For
  support units, the appropriate TNs appear under the
  Tech/Support TNs column, with weekly man-hours provided
  under the Support Man-Hours column. Characters running CBT:
  RPG campaigns may convert these TNs to their relevant CBT:
  RPG skill bonuses using the guide on p. 126, CBT: RPG, with the
  piloting column used to resolve any non-gunnery primary skill.
  Because DropShips and JumpShips are purchased as
  equipment, their crews come with the vessels and may be
  upgraded as well using Exp Pool points, so a commander
  should—but does not have to—reserve some points for any ves-
  sel crew experience upgrades that may be desired later on.
  PERSONNEL COST TABLE
  Warrior
  Point Cost
  1 Same Unit
  2
  1 Complementary Unit
  3
  1 Distant Unit
  4
  Support
  Point Cost
  1 Tech/Mechanic or Medical Unit
  2
  1 Administrative Unit
  1
  UNIT/MANPOWER VALUE GUIDE
  1 Warrior Unit =
  1 BattleMech 
  1 vehicle (4-man crew, average) 
  1 fighter (conventional or aerospace)
  1 conventional infantry squad (7 troopers)
  1 Battle Armor squad (4 troopers)
  1 artillery weapon (4-man crew, average)
  1 Support Unit =
  1 Technician
  1 Medic
  1 Administrator
  
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  Paul decides that his mercenary command could use
  some more experienced warriors to serve as officers and
  key support staff. He thus decides to upgrade one
  MechWarrior and one aerospace fighter pilot to Elite sta-
  tus, at a cost of 4 points each. He then purchases 8 veter-
  an experience upgrades to seed among his various units
  (3 MechWarriors, 1 fighter pilot, both infantry squads, 1
  technician, and 1 medic will receive these upgrades).
  In finding that he has spent 24 points in total
  between the veteran and elite upgrades, Paul decides
  he does not want to go into deficit spending at this
  stage, and so decides to downgrade his administrator
  to green level, gaining back 2 points.Though his admin-
  istrator will not be able to support contract negotiations
  the way a veteran might, he is willing to take his
  chances at the bargaining table later on, and so—with
  a final Supp Pool balance of zero—Paul carries on.
  STEP 3: SELECT
  EQUIPMENT AND
  TECH LEVELS
  Purchasing equipment and assigning its
  technology level works in the same fashion as
  obtaining personnel and improving their capa-
  bilities, using the point balances from the Equip
  and Tech Pools, respectively.
  EQUIPMENT
  The point-based system abstracts the pur-
  chasing of combat equipment and transports into
  a two-stage process, beginning with the selec-
  tion of basic classes of combat units and trans-
  ports based mainly on weight. Using the points
  from the Equip Pool, players may use the Unit
  Cost Table below to choose all of their new com-
  mand’s heavy assets, from BattleMechs to
  infantry to DropShips and JumpShips. These
  purchases should conform to the types of war-
  riors purchased earlier, with BattleMechs pur-
  chased for MechWarriors, vehicles for tank
  crews, and so forth.
  Note that, again, unless the com-
  mander’s character simply does not have
  a vehicle of his own (after creation via
  the CBT: RPG rules or because he was
  created using the fast generation
  method), the commander’s machine
  need not be purchased in this stage,
  freeing points to be spent elsewhere.
  Note also that infantry squad assets pur-
  chased here reflect the equipment for
  said infantry (from rifles, flak armor, and
  helmets to fully armored battlesuits), so
  buying infantry assets here still requires
  that infantry personnel exist in the command to use them.
  Purchasing DropShips and JumpShips
  DropShip and JumpShip purchases made at this point
  include the vessel’s crew as well. Vessels purchased in this way
  for full price are effectively owned by the unit, however; if the
  founder so desires, the vessels (and crews) may be purchased
  as “auxiliary” units instead at a 20 percent reduction to the ves-
  sel’s normal point cost (round down). Auxiliary vessels are not
  owned directly by a mercenary command, but rather are consid-
  ered a long-term subcontractor, which impacts their use and
  costs while running a mercenary command (see Running a
  Mercenary Force, p. 153, in the FMMR, for more information).
  Vessels purchased here are automatically considered to
  have a crew experience level of regular, but may be upgraded by
  using the same point costs as shown for experience upgrades on
  other personnel. These experience points should come from the
  Experience Category, if any remain.
  85
  EXPERIENCE COST TABLE
  CBT Piloting/
  Experience Level
  Gunnery TNs
  Tech/Support
  Support
  Upgrade/Downgrade
  Cost
  Typical
  Combined
  TNs
  Man-Hours
  Elite Upgrade
  4
  3/2
  5
  5
  50
  Veteran Upgrade
  2
  4/3
  7
  6
  45
  Regular (default)
  0
  5/4
  9
  7
  40
  Green Downgrade 
  –2
  6/5
  11
  9
  30
  “Ultra-Green” Downgrade
  –3
  8/7
  15
  10
  20
  UNIT COST TABLE
  Unit Type
  Light
  Medium
  Heavy
  Assault
  Super-Heavy*
  BattleMech
  8
  16
  21
  26
  —
  Conventional Aircraft
  5
  10
  15
  —
  Tonnage/5
  Aerospace Fighter
  6
  12
  18
  35†
  Tonnage/5
  Conventional Vehicle
  4
  8
  12
  14
  Tonnage/5
  VTOL
  4
  8
  —
  —
  Tonnage/5
  Artillery Unit 
  3
  6
  10
  12
  —
  Naval Vessel (water)
  2
  4
  6
  7 
  Tonnage/50
  Battle Armored (Squad)
  3
  3
  4
  4
  —
  Conventional Infantry (Squad)
  Foot
  Motorized
  Jump
  Anti-’Mech
  1
  2
  2
  +2
  DropShip
  Tonnage/50
  JumpShip
  Tonnage/500
  WarShip/Space Station‡
  N/A
  *If using Support Vehicles weighing beyond the maximum tonnages given in the construction rules for
  BMR and AT2.
  †Represents small craft designs weighing 100-200 tons.
  ‡Warships and space stations may not be purchased during force generation.
  
  86
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  Ideally, Paul begins purchasing his equipment with
  an eye toward a flexible combat force featuring all
  weight classes, but a cursory glance at his Exp Pool of
  222 and the costs of heavier units tells him that he will
  likely not be able to equip his command with all the
  assets he desires and still be able to afford a DropShip
  for much-needed transport capability. Thus, with an eye
  toward building a potent—yet still flexible—force, com-
  plete with a DropShip, Paul decides to make his first
  purchase a Union-class DropShip. At 3,500 tons, the
  Union’s cost in Equip Pool points is 70, taking a big
  chunk out of his point balance.
  For BattleMechs, Paul decides on a medium-
  weight force consisting of 4 light ’Mechs, 6 mediums,
  and 1 heavy (his commander possesses his own
  ’Mech, so no more need be purchased). The total of
  these units is 149 Equip Pool points (1 heavy ’Mech at
  21 points, plus 6 medium ’Mechs at a total of 96 points,
  plus 32 more points for 4 light BattleMechs). With only
  three points left over, Paul puts them into his infantry
  squads, making both conventional jump squads (with-
  out anti-BattleMech capabilities), at a slight one-point
  dip into debt (that increases to two points as the fact of
  slipping into deficit spending increased the second
  infantry squad’s cost to 3 points).
  For his fighters, Paul decides he has no choice but
  to go deeper into deficit spending, increasing their cost
  by fifty percent. As a result, the 12-point cost per each
  medium fighter rises to 18 points, meaning buying two
  medium fighters for his air support lance has driven him
  38 points into debt.
  TECH LEVELS
  As with personnel experience, the technology levels of the
  equipment purchased in this step defaults to an average level (in
  this case, Level 1 or 3025-era technology), requiring comman-
  ders to upgrade using Tech Pool points. Level 2 (or higher) units
  cost progressively more points to upgrade based on the unit type,
  whether or not the design employs an extralight (or lighter)
  engine, is an Omni-capable design, or was constructed by the
  Clans. The cost for each upgrade is shown in the Tech Level Cost
  Table below, with Omni and Clan figures cumulative, based on
  the desired tech level (and, where applicable, engine type). For
  instance, a standard medium ’Mech may be upgraded to a Level
  2 ’Mech (without an XL engine) at a cost of only 2 points, but try-
  ing to upgrade the same design to a Clan-made OmniMech with
  an XL engine costs a whopping 9 points (3 + 2 + 4 = 9).
  As with other categories, points not used here may not be
  used for any other category and go toward the command’s war
  chest, while points overused here add to the deficit spending that
  can put a beginning command in debt.
  
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  Paul’s 
  mercenary 
  command 
  counts 
  12
  BattleMechs, 2 aerospace fighters, and two convention-
  al infantry squads, plus a Union-class DropShip among
  its combat units. Though he has a current debt of 37
  points (38 from Exp Pool deficit spending, minus one
  from the leftovers in Warr Pool category purchases), he
  opts to invest the 18 points in his Tech Pool toward some
  equipment upgrades, unwilling to take chances on the
  modern battlefield.
  Deciding not to go overboard on such
  upgrades, however, Paul opts to improve half his
  ’Mech forces and both aerospace fighters to level 2
  technology with standard engines to ensure their
  battlefield survivability while limiting their upgrade
  costs. Paul decides that the 18-point cost to
  upgrade his Union is too prohibitive, considering his
  current debt situation and the fact that he plans to
  keep the unit’s transport far from the field of battle.
  The upgrading process costs Paul a total of
  12 points for his BattleMechs (6 x 2 = 12), and
  another 4 for his aerospace fighters (2 x 2 = 4).
  This leaves him two unspent points in the Tech
  Pool, which reduce his total debt level to 35 points.
  DETERMINING AND ASSIGNING
  EQUIPMENT
  Once the weight class and technology level of all
  units has been assigned, the player may then determine
  exact models of the various machines using any desired
  means, from picking the specific models out of a Record
  Sheets book or Technical Readout, or by randomly
  rolling on the random unit tables found in various Classic
  BattleTech products. The only limitation is that all
  machines chosen must conform to the weight
  class and tech level restrictions established during
  this step, regardless of the method used.
  STEP 4: DETERMINE
  PAYROLL,
  MAINTENANCE
  COSTS, AND
  SUPPORT
  REQUIREMENTS
  The following section outlines how to deter-
  mine the mercenary force’s payroll, mainte-
  nance costs, and support requirements. All
  costs are listed in C-bills unless otherwise spec-
  ified. More in-depth rules and explanations for
  this step may be found in FMMR, p. 148.
  PAYROLL
  To determine the salaries of force mem-
  bers, multiply the base salary appropriate to the
  member by the quality, expertise, and rank mul-
  tipliers shown in the Salary Table below.The mul-
  tiplier effects are cumulative, so the salary of a veteran
  MechWarrior with a rank of Lieutenant (Rank 2 in CBT: RPG)
  would be 2,880 [1,500 x 1.6 (vet) x 1.2 (officer) x 1 (Rank 2 / 2 =
  1)]. Salaries should be recorded on the Standard Mercenary
  Force Roster Form SR 3070 (simplified) for ease of reference.
  (For a guide to typical mercenary officer ranks and positions, see
  Rank Structures and Insignia in the Standard Operating
  Procedures section of FMMR, p. 33).
  87
  MAINTENANCE TABLE
  Weekly Maintenance
  Weekly Support
  Unit Classification
  Cost 
  Needs
  Support
  (in C-Bills)
  (man-hours)
  Type
  BattleMech
  75
  40+(tonnage/5)
  T
  OmniMech
  100
  40+(tonnage/5)
  T
  Aerospace fighter
  65
  40+(tonnage/2.5)
  T
  OmniFighter
  125
  40+(tonnage/2.5)
  T
  Ground Vehicle
  25
  20+(tonnage/5)
  T
  Infantry squad (7 men)
  10
  3+(number of men/5)
  M
  Personnel “squad” (7 men)
  10
  3+(number of men/5)
  M
  Artillery Weapon
  25
  15+(weapon tonnage/2.5)
  T
  Battle armor suit
  50
  5+(armor value x 2)
  T
  VTOL
  65
  30+(tonnage/5)
  T
  Conventional fighter
  50
  20+(tonnage/2.5)
  T
  Naval vessel (water)
  65
  10+(tonnage/2.5)
  T
  DropShip (under 16,000 tons)
  500
  80+(tonnage/10)*
  T
  DropShip (16,000 – 49,999 tons)
  500
  40+(tonnage/25)*
  T
  DropShip (50,000 tons and over)
  500
  20+(tonnage/50)*
  T
  JumpShip
  800
  40+(tonnage/400)*
  T
  WarShip
  5,000
  600+(tonnage/125)*
  T
  * DropShip/JumpShip/WarShip support needs are automatically met by the vessel
  crews.
  TECH LEVEL COST TABLE
  Level 2+
  Level 2+
  Unit Type
  Level 1 (Std Engine) (Non-Std Eng.) Omni
  Clan
  BattleMech
  0
  2
  3
  +2
  +4
  Conventional Aircraft
  0
  1
  —
  —
  +1
  Aerospace Fighter
  0
  2
  3
  +2
  +3
  Conventional Vehicle
  0
  2
  3
  +1
  +2
  VTOL
  0
  2
  3
  +1
  +2
  Artillery Unit 
  0
  2
  3
  +2
  +2
  Naval Vessel (water)
  0
  2
  3
  +1
  +1
  Unit Type
  Level 1
  Level 2+
  Clan
  Conventional Infantry (Squad)
  —
  —
  —
  Battle Armored Infantry (Squad)
  —
  0
  +3
  Unit Type
  Level 1
  Level 2+
  Clan
  DropShip
  0
  Tonnage/200
  Tonnage/100
  JumpShip
  0
  Tonnage/2,000 Tonnage/1,000
  WarShip/Space Station*
  N/A
  N/A
  N/A
  *WarShips and Space Stations may not be purchased during force generation.
  
  88
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  Most of the titles given below are self-explanatory in nature.
  If fuller definition is required, please consult p. 149 of the
  FMMR, under the same section and step of the Creating a
  Mercenary Force rules.
  EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL
  SUPPORT
  The Maintenance Table below lists the routine maintenance
  cost and support requirements for Classic BattleTech combat
  units in terms of both C-bill costs and technician man-hours.
  These costs include the replacement of tools and all materials
  required to keep equipment in good working order, but not sup-
  port staff salaries or the cost of repairing battle damage.
  Furthermore, each stated figure covers the maintenance costs
  for a single machine only, with the exception of the infantry and
  personnel platoon costs (reflecting the medical needs of the rel-
  evant personnel). To determine the maintenance costs of motor-
  ized infantry units, combine the Ground Vehicle and Infantry
  Platoon maintenance costs.
  The formulas given under Weekly Support Requirement are
  used to calculate the required weekly support needs in man-
  hours for each Classic BattleTech unit (’Mech, vehicle, fighter,
  infantry squad, and so on) in a mercenary command. Round all
  fractions down. Note that these support requirements include
  medical support for infantry and standard personnel. Only med-
  ical personnel may render medical support for personnel, while
  technicians and mechanics provide technical support for equip-
  ment. For clarification, units on the table that include a (T) des-
  ignation under Support Type require technical support, while
  units with an (M) designation require medical support (which
  generally comes in the form of routine check-ups and medical
  supply refills). Because infantry are trained to take care of their
  own equipment, standard infantry have no tech support require-
  ment, though specialized infantry types (such as motorized and
  jump infantry squads) may. In the case of these specialized
  infantry elements, factor their technical support needs as one
  ton of ground vehicles per 7-man group. Similarly, the mainte-
  nance needs of DropShip and JumpShip units are handled by
  the vessels’ crews, and so are not listed with the unit’s day-to-
  day tech support needs.
  Record the maintenance costs and support requirements for
  the unit on the appropriate page of the SR 3070 (Simplified).
  In computing all of his force’s technical and medical sup-
  port requirements, Paul finds that his mercenary force’s week-
  ly support needs are as follows:
  12 ’Mechs
  (Total Tonnage: 555)
  Support needs: 591 man-hours (technical)
  2 aerospace fighters
  (Total Tonnage: 110) 
  Support needs: 124 man-hours (technical)
  2 Infantry Squads
  (Total Tonnage: 2)
  Support: 9 man-hours (medical), 20 man-hours (technical)
  1 Union-class DropShip
  (Total Tonnage: 3,500)
  Support needs: 430 man-hours (technical)
  32 MechWarriors, Pilots, DropShip crew, and non-combat-
  ants Support needs: 22 man-hours (medical)
  Total Support Needs (excluding DropShip): 735 man-
  hours (technical), 31 man-hours (medical).
  In reviewing his technical support capabilities, Paul
  finds that his technicians provide a total of 636 man-
  hours of the 735 required, and 120 man-hours of med-
  ical support, which more than meets the needs of his
  personnel.This level of support is adequate enough if he
  keeps rotating his technicians, but Paul might consider
  purchasing additional astechs under “deficit spending” to
  make up the 14 percent shortfall in tech support he cur-
  rently has, and to be better prepared for eventualities
  such as battlefield damage.
  SALARY TABLE
  Base Salary
  Position
  Monthly
  Annually
  MechWarrior
  1,500
  18,000
  Aerospace Pilot
  1,500
  18,000
  Vehicle/Artillery Crewman
  900
  10,800
  Aircraft Pilot
  900
  10,800
  Regular Infantry
  750
  9,000
  Specialist/Armored Infantry
  960
  11,520
  Scout Infantry
  1,050
  12,600
  Vessel Crewman (DropShip)
  1,000
  12,000
  Vessel Crewman (JumpShip)
  750
  9,000
  Vessel Crewman (WarShip)
  1,200
  14,400
  ’Mech/Fighter Technician
  800
  9,600 
  Battle Armor Technician
  800
  9,600
  Vehicle Mechanic
  640
  7,680
  Medic
  640
  7,680
  Doctor (Veteran/Elite Medic)
  1,500
  18,000
  Administrative
  320
  8,320
  Quality/Expertise
  Multiplier
  Assistant/Able-Body*
  x 0.5
  Green
  x 0.6
  Regular
  x 1
  Veteran
  x 1.6
  Elite
  x 3.2
  Anti-BattleMech Training†
  x 1.5
  Rank
  Multiplier
  Enlisted
  x 0.6
  Officers
  x 1.2
  Rank
  (Rating/2)‡
  *Assistants/Able-Bodies are short-term hires or 
  Astechs, who work with the force on an as-needed 
  basis.
  †The Anti-BattleMech Training multiplier applies 
  in addition to Quality Rating, but only to infantry 
  unit types.
  ‡When using CBT:RPG
  
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  Hiring Additional Support Personnel
  After determining the force’s sup-
  port requirements, a mercenary force
  may need to hire additional support staff
  to cover its required man-hours of labor
  and medical care. As a rule, forces must
  hire at least enough technicians to pro-
  vide 30 percent of the total weekly
  requirement of tech and medical support
  man-hours to prevent breakdowns and
  debilitating illness, respectively.However,
  commanders may want to hire more
  technicians, medics, and administrators
  to meet the expanded support needs
  created by combat (see Maintenance
  and Logistics, p. 171 of Running a
  Mercenary Force, in the FMMR, for more
  information). To determine the support
  output of the command’s technicians,
  mechanics, medics, and administrators,
  check the Experience Cost Table under
  Step 3 (see p. 85). Remember that med-
  ical and technical support is not cross-
  compatible, however, so man-hours sup-
  plied by medics can only see to medical
  support needs (M), and man-hours sup-
  plied by techs or mechanics (T) can only
  see to technical needs.
  In the final stages of force devel-
  opment, any excess support personnel
  needs may be met by dipping into any
  leftover Category Point Pools, or by
  going further into debt using the “Deficit
  Spending” rule. This is the only case
  where spending points originally from
  another Category Point Pool can be
  performed, allowing for the hasty
  recruitment of additional support, but at
  twice the normal rate. Note that if the
  commander does not wish to spend
  these points (or if there are no further
  points to spend), other force personnel
  might be trained for double duty, effec-
  tively covering the technical and medical needs of the force. For
  more information on this option, see the Double Duty rules
  (FMMR, p. 150). Any support personnel purchased in this step
  cannot be modified using the pool points and are assumed to
  have a Green experience rating.
  For additional rules and guidelines on technical support, con-
  sult the rules in FMMR.
  Administrative Support
  As with the standard rules laid down in FMMR, administrative
  support personnel are generally required in battalion or larger mer-
  cenary forces, and their skills are commonly divided into command,
  transportation, logistic, and human resource categories, special-
  ized aspects of day-to-day mercenary affairs which confer bonuses
  to negotiation and other aspects of mercenary operations.
  These bonuses are explained in detail in FMMR, but apply
  only if the force attains 50 percent (or more) of its administrative
  support requirements and the relevant administrators are veter-
  an level or higher. To determine the administrative support
  requirements of a mercenary command, simply total up all non-
  administrative personnel (including those who perform any dou-
  ble duties and those who crew the force’s DropShips and
  JumpShips) and add the result to the force’s total technical sup-
  89
  
  90
  ALTERNATIVE MERCENARY CREATION RULES
  port requirement, including those of DropShips and JumpShips.
  Divide the result by 30 to determine the minimum number of
  man-hours required to fulfill all the force’s administrative support
  needs. If the command is still lacking in support, a mercenary
  force creator may wish to purchase additional support per the
  Hiring Additional Support Personnel rules above.
  STEP 5: FINISHING
  TOUCHES
  After determining the support staff for the force, the comman-
  der and his officers can name the force, generate its history and
  calculate their standing funds (or war chest). Once these tasks are
  accomplished, the force is ready to begin regular game play, fully
  compatible with the Running a Mercenary Force rules found in
  Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised.
  NAME
  Many commands take at least part of their names from their
  commanders, and those that are former House forces often retain
  their former military designations. In any case, a force’s name
  should inspire confidence in potential employers and fear in ene-
  mies. Consult the mercenary force names listed in the Table of
  Contents and use them as models if strapped for ideas.
  HISTORY
  As this point-based system lacks the organic structure of the
  one found in FMMR, the burden of developing a history rests more
  directly on the game master or the command’s designer. However,
  the fast commander generation, the hiring hall of choice during
  generation, and even the composition of the resulting force can
  provide ample hooks for a story of a new mercenary command’s
  tentative first steps into the history books.
  Based on his commander’s background, the compo-
  sition, and even the hiring world on which he based his
  mercenary command, Paul creates a backstory for his
  new mercenary company, Brock’s Buccaneers (see p.25).
  WAR CHEST
  Any points left over after force generation from all the
  Category Point Pools—as well as all profits left over after paying
  for supplies, repairs, and salaries during routine operations—
  goes into a mercenary force’s war chest, where they are used to
  support the command during and between contracts. The initial
  value of a force’s war chest depends on the force’s size, experi-
  ence, and any leftover Category Pool points, minus all points
  spent under the “deficit spending” rule. Use the following formu-
  la to calculate this figure:
  [(Number of combat companies (every 12 units)) x 10,000 x
  War Chest Multiplier] + [All Leftover Points x 20,000] – [Deficit
  Spending Points x 20,000]
  To determine a force’s War Chest Multiplier, first calculate the
  average quality rating of the force’s main body of troops (the main
  body of a BattleMech command is its ’Mech assets, while the main
  body of an aerospace group would be its aerospace assets, and
  so on). To determine the skill level of a warrior, find the average of
  his piloting and gunnery skills in his typical combat role (the one
  he appears under in the force’s roster, be it MechWarrior, tank
  commander, or anything else) and cross-reference it against the
  Skill Average column in the Quality Multiplier Table below. Then,
  to find the average quality rating for the entire force, add up all of
  the skill averages for all units of the force’s main body, and divide
  that figure by the number of units in the main body. Consult the
  Skill Average column once more to find the overall Quality Rating
  for the main body of the mercenary force.
  Consult the Quality Multiplier Table to find both the force’s
  Average Quality Rating and determine the multiplier for the War
  Chest.
  At the end of the force creation process, Paul pos-
  sesses a mercenary company whose primary combat
  force (main body) consists of twelve MechWarriors, four
  of whom—including the commander—have veteran rat-
  ings, while one is elite. In adding up the averages of all
  their gunnery and piloting skills, then dividing by the
  result by the number of warriors, he finds the skill aver-
  age comes to 4, indicating a regular-rated mercenary
  command. This gives him a War Chest Multiplier of 1.
  In computing his force’s final War Chest, Paul notes
  he has only one full combat company, followed by an air
  lance and two infantry squads. Combined, this force
  essentially equates to just one complete combat com-
  pany. Meanwhile, a Category Points Pool debt of 35
  points remains. Thus, the War Chest formula for Paul’s
  command looks like this:
  [(1) x 10,000 x 1] + [0 x 20,000] - [35 x 20,000] =
  –690,000
  Paul’s mercenary force comes into being well in
  debt and may not purchase any equipment or spare
  parts before undertaking its first mission. Hopefully, over
  the next few missions, they can earn enough profits to
  cover expenses and battle damage.
  QUALITY MULTIPLIER TABLE
  War Chest
  Skill Average
  Quality Rating
  Multiplier
  5.50 or higher
  Green
  0.75
  4.00 to 5.49
  Regular
  1
  2.49 to 3.99
  Veteran
  2
  2.50 or less
  Elite
  3
  
  STEP 1: DETERMINE STARTING VALUES
  STAGE 1: IDENTIFY COMMANDER
  Check all that apply and add the listed bonuses. Note Tour of Duty repeat multipliers (CBT:RPG Life Path/Fast Generation Experience
  Bonuses) apply to all modifiers gained per Tour of Duty repeat (maximum of 3 passes). Note columns marked by an asterisk (*) indi-
  cate CBT stats for fast-generated commanders only, and do not apply to those created via CBT:RPG rules.
  LIFE PATH/ORIGIN BONUSES
  Base
  Base P/G
  Category Modifiers
  Highest Training
  Age*
  TNs*
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment 
  Tech Level
  Family Trained (Nobility)
  18
  7/6
  +0.08
  +0.05
  0
  +0.05
  0
  Academy/Clan Dropout
  18
  6/5
  0
  0
  –0.05
  0
  0
  Academy/Clan Graduate
  20
  5/4
  +0.05
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Academy Graduate w/OCS
  22
  4/4
  +0.10
  0
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Clan Graduate w/2+ Kills
  20
  4/3
  0
  0
  0
  0
  +0.05
  Base
  Base P/G
  Category Modifiers
  Commander's Origins
  Age*
  TNs*
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment 
  Tech Level
  Clan Origins
  –2 yrs
  –1/–1
  –0.15
  –0.15
  +0.05
  –0.08
  +0.10
  Periphery Origins
  +1 yr
  +1/0
  +0.15
  +0.10
  0
  –0.03
  –0.10
  Base
  Base P/G
  Category Modifiers
  Combat Experience
  Age*
  TNs*
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment 
  Tech Level
  Covert Ops (x 1) (x 2)
  +4 yrs
  –1/–1
  +0.03
  +0.03
  +0.10
  –0.10
  +0.05
  Paramilitary Service 
  +2 yrs
  –0/–0
  +0.05
  +0.03
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Training Battalion
  +2 yrs
  –0/–0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.05
  +0.05
  0
  Tour of Duty (x 1) (x 2) (x 3)
  +2 yrs
  –1/–1
  +0.05
  +0.05
  +0.05
  0
  +0.05
  Category Modifiers
  Attribute/Trait/Skill
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment 
  Tech Level
  Bad Reputation
  –0.13
  –0.10
  0
  0
  0
  Brave
  +0.05
  +0.05
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Combat Paralysis
  0
  0
  –0.10
  0
  0
  Combat Sense
  0
  0
  +0.10
  0
  0
  Contact or Well-Connected
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.08
  +0.05
  Enemy
  0
  –0.10
  0
  0
  0
  Good Reputation 
  +0.08
  +0.08
  0
  0
  0
  Land Grant, Property, or Wealth
  0
  +0.08
  0
  +0.13
  +0.05
  Madness
  –0.10
  –0.15
  0
  0
  0
  Timid
  0
  0
  –0.05
  0
  0
  Title
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.08
  0
  Unlucky
  –0.13
  –0.10
  –0.10
  –0.03
  –0.05
  SOC or CHA 3 or less
  0
  –0.10
  –0.05
  0
  0
  SOC or CHA 7 or more
  0
  +0.10
  +0.05
  0
  0
  Administration Skill (+3 or higher)
  0
  +0.08
  0
  +0.03
  0
  Leadership Skill (+3 or higher)
  +0.05
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Negotiation Skill (+3 or higher)
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.03
  0
  Scrounge Skill (+3 or higher)
  0
  +0.05
  0
  +0.03
  +0.05
  TOTALS
  COMMANDER’S INFORMATION
  RANK/NAME:
  ROLE:
  CO’S FINAL  AGE:
  years
  Tactics: +
  Leadership: +
  Administration: +
  CO’S CBT P/G SCORES:
  /    
  Strategy: +
  Scrounge: +
  Negotiation: +
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  ALTERNATE MERCENARY FORCE 
  CREATION WORKSHEET 1
  
  STAGE 2: IDENTIFY HIRING HALL
  Check the appropriate Hiring Hall used (if any), and add its modifiers to the totals from the commander’s Life Path/Origins. Note that
  only one Hall is used during the point-based creation process.
  HIRING HALL MODIFIERS TABLE
  Category Modifiers
  Hiring Hall World (Location)
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment
  Tech Level
  Antallos/Port Krin (Periphery)
  +0.15
  –0.05
  –0.10
  +0.05
  –0.10
  Arc-Royal (Lyran Alliance)
  +0.15
  +0.15
  +0.10
  –0.13
  +0.05
  Astrokaszy (Periphery)
  +0.25
  +0.05
  –0.05
  –0.05
  –0.05
  Fletcher (Chaos March)
  +0.10
  +0.05
  –0.05
  +0.10
  –0.05
  Galatea (Lyran Alliance)
  +0.15
  0
  0
  +0.03
  –0.05
  Herotitus (Periphery)
  +0.20
  +0.15
  0
  +0.03
  –0.05
  Northwind (Chaos March)
  +0.10
  +0.05
  +0.05
  –0.03
  +0.05
  Outreach (Chaos March)
  +0.25
  +0.05
  +0.10
  –0.08
  +0.10
  Solaris VII (Lyran Alliance)
  +0.15
  +0.15
  +0.05
  –0.10
  –0.05
  Westerhand (Capellan Confederation)
  +0.10
  0
  -0.05
  –0.05
  –0.05
  FINAL TOTALS
  STAGE 3: DETERMINE FINAL
  STARTING CATEGORY POINT VALUES
  Check the appropriate force size desired and multiply by the quantity (if other than 1). Then multiply the number for each category by
  one plus the final total modifiers for that category to determine the unit initial category points.
  BASE INITIAL CATEGORY POINTS TABLE
  Base Category Points
  Base Force Size
  Quantity
  Warriors
  Support
  Experience
  Equipment
  Tech Level
  Lance 
  6
  8
  4
  36
  4
  Company
  22
  29
  16
  176
  16
  Battalion
  70
  93
  70
  630
  70
  Regiment
  214
  285
  250
  2350
  250
  TOTAL (Base Category x Quantity, per Category):
  TOTAL MODIFIER (per Category):
  FINAL TOTAL (Category Total x [Total Modifier + 1]):
  STEP 2: SELECT PERSONNEL AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS
  Note the quantity and point costs for all warrior and support personnel, by personnel type. Note any point deficits or remainders after
  spending by subtracting the final cost in personnel and experience purchases from their respective final category point pool totals.
  PERSONNEL
  Warriors
  Support Personnel
  Quantity
  Warrior Type
  Point Cost
  Final Cost
  Quantity
  Support Type
  Point Cost
  Final Cost
  Same
  x 2 =
  Tech/Mechanic
  x 2 =
  Complementary
  x 3 =
  Medical
  x 2 =
  Distant
  x 4 =
  Administrative
  x 1 =
  FINAL COST
  (Warriors):
  (Support):
  CATEGORY TOTAL
  (Warriors):
  (Support):
  DEFICIT/REMAINDER
  (Warriors):
  (Support):
  EXPERIENCE
  Warriors
  Support Personnel
  Quantity
  Experience
  TN*
  Point Cost
  Final Cost
  Quantity
  Experience
  TN
  Point Cost
  Final Cost
  Elite
  5
  x 4 =
  Elite
  5
  x 4 =
  Veteran
  7
  x 2 =
  Veteran
  6
  x 2 =
  Regular
  9
  x 0 =
  Regular
  7
  x 0 =
  Green
  11
  x –2 =
  Green
  9
  x –2 =
  “Ultra-Green”
  15
  x –3 =
  “Ultra-Green”
  10
  x –3 =
  FINAL COST
  (Warriors):
  (Support):
  CATEGORY TOTAL
  (Warriors):
  (Support):
  DEFICIT/REMAINDER
  (Warriors):
  (Support):
  * TN for Warriors represents the combination of Gunnery and Piloting base skills. For units that do not use Piloting skill in normal CBT
  gameplay, subtract 4 from the listed TN.
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  ALTERNATE MERCENARY FORCE 
  CREATION WORKSHEET 2
  
  STEP 3: SELECT EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY LEVELS
  Note the quantity and point costs for all equipment, matched to the appropriate personnel types chosen above. Note any point deficits
  or remainders after spending by subtracting the final cost in equipment and technology purchases from their respective final category
  point pool totals.
  EQUIPMENT 
  Quantity and Point Value
  Unit Type
  [Light]
  [Medium]
  [Heavy]
  [Assault*]
  [Super-Heavy*] 
  Final Cost
  BattleMech
  x8 +
  x16 +
  x21 +
  x26 
  =
  Aircraft, Conventional
  x5 +
  x10 +
  x15 +
  x(tons/5)
  = 
  Aerospace Fighter
  x6 +
  x12 +
  x18 +
  x35 +
  x(tons/5)
  = 
  Conventional Vehicle
  x4 +
  x8 +
  x12 +
  x14 +
  x(tons/5)
  = 
  VTOL/Airship
  x4 +
  x8 +
  x(tons/5)
  = 
  Artillery Unit
  x3 +
  x6 +
  x10 +
  x12 
  = 
  Naval Vessel (Water)
  x2 +
  x4 +
  x6 +
  x7 +
  x(tons/50)
  = 
  Battle Armor Squad
  x3 +
  x3 +
  x4 +
  x4 
  = 
  Conventional Infantry Squad (Foot) 
  x1 + (Motor) 
  x2 + (Jump) 
  x2 + (Anti-’Mech) 
  x2 
  = 
  DropShip, any Class
  Total Tonnage:
  /50
  =
  JumpShip, any Class
  Total Tonnage:
  /500
  =
  FINAL EQUIPMENT POINT COST
  EQUIPMENT CATEGORY TOTAL
  DEFICIT/REMAINDER POINTS
  * Note that Assault Aerospace Fighters reflect “small craft” designs weighing 100-200 tons. Super-Heavy units are those Support
  Vehicles which exceed the normal weight ranges for each vehicle class given in BMR and AT2.
  TECHNOLOGY
  Technology Level and Point Values
  Level 2+
  Level 2+
  Unit Type
  Level 1
  (Std Engine)
  (Non-Std Engine)
  Omni
  Clan
  Final Cost
  BattleMech
  x0 +
  x2 +
  x3 +
  x2 +
  x4
  =
  Aircraft, Conventional
  x0 +
  x1 +
  x1
  =
  Aerospace Fighter
  x0 +
  x2 +
  x3 +
  x2 +
  x3
  =
  Conventional Vehicle
  x0 +
  x2 +
  x3 +
  x1 +
  x2
  =
  VTOL/Airship
  x0 +
  x2 +
  x3 +
  x1 +
  x2
  =
  Artillery Unit
  x0 +
  x2 +
  x3 +
  x2 +
  x2
  =
  Naval Vessel (Water)
  x0 +
  x2 +
  x3 +
  x1 +
  x2
  =
  Battle Armor Squad
  (L2 IS) 
  x0 +
  (L2 Clan)
  x3
  =
  DropShip, Any Class
  (L1 IS) 
  x0 + (L2 IS)
  tons/200 +
  (L2 Clan)
  tons/100
  =
  JumpShip, Any Class
  (L1 IS) 
  x0 + (L2 IS)
  tons/2,000 +
  (L2 Clan)
  tons/1,000
  =
  FINAL COST
  CATEGORY TOTAL
  DEFICIT/REMAINDER
  Determining and Assigning Equipment
  Use the SR 3070 (Mercenary Force Roster) to enter the names, types, tech, and experience levels of all units generated, using either
  the random tables or player’s choice within the established quantities, tech levels, and weight classes of all units determined above to
  fill in details. Consult the text for maintenance costs, types, and values per unit. Note: War Chest value based on Final value of all
  Deficit/Remainder points added together as described under Finishing Touches (p. 89).
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  ALTERNATE MERCENARY FORCE 
  CREATION WORKSHEET 3
  
  MERCENARY COMMAND (OR SUBCOMMAND) NAME: 
  COMBAT ASSETS
  List all combat assets and applicable ratings, maintenance costs and support staff here. Use additional forms for larger forces.
  Rank, Name
  Unit
  Exp.
  Skill
  Tech
  Maintenance
  Tech/Mechanic
  Unit Designation
  (Warrior/Unit Cmdr)
  Type
  Rating
  TNs
  Rating
  Cost/Man-Hours/Type
  (Man-Hours)
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  /
  /
  /
  (
  )
  Mercenary Statistics:
  Dragoons Points
  Additional Information:
  Completed Missions:
  = 
  Total Force Support Costs (C-bills):
  Tech Support Generated:
  % = 
  Total Tech Support Required/Provided:
  / 
  Med. Support Generated:
  % =  
  Total Med. Support Required/Provided:
  / 
  Admin. Support Generated:
  % =  
  Total Admin. Support Required/Provided:
  / 
  Transport Capacity:
  % = 
  DropShips (note auxiliaries with an asterisk [*]):
  JumpShip Capable?  [ Y ]  /  [ N ]
  = 
  Commander Rating:
  = 
  Force Experience (Avg.):
  = 
  JumpShips(note auxiliaries with an asterisk [*]):
  Level 2/Clan Tech Level:
  % = 
  Missions Failed:
  = 
  Contracts Breached:
  = 
  Commander’s Leadership/Tactics/Negotiation/Scrounge Skills:
  Command is in debt? [ Y ]  /  [ N ]
  = 
  +
  / +
  / +
  / +
  MRBC registered?  [ Y ]  /  [ N ]
  = 
  Mercenary Command Hiring Hall:
  TOTAL MERCENARY RATING:
  Mercenary Command Base World:
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  FORM SR 3070 
  (MERCENARY FORCE ROSTER)
  
  MERCENARY COMMAND/SUBCOMMAND:
  DATE:
  Quantity
  Quantity
  Quantity
  Weaponry/Equipment
  [IS]
  [Clan]
  Weaponry/Equipment
  [IS]
  [Clan]
  Weaponry/Equipment
  [IS]
  [Clan]
  ER Large Laser
  Micro Pulse Laser
  Improved C3 Computer
  ER Medium Laser
  Flamer
  ECM Suite (Guardian)
  ER Small Laser
  Heavy Large Laser
  TAG
  ER Micro Laser
  Heavy Medium Laser
  Light TAG
  ER PPC
  Heavy Small Laser
  Large Laser
  Anti-Personnel Pod
  Medium Laser
  Artemis IV FCS
  Small Laser
  Active Probe (Beagle)
  PPC
  Light Active Probe
  Large Pulse Laser
  CASE
  Medium Pulse Laser
  C3 Computer (Master)
  Small Pulse Laser
  C3 Slave
  Quantity
  Ammo
  Quantity
  Ammo
  Weaponry or Equipment
  [IS]
  [Clan]
  (shots/type)
  Weaponry or Equipment
  [IS]
  [Clan]
  (shots/type)
  Anti-Missile System
  Streak SRM 4
  Autocannon/2
  Streak SRM 6
  Autocannon/5
  Arrow IV System
  Autocannon/10
  Sniper Artillery Piece
  Autocannon/20
  Thumper Artillery Piece
  Flamer (Vehicle)
  Long Tom Artillery Piece
  Heavy Gauss Rifle
  Quantity/Tonnage
  Gauss Rifle
  Components
  [IS]
  [Clan]
  Notes
  Light Gauss Rifle
  Cockpit
  LB 2-X Autocannon
  Life Support System
  LB 5-X Autocannon
  Sensors
  LB 10-X Autocannon
  Upper Arm (’Mech only)
  LB 20-X Autocannon
  Lower Arm (’Mech only)
  Light Machine Gun
  Hand (’Mech only)
  Machine Gun
  Upper Leg (’Mech only)
  Heavy Machine Gun
  Lower Leg (’Mech only)
  Rotary Autocannon/2
  Foot (’Mech only)
  Rotary Autocannon/5
  Jump Jets
  Ultra Autocannon/2
  Heat Sink (Single)
  Ultra Autocannon/5
  Heat Sink (Double)
  Ultra Autocannon/10
  Ultra Autocannon/20
  Components
  Total Points
  Notes
  Improved Narc Launcher
  Standard Armor (points)
  Narc Missile Beacon
  F.F. Armor (IS, points)
  ATM 3
  F.F. Armor (Clan, points)
  ATM 6
  Stealth Armor (IS, points)
  ATM 9
  Standard Int. Struct. (points)
  ATM 12
  Endo Steel Int. Struct. (IS)
  LRM 5
  Endo Steel Int. Struct. (Clan)
  LRM 10
  Number and
  LRM 15
  Other Weapons/Equipment
  Tech Base
  Notes
  LRM 20
  (Including Engines, Gyros, Targeting Computers, Hatchets, Swords,
  MRM 10
  MASC,Vechicle Lift/Drive and Control Equipment, and so on) 
  MRM 20
  MRM 30
  MRM 40
  Rocket Launcher 10
  Rocket Launcher 15
  Rocket Launcher 20
  SRM 2
  SRM 4
  SRM 6
  Streak SRM 2
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  FORM SR 3070A (EQUIPMENT AND
  SALVAGE INVENTORY)
  
  MERCENARY COMMAND/SUBCOMMAND:
  DATE:
  List all staff, including warriors, support  members and vessel crews for DropShips and JumpShips owned by the mercenary com-
  mand, and compute salaries based on the rules found in Force Creation (Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 137). Use additional
  sheets as needed, or combine infantry squads/vehicle crews to save space (adjusting salaries accordingly).
  COMBAT PERSONNEL
  NON-COMBAT PERSONNEL
  Name
  Role
  Salary
  Name
  Role
  Salary
  Man-Hours
  TOTAL FORCE SALARY (Base Monthly Contract):
  BASE OVERHEAD (Total Force Salary x 0.05):
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  FORM SR 3070B (MERCENARY 
  PERSONNEL AND SALARY SHEET)
  
  GENERAL INFORMATION
  Contract Date:
  Hiring Hall, World:
  Mercenary Command Name:
  Employer:
  Mercenary Negotiator (TN):
  (+          )
  Employer Negotiator (TN):
  (+          )
  Freelance Negotiator Fee:
  C-bills
  Mercenary Rating (Value):
  (               ) 
  Base BP:
  Negotiator Skill TN Modifier: [(Mercenary)          – (Employer)          ] (x 10% BP)
  BP Modifier:
  Galatea or Outreach (MRBC) Hiring Hall
  Other Hiring Hall (–5% BP)
  BP Modifier:
  Mercenary Command not in debt (War Chest  > 0 C-bills)
  Command in debt (–10% BP)
  BP Modifier:
  Two-player negotiation (gamemastered)
  One-player negotiation (–10% BP)
  BP Modifier:
  Final BP Pool:
  CONTRACT NEGOTIATION
  Starting
  Mercenary
  Employer
  Final
  BP Cost/
  Position
  Negotiation
  Counter
  Position
  Value
  Contract Type:
  —
  —
  —
  —
  (non-negotiable)
  Base Contract Length:
  Mercenary seizes agenda (–
  BP)
  Mercenary: –5 BP per month increased/decreased, max +/– 3 months
  +10 BP to delete emergency escape clause.
  Employer seizes agenda (+          BP) 
  Employer: +10 BP per month increased/decreased, max +/– 3 months
  –10 BP per extension clause deleted (if mercenary seeks shorter term), max -3.
  Contract extensions (3 standard)
  –10 BP per extension clause added (if mercenary seeks longer term), max +3.
  Base Pay Multiplier:
  Veteran (or better) Mercenary Human Resources Administrator (+5 BP, this item only)
  Mercenary seizes agenda (–
  BP)
  Mercenary: –5 BP per +0.1 multiplier, +2 BP per –0.1 multiplier (max +/– 1.0)
  Employer seizes agenda (+          BP) 
  Employer: –5 BP per +0.2 multiplier, +4 BP per –0.1 multiplier (max +/– 1.0)
  Command Rights:
  Veteran (or better) Mercenary Command Administrator (+5 BP, this item only)
  Mercenary seizes agenda (–
  BP)
  Employer Offers
  Mercenary Counter (BP)
  Independent
  Liaison (+5)
  Liaison
  Independent (–20) 
  House
  Independent (–30), Liaison (–10), Integrated (+5)
  Integrated
  Independent (–40), Liaison (–20), House (–10)
  Employer seizes agenda (+          BP)
  Employer: -10 BP to decrease level (one-level drop, House/Liaison Command only)
  +8 BP to increase level (one-level increase, Independent/House Command only)
  Overhead Compensation:
  Mercenary seizes agenda (–
  BP)
  Mercenary: –5 BP per level from none, to half, to full
  +2 BP per level from full, to half, to none
  Employer seizes agenda (+          BP) 
  Employer: –2 BP per level from none, to half, to full 
  Salvage Rights:
  Veteran (or better) Mercenary Logistical Administrator (+5 BP, this item only)
  Mercenary seizes agenda (–
  BP)
  Mercenary: Add/subtract BP as indicated below for changing salvage rights type.
  –5 BP to increase Exchange/Shared by 5%, +3 to decrease by 5%
  Employer Offers
  Mercenary Counter (BP)
  Employer Take-Back (BP)
  Full
  Exchange (+30), Shared (+34), None (+53)
  Exchange (+23), Shared (+26), None (+40)
  Shared
  Exchange (–5), Full (–45), None (+19)
  None (+14) 
  Exchange
  Shared (+4), Full (–40), None (+23)
  Shared (+3), None (+17)
  None
  Exchange (–30), Shared (–25), Full (–70)
  —
  Employer seizes agenda (+          BP)
  Employer: Add/subtract half Mercenary Counter BPs for changing salvage type.
  –3 BP to increase Exchange/Shared by 5%, +2 BP to decrease by 5%
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  MERCENARY CONTRACT WORKSHEET
  
  Starting
  Mercenary
  Employer
  Final
  BP Cost/
  Position
  Negotiation
  Counter
  Position
  Value
  Support Rights:
  Veteran (or better) Mercenary Administrator (any type not employed elsewhere, +5 BP for this item only)
  Mercenary seizes agenda (–
  BP)
  Mercenary: Add/subtract BP as indicated below for changing support rights type.
  –5 BP to increase Straight/Battle Loss by 5%, –3 BP to increase Both by 5% (per type)
  +3 BP to decrease Straight/Battle Loss by 5%, +3 BP to decrease Both by 5% (per type)
  Employer Offers
  Mercenary Counter (BP)
  Employer Take-Back (BP)
  Both
  Battle Loss (+19), Straight (+26), None (+34)
  Battle Loss (+14), Straight (+20), None (+26)
  Battle Loss
  Both (–25), Straight (+8), None (+15)
  Straight (+6), None (+11)
  Straight
  Both (–35), Battle Loss (–10), None (+8)
  None (+6)
  None
  Both (–45), Battle Loss (–20), Straight (–10)
  —
  Employer seizes agenda (+          BP)
  Employer: Add/subtract half Mercenary Counter BPs for changing support type.
  –3 BP to increase Straight/Battle Loss by 5%, –2 BP to increase Both by 5% (per type)
  +2 BP to decrease Straight/Battle Loss by 5%, +1 BP to decrease Both by 5% (per type)
  Transport Rights:
  Veteran (or better) Mercenary Transport Administrator (+5 BP, this item only)
  Mercenary seizes agenda (–
  BP)
  Mercenary: Add/subtract BP as indicated below for changing transport type.
  –3 BP to increase Partial by 5%, +2 BP to decrease by 5%
  Employer Offers
  Mercenary Counter (BP)
  Employer Take-Back (BP)
  Full
  Partial (+23), None (+38)
  Partial (+17), None (+29)
  Partial 
  Full (–30), None (+15)
  None (+11)
  None
  Full (–50), Partial (–20)
  —
  Employer seizes agenda (+          BP)
  Employer: Add/subtract half Mercenary Counter BPs for changing transport type.
  –2 BP to increase Partial by 5%, +1 BP to decrease by 5%
  Renegotiations:
  Renegotiations. (Note that renegotiating any point doubles the BP costs, but not the value of any concessions.)
  No renegotiations. Contract terms accepted as currently negotiated.
  FINAL CONTRACT TERMS:
  Contract Payment (Base Monthly Salary x Base Pay Multiplier x Contract Length) 
  =
  C-bills
  Contract Support Payment (Monthly Support Cost x Straight Support % x Contract Length) 
  =
  C-bills
  Contract Transport Payment ([Owned Vessel Costs, FM: M(R) p. 170] x Transport %) 
  =
  C-bills
  Total payment due from employer:
  C-bills
  MRBC Handling Fee (Contracts negotiated through Outreach or Galatea only) 
  =
  C-bills
  Contract Overhead (Contract Monthly Payment x 0.05, x 0.025 if half-paid, or x 0 if fully paid) 
  =
  C-bills
  Total Pre-Mission Costs:
  C-bills
  Sign-on Bonus (Total Payment Due x [BP/2]%)  
  =
  C-bills
  Final Total Contract Payment Due
  (Total Payment Due – Total Pre-Mission Costs + Sign-on Bonus)
  =
  C-bills
  Advance: Up to 25% of Final Total Contract Payment (MRBC-handled contracts only) 
  =
  C-bills
  Estimated Transport Fees (Sum of owned and chartered transports, plus jumps and “hazard pay”)=
  C-bills
  ©2004 WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocpy for personal use.
  MERCENARY CONTRACT WORKSHEET
  CONTINUED
  
  Masakari Prime,
  The Black Thorns
  WVR-8K Wolverine,
  Brock’s Buccaneers
  HGN-732 Highlander,
  Brion’s First Regiment
  [Brion’s Legion]
  TR-10 Transit,
  Blackstone Highlanders
  
  AS7-K Atlas,
  Canned Heat
  MR-V2 Cerberus,
  Carson’s Renegades
  CGR-1A5 Charger,
  Clifton’s Rangers
  VTR-9K Victor,
  Crater Cobras 
  (789th Striker)
  
  HRG-LS-9000 Hercules,
  Devil’s Advocates
  ZPH-1A Tarantula,
  DropShip Irregulars
  Dasher Prime,
  The Grave Walkers
  WR-DG-02FC War Dog,
  Gregg’s Long Striders
  
  T-IT-10M Grand Titan,
  Grim Determination
  STC-2C Striker,
  Group W
  CTS-6Y Cestus,
  Hansen’s Roughriders
  CNS-5M Cronus,
  Head Hunters
  
  C-SK1 Cossack,
  59th Strike Regiment
  [Illician Lancers]
  TLN-5W Talon,
  Kirkpatrick’s Invaders
  HTM-27T Hatamoto-Chi,
  Legion of the Rising Sun
  TDR-9M Thunderbolt,
  32nd Recon Combat Group
  [Lexington Combat Group]
  
  FS9-O Firestarter,
  Martian Cuirassiers
  HBK-5S Hunchback,
  Northwind Hussars
  [Northwind Highlanders]
  FS9-S Firestarter,
  Redﬁeld Renegades
  WTC-4M Watchman,
  The Regulators
  
  MAD-5L Marauder,
  Sathen’s Snipers
  DRG-1N Dragon,
  Spade’s Brigade
  TR1 Wraith,
  Stealthy Tigers
  TDR-10SE Thunderbolt,
  Swann’s Cavaliers
  
  ZEU-9S Zeus,
  The Thumpers
  AXM-1N Axman,
  Wannamaker’s Widowmakers
  TMP-3M Tempest,
  Wilson’s Hussars
  
  ot every interstellar power can afford the likes of
  the Wolf’s Dragoons. Not every world has the
  resources to hire even a lance from the elite Kell
  Hounds. That doesn’t mean war doesn’t come in
  the form of objective raids, internal power struggles
  or outright piracy to such factions and backwater
  worlds. For such, any mercenary group will do,
  even the dregs. If they can point and shoot,
  someone, somewhere, will hire them.
  A companion volume to Classic
  BattleTech Field Manual: Mercenaries,
  Revised, the Mercenaries
  Supplemental™ provides an in-depth
  look at a few of the best and many of
  the worst known Inner Sphere mercenary
  commands, including histories, officers, and
  favorite tactics.  Special rules allow players
  to use these commands in their Classic
  BattleTech campaigns, while a new point-based
  construction system provides an optional way to
  generate new mercenary commands.
  NN
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/BattleTech [multi]/Sourcebooks/Handbooks & Manuals/BattleTech - Mercenaries Supplemental {WK35016}.pdf