FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
REDFIELD’S RENEGADES
The Renegades began as the local militia for Redfield, a FedSuns world close to the
Capellan border. When Redfield fell to the Confederation in 2760, the Capellans executed the
governor and most of his family, leaving only his eldest son, Angus Redfield, who was in the
field at the time. When news reached Angus, he assumed command of the surviving
Redfield Militia and led a guerrilla campaign against the Capellans, which eventually led
to his militia being labeled as renegades by the Capellans. When House Davion finally lib-
erated Redfield, they found only a demoralized Capellan leadership that preferred flight to
fighting. Hailing the renegade militia as heroes, Davion leaders offered Angus the gover-
norship, which he promptly turned down, claiming that he and his Renegades still needed
to extract justice from the Confederation. The Renegades would spend the next three cen-
turies harassing their enemies.
The highlight of the Renegades’ career came during the Fourth Succession War, when the
BattleMech regiment proved instrumental in defeating the Capellan Warrior Houses Ijori and Lu
Sann. By the war’s end, the command found itself garrisoning Liao itself. When their contract with
the FedSuns expired in 3041, the Renegades declared their ancient feud with the Capellans over
and signed on with the Free Worlds League. There, they spent more than a decade in mostly
idle garrison assignments, until in 3057 they found themselves fighting alongside the very peo-
ple they once swore to kill as part of Operation Guerrero. Despite their ancient enmity, the
Renegades supported several Capellan regiments during the Marik-Liao invasion before
returning to the Free Worlds League in early 3058 to recover.
Then, in September of 3067, House Liao offered the Renegades generous compensation for an assignment defending Minroc
Mining on Epsilon Eridani. While on that mission, the Renegades’ Alpha Battalion clashed with the Lone Star Regiment’s namesake bat-
talion over a lost Star League cache. The two-day battle between the mercenary forces that erupted cost the lives of warriors and civil-
ians on both sides after a Renegades warrior inadvertently fired upon and killed a Lone Star MechWarrior. Despite a desperate attempt
by the Renegades’ commander to negotiate a truce, in the end the Lone Stars—enraged over the deaths of many of their dependents
in a Renegades attack—handed the Renegades their worst defeat in history, with over a battalion of ’Mechs and warriors lost.
By the end of 3067, Colonel Redfield had repaired, resupplied, and restructured his command while holding the Minroc Mining com-
plex. Though braced all the while to defend their charge, no threat materialized, and—for reasons unknown—the CCAF abruptly termi-
nated its contract with Redfield in April of 3069. Almost immediately, however, the Word of Blake offered the mercenaries an extremely
lucrative contract, complete with a bonus of full upgrades. In debt from their previous recovery and effectively under a Blake banner while
still on Epsilon Eridani, the Renegades accepted their first assignment: to secure the world of Irian and its vast industrial facilities against
“renegades” following the false Captain-General. On 19 June, the Renegades made planetfall without incident, with Irian apparently sub-
verted peacefully to the Word’s control. Soon afterward, however, rebel forces struck out at the Renegades and their Blake masters sta-
tioned on planet.
Having barely made planetfall, Colonel Redfield found coordinating with his Blake allies nearly impossible as Alys Rousset-Marik’s
rebels hampered communications and disrupted sensor networks. For the next year, the rebels struck out savagely and suddenly, usu-
ally focusing their efforts on the Renegades’ garrison. Indeed, on two occasions, the Renegades found themselves forced to hole up in
the Irian factory complex and await Blake rescue, until—by the spring of 3071—Redfield was forced to pull his battered command offline
to reorganize while the newly arrived HeavyHell Raisers took up station.
Dragoons Rating: Wanted
Redfield’s Renegades
Of the original regiment, Colonel Redfield’s command can only muster two reinforced battalions along with his command lance. His
technicians and astechs, overworked as they are, have nonetheless received ample aid from Irian’s factory techs, who have promised
to make another two companies operational by year’s end, bringing the command back up to almost full strength. Despite the promised
support, salvage and scavenging have become the Renegades’ main priority while the local Blake troops and the Hell Raisers continue
to ferret out resistance cells on planet. The need for new recruits is also a pressing priority, with so many of the Renegades’ warriors and
officer corps lost to battlefield attrition and rebel snipers.
As with all mercenary forces presently employed by the Word of Blake, the Redfield’s Renegades have been classified as Wanted
by the MRBC for contravention of interstellar law.
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MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
REED’S BREW
Formed from ex-FedCom soldiers in the aftermath of the Clan Invasion, Reed’s Brew spent
the bulk of their formative years under contract to the Circinus Federation. Perfecting their unique
brand of beer among the tiny nation, the Brew faced no serious military threat until the Marian
invasion of 3066. With the loss of Burly Reed, the leader and founder of the Brew and its bever-
age company during that action, command of both fell to Burly’s brother, Lucas “Hurly” Reed, who
decided to make a fresh start for both family businesses on Galatea. Turning over the Circinus
brewery to his ex-wife (who supposedly won it in a game of Pronmania), Lucas led his forces to
greener pastures.
But the fates weren’t with the Brew. Incurring a large amount of debt from the construction,
advertising, and distribution of Reed’s Beer Brew on Galatea, Lucas made the painful decision to
return Reed’s Brew to full mercenary service again, rather than maintaining it as the high-priced com-
pany security they had become. With the onset of the Jihad in 3068, Reed figured he could land a
lucrative contract with a major power and jump out of debt in no time, but the lack of combat expe-
rience and months of removal from the MRBC database dropped the Brew’s official ratings and
placed them near the bottom of employable troops. Thus, the Brew found itself approached by the Word
of Blake. Though desperate for the money, Lucas and his staff were leery of working for the Word, despite
the lack of other well-paying employers—especially with the MRBC ban on Blake contracts. Lucas faced the difficult choice between
years of service to an increasingly frightening employer or disbanding Reed’s Brew for good.
When a Mr. Askai approached the mercenaries in late 3068, it seemed as if the Fates had finally taken pity on them. Representing
“a minor employer in confidence,” Askai offered Reed’s Brew a lucrative long-term contract, one that would pull the command out of debt
in less than two years. More importantly, Askai promised that his employer would then enter into a partnership with Reed’s Beer Brew,
connecting them with several distributors and retailers across the Free Worlds League.
Reed seized the offer, and within a month the Brew began its retainer with raids on a string of worlds across the Rim Commonality,
Andurien Province, and several independent worlds along the Canopian-League border. To facilitate these missions, the Brew received
a small JumpShip under corporate lease. After subcontracting for two DropShips, the Brew began their eighteen-month campaign in
February of 3069 with a raid on the Contard Mining facility on Fadiffolu. Facing only planetary militia and absconding with several tons
of ore, the mercenaries celebrated the success of their unorthodox tactics and the thorough drubbing of the defenders—until they hit
Tohelet.
Ambushed by a still-unidentified force, Reed’s Brew ran into trouble just shy of their objective. The unknown defenders—apparent-
ly not listed on Askai’s intelligence briefs—hit the Brew with a ferocity that surprised the overconfident mercenaries. Lucas pushed his
men, determined to show his employer, their opponents, and the rest of the mercenary world that his Brew was more than a “party patrol,”
but with heavy losses, the Brew was forced to retreat.
After the beating, Reed realized his troops needed to improve or they would not survive the rest of their contract. Dipping into his
own secret savings, he hired two ex-FWLM officers to help train his command in tactics and discipline. The effects were immediate. The
Brew suffered only minor damage in their next few raids. By the time it completed its contract at the end of 3070, the Brew had become
a hardened force, having conducted over twenty raids and making off with over twelve hundred tons of booty.
After a two-month furlough in the Capellan Confederation, the Brew was once more contacted by Askai, who reportedly re-hired the
mercenaries for a new contract along the FedSuns-Combine border. The Brew is currently en route to a rendezvous somewhere near
Breed, using the travel time to plan future sites for Reed’s new breweries, like the one already under construction on Loongana.
Dragoons Rating: C
Reed’s Brew
With over half of his battalion utilizing upgraded technology (mostly of Free Worlds design), the Brew has become very conscious
of the benefits of teamwork. No individual stands out to seize the glory, for if they do, Lucas personally reassigns that warrior’s ride to a
more deserving pilot.
Charlie Company’s recon elements have gained a reputation for using classic “party hits” as a modified ECM carrier wave with some
moderate success. Though this gives the outfit a sense of style, it also makes it more difficult for the Brew to shed its “party patrol” stereo-
type.
Reed’s Roughnecks
The nominal security force stationed at each Reed’s Beer Brew brewery, the Roughnecks are usually recruited from the local pop-
ulation’s law enforcement divisions. This helps keep the Roughnecks’ numbers up, but the recruits are usually short on combat experi-
ence.
100
FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
ROMANOV’S CRUSADERS
Created in 3055 when Thomas Marik’s call to raise the Knights of the Inner Sphere rallied
a large number of ineligible non-League aspirants, the Romanov’s Crusaders emerged as a
new quasi-mercenary command. Their considerable personal support for the Captain-
General and his ideals drew repeated accusations of nepotism against Marik, with critics
claiming that the Free Worlds leader sought to create a private army among the foreign
nationals.
Despite the charges, the Crusaders—often nicknamed “the Third Knights of the Inner
Sphere”—remained in League employ for decades, posted on Cavanaugh for several years
before the start of the Blake Jihad. After Corrine Marik’s coup in August of 3069, however,
the new government on Atreus declared Romanov’s Crusaders rogue when they left that
world without orders, though subsequent evidence made available to the MRBC proved that
the man long known Thomas Marik issued the orders permitting the Crusaders’ redeploy-
ment on Oriente. Though the issue remains under review, the fact that the Crusaders swore
an oath of fealty to the false Marik long before entering League employ may avoid any con-
firmation of rogue behavior where the Commission is concerned. Indeed, at this time, the
MRBC does not consider the Crusaders to be a rogue command. Sir Romanov himself
recently pledged in a public speech that he intends to defend the man he calls “true Captain-
General,” no matter what “pseudo-government or group of fanatics” decides to declare his com-
mand renegade.
While the Crusaders began as a large but disorganized force, Colonel Sir Krispin Romanov
succeeded in improving their cohesion with the assistance of Major Hiro Watanabi, the Crusaders’
resident strategic genius and commander of its Fourth Battalion. Still, as an overall force, the com-
mand often performs with less cohesion than regular House forces, despite the high skills and devotion
of its individual MechWarriors.
Even with the current crisis, the Crusaders have continued to recruit, and they still maintain the tradition of demanding a quest of
potential aspirants. While this quest’s exact nature is never defined, candidates are often sent on their way—singly or in pairs—with
instructions to not return until they believe they have fulfilled their task, all while bearing the Crusaders’ insignia. This means that the
Romanov’s shield has appeared in almost every corner of known space, from the Fronc Reaches and the Outworlds Alliance to the Clan
borders of Lyran and Combine space. Usually a welcome sight, especially in the Periphery, these questing candidates enhance the rep-
utation of all Crusaders, even if they never become full members themselves.
Though such quests are typically undertaken by individual aspirants, recent reports have suggested that a somewhat larger group
of Crusaders was spotted on and around Donegal during the early years of the Jihad. Spotty reports suggested that, while Crusaders
BattleMechs were seen on the planet surface, the nature of their action remained unclear. Since then, these questers have reportedly
moved on, some possibly ranging as far as Moore in the Draconis Combine, before returning to Oriente space.
Dragoons Rating: B (Under Review)
Romanov’s Crusaders
While designs from the Free Worlds League remain in the majority, the Crusaders field BattleMechs from every nation. After arriv-
ing on Oriente, the Crusaders’ ’Mechs have mostly remained within their compounds, and it is rumored that many—if not all—are under-
going extensive upgrades as of this writing.
101
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
RUBINSKY’S LIGHT HORSE
Created in 3035, Rubinsky’s Light Horse began when retired AFFC Captain Gregor Rubinsky gathered a col-
lection of retired and semi-retired veteran MechWarriors from his homeworld of Tikonov and the nearby worlds of
Tigress and New Hessen. Two battalions strong, the Light Horse served as part of Earthwerk’s security force
before joining Khorsakhov’s Cossacks in 3038, their commands a natural fit thanks to their shared fighting
styles and common hatred of Romano Liao. Just one month later, the Cossacks signed a contract with the St.
Ives Compact.
For the next twenty-five years, the Cossacks served the St. Ives Compact with honor and distinction.
During the Capellan-St. Ives War, they bore the brunt of the Capellan’s onslaught and survived the “Black
May” nerve gas attack on Indicass. Later, however, Rubinsky’s Light Horse broke with the Cossacks and
remained with the St. Ives Commonality after receiving a contract to serve Duchess Candace Liao per-
sonally, while the rest of Khorsakhov’s Cossacks departed. In May of 3067, for reasons still unknown, the
Light Horse did not renew its contract with Duchess Liao, though they reportedly left on good terms.
Cassandra Liao—Duchess Liao’s daughter and bride-to-be of Light Horse Captain Tamas Rubinsky—
departed with the mercenaries, who quickly won a contract with the Lyran Alliance. The Light Horse was
promptly transferred to the recently reclaimed Clan border world of Blackjack.
On Blackjack, Colonel Marko Rubinsky drilled his troops on countering the Jade Falcons’ battlefield
tactics. The Light Horse spent several months training against Exiled Wolf forces as well as veteran Inner
Sphere units such as the Fourteenth Donegal Guards and—most recently—the Com Guard’s Thirty-ninth
Division. When the Jihad exploded, the Light Horse intensified their training regimen, anticipating poten-
tial Falcon opportunism. The predicted assault finally came on 12 January 3069. Surprisingly, Colonel
Rubinsky received a batchall from the Falcon task force commander, Star Colonel Hina, and responded to the
Falcon’s challenge in proper Clan protocol, bidding his entire command to the defense of Blackjack.
Nine days later, the Falcons’ Third Swoop Cluster landed at the pre-designated location and moved out,
not waiting for the Light Horse to come to them. The Light Horse fighter wing, Breskin’s Pegasii, wasted no time in straf-
ing and bombing the fast-moving Falcons, inflicting moderate damage before Clan fighters joined the fray. As the skies over Blackjack
became a deadly firefight, the carnage on the ground proved even bloodier. True to form, the Light Horse attacked the Falcons using
rolling cavalry tactics, not allowing the Clan MechWarriors to engage a single Light Horse warrior with traditional zellbrigen. After only
four hours of battle, Rubinsky’s training paid off, and the Third Swoop withdrew. However, the victory proved costly: nearly a company
and half worth of Light Horse ’Mechs and twenty percent of Major Breskin’s fighter wing were lost to the invading forces.
On the following day of what has been called the Third Battle for Blackjack, the Falcons sent a Head Hunter unit to locate Light Horse
command. Once again anticipating the tactic, Rubinsky dispatched Major Liao and her First Battalion to strike the Falcons’ base camp.
When the Falcons reached the Light Horse command center, Lt Colonel Raymond Li Tran unleashed an ambush upon them. The battle
was vicious and bloody, and in the end the Falcons died to the man to take Tran and four other Light Horse troopers with them. Major
Liao’s battalion fared better, however, catching the Falcons completely by surprise. For ten minutes, Cassandra’s troopers destroyed
most of the Clan encampment and supplies before the enemy mustered a counterattack, and the Light Horse battalion withdrew with
only two ’Mechs lost and moderate damage to the remaining forces.
On the morning of 23 January, Falcon reinforcements landed in the form of the Jade Solahma Cluster, tipping the scales firmly
against the Light Horse. Realizing that his command was now in serious trouble, Colonel Rubinsky ordered his troops to prepare to with-
draw to their DropShips. Battered and bloodied, the Falcons offered no resistance as the mercenaries surrendered Blackjack.
Dragoons Rating: C+
Rubinsky’s Light Horse
Forced to retreat, the Light Horse jumped to Melissia, where they reported the events on Blackjack to the theater commander,
General of the Armies Adam Steiner. Steiner permitted the Light Horse—now down by roughly a third of their overall force, including the
loss of its executive officer—to stand down to recuperate. The recovery has been slow, however, due to the Alliance’s overtaxed supply
lines and the needs of so many forces battered by the recent Clan opportunism on the border. Thus, the Light Horse remains under-
strength as of this writing. On a bright note, Tamas Rubinsky and Cassandra Liao have since married and are rumored to be expecting
a child in the coming months.
102
FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
RUBINSKY’S RENEGADES
It is unusual for a mercenary command made up of a single demi-company to have a wide-
ly known reputation, but Rubinsky’s Renegades is not a usual mercenary command.
In 3057 Grover’s Heavy Guard—a mercenary company commanded by Major Grover
Anderson—made a raid on a Smoke Jaguar supply depot on Port Arthur. Expecting the second-
line troops to be easy prey, Anderson was overwhelmed by the ferocity of the Jaguars’ 168th Garrison
Cluster as a Binary of Clan ’Mechs slammed into his command. Anderson was killed in the opening vol-
ley, and without their leader the rest of his Guard fell back in disarray, scrambling for shelter in a rocky
region of narrow arroyos and box canyons.
It was there that Captain Maxophilia Rubinsky rallied the shattered command. Noting the Guard’s
complement of heavy ’Mechs were better suited to close-quarters and melee combat, Rubinsky
used that singular advantage to carry the fight back to the Jaguars. What followed were four hours
of nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse games, interspersed with furious cockpit-to-cockpit slugfests.
Only six ’Mechs survived the final engagement, none of them Jaguars.
This unprecedented victory received little attention in 3057 for the simple reason that few
believed it had actually occurred. It was not until years later—when captured Jaguar records con-
firmed Rubinsky’s account—that the victors received the respect they deserved.
The six survivors of Grover’s Heavy Guard’s last battle reformed as a new mercenary command
under Captain Rubinsky. With funds enough to rebuild—but not to expand—Rubinsky bent every effort
to perfecting the “up close and personal” combat style that had carried them through on Port Arthur. This
made her Renegades naturals for inclusion in Operation Bird Dog.
During Bird Dog, the Renegades earned the respect of their peers by their unflinching aggression in the face of overwhelming odds.
On Hyner, they harassed the Third Jaguar Cavaliers—distracting and bogging down the crack front-line force until the arrival of the
Second Sword of Light.
By the end of Bird Dog, the Renegades were down to two functional BattleMechs. But while most mercenary commands would have
dissolved at this point, Rubinsky rebuilt again. Due to the close-in heavy melee style of combat at which the Renegades excel, this cycle
of fighting to near obliteration then rebuilding to full strength became one Rubinsky has often repeated over the years, aided by her insis-
tence on generous salvage provisions for all Renegades contracts.
The technical expertise necessary to meet the Renegades’ needs and carry out so many resurrections comes from a source many
do not suspect. Though they share an uncommon last name, very few who know the crude and rough-hewn Maxophilia Rubinsky con-
nect her with the civil and well-spoken Colonel Marko Rubinsky, commander of Rubinsky’s Light Horse. In fact, Marko is Maxophilia’s
father and while the two are personally estranged, their commands enjoy a close professional relationship, with the Light Horse provid-
ing support personnel in exchange for Renegades training assistance. Once the relationship is pointed out, the fierce loyalty both com-
manders show toward—and receive from—the people they lead becomes obvious.
Because of their reputation for tenacity and willingness to take on any enemy, the Renegades have never wanted for work.
Specializing in hard-hitting objective raids and lightning extractions, they are able to command top prices on short-term contracts, par-
ticularly on the Clan or Protectorate borders.
When not on missions, Renegade MechWarriors are often active in the Galatea dueling circuit. This constant combat allows them
to experiment with new equipment and tactics—and they rather enjoy adding or modifying new equipment. Their heavily customized
BattleMechs are often mistaken for arena fighters.
Dragoons Rating: A
Rubinsky’s Renegades
Though Rubinsky’s Renegades do not currently have an employer of record, they are frequently away from Galatea and usually in
need of repair and refit when they return. Significantly, they always have the wherewithal to purchase any repairs or upgrades they
require—even at the inflated prices of Galatea’s black market. Under normal circumstances such a pattern of behavior would trigger an
investigation, or at the very least inspire some inquiries from the authorities. However, the Renegades evidently enjoy the respect and
goodwill of both the planetary government and the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces. As a result, it is widely suspected that Rubinsky’s
Renegades are in fact employed by the LAAF, most likely tasked with covert smash-and-grab ops. But why and against whom is not
known.
103
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
SATHEN’S SNIPERS
A tight-knit unit formed in the early part of the century during the Marik
Civil War, Sathen’s Snipers only recently disclosed their colorful beginnings.
Desperate to mend fences with the Free Worlds League for severing ties with
House Marik during the Marik Civil War of 3014, the Snipers tried to land a con-
tract with League representatives when they resurfaced from a series of far-flung,
out-of-the-limelight missions in 3062. Though the League soundly rebuffed these
efforts, the Word of Blake offered the Snipers a lucrative contract instead and helped
them build up to two full battalions. In September of 3067, in an effort to secure their growing
Protectorate in the Chaos March, the Blakes assigned the Snipers to garrison Caph.
The duty lasted all of two weeks.
At the end of September, the Word escorted a mysterious visitor—reportedly known only as
“Emerald”—to the Snipers’ compound. After formally reassigning their contract to this new employer, the
mercenaries were informed that they were being relocated to an undisclosed destination to carry out their new assignment.
By mid-December, the Snipers—divided up and confined aboard eighteen different DropShips—were smuggled onto their destina-
tion, their equipment slowly offloaded and hidden in several warehouses over several days. Still unaware of exactly what planet they were
on, the Snipers surmised they were within the Combine, thanks to the yakuza crews who stood watch over their ad-hoc base. Major
Illuminada Kesteel was told to be ready for the “go” signal at any moment.
The signal came on 1 January, 3068. Moving in the pre-dawn hours, the Snipers quickly seized their first objectives with little oppo-
sition. Once clear of the cloud of secrecy, it did not take long for them to discover they were deep in the heart of Imperial City on Luthien.
Emerald then contacted the mercenaries and informed them that operational command was being transferred to Tai-sa To, commander
of the Second Sword of Light. To ordered the Snipers to protect his Sword’s flank when they engaged the “traitorous” Otomo.
When half of the Second turned on their own brethren, the fighting turned chaotic. Ordered to protect the Tai-sa as Third Luthien
Guard withdrew from the palace grounds, the Snipers suffered heavy damage in the confusion but were able to withdraw into the near-
by underground warehouses.
The arrival of the First Genyosha, followed by the Word of Blake’s Ninth Division scarcely a week later, intensified the fighting across
Imperial City. Tai-sa To’s forces, which included just over half of the Second Sword, the Snipers, and two other unidentified mercenary
commands loyal to Emerald, controlled the Palace District. Meanwhile, the First Genyosha and the rest of the Second Sword retained
the Luthien Armor Works megaplex and most of the nearby DropPort. When the Ninth Division grounded, they quickly seized the
Kagashima Commercial District, claiming the HPG compound and several smaller arms factories. A three-way stalemate existed
between the forces, with the Loyalists and the Genyosha often banding together only long enough to fight any Blake forays against them.
When three tactical nuclear devices gutted the LAW complex on 31 January, the battle for Luthien changed dramatically. The attack crip-
pled a large portion of the Genyosha and stalled all combat for nearly four months.
Over the rest of the year, the Snipers launched no less than eighty sorties against Blake and Genyoshan positions. Adept at head-
hunting tactics, the Snipers gradually began to accumulate heavier ’Mechs and equipment from the salvage, and they became extreme-
ly proficient in using the underground subway lines to conduct devastating hit-and-fade attacks. But the mercenaries continued to suffer
casualties as well, and by the time the Blakes overran To’s headquarters, the Snipers were down to just two companies.
With To’s fall, the Snipers finally surrendered to the Word of Blake, and discovered that the Blakes had declared the mercenaries to
be contract-breakers. Claiming no record of a contact named Emerald, the zealots determined that the Snipers had been deceived into
violating their contract. Following lengthy meetings with both the Ninth’s commander and the newly installed Blake HPG Precentor, Major
Illuminada managed to resolve the matter, winning back her command’s equipment and reinstatement under a Blake contract. The
Snipers were even permitted to rearm from the Word’s supplies, though they remained low on pilots. Illuminada solved that problem by
recruiting among several local yakuza, swelling the Snipers back to their prewar strength of two battalions. The mercenaries’ Triumph
and Fortress DropShips were temporarily assigned to the Word’s Luthien blockade, where they accounted for at least four blockade-run-
ning Unions.
Still on Luthien, the Snipers currently safeguard the Ninth’s command bunker near Takashi Memorial Starport, located several hun-
dred kilometers outside of Imperial City.
Dragoons Rating: Wanted
Sathen’s Snipers
After spending almost three grueling years in the urban jungles of Imperial City, the Snipers have become very adept at breaking
into small groups to execute devastating hit-and-fade attacks. The Blakes are trying to get the Snipers to coordinate with their smaller
air assets, but so far no appreciable effect has been noticed.
104
FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
SCREAMING EAGLES
Glory, turmoil, and disgrace mark the history of the Eagles. Originally formed from
the 555th and 556th Honor Guard Brigades of the 250th BattleMech Division (Stalingrad
Division), they became known as the Screaming Eagles mercenary command. By the
end of the Second Succession War, battle damage had reduced both brigades to just
one ’Mech regiment each. Over the next two centuries, the Eagles served House Davion
honorably until 3028, when they took part in Operations Rat and Riposte. Against House
Liao, the Eagles’ illustrious history became irreparably tarnished when the commander
of First Brigade ordered the deaths of a band of Capellan MechWarriors who surren-
dered rather fighting to the death after a long and humiliating chase.
In early 3053, the Screaming Eagles signed a contract with the MAF to defend mul-
tiple worlds for the Magistracy of Canopus. In 3062, the Second Brigade—while fulfilling
this contract in support of the Canopians’ allies in the Capellan Confederation—was
ambushed on Epsilon Eridani by the Word of Blake’s First Division. The ambush all but
destroyed the brigade, whose survivors retreated to Kaifeng only to discover they were
barred from landing. The Second moved to Outreach, prompting the First Eagles—in
support of their decimated comrades—to abandon their garrison. The Eagles’ comman-
der, Colonel Tam Lafayette, folded the Second’s surviving units into the First Brigade. It was in the midst of this shuffle that Lafayette
learned the Second’s commander had been feeding intelligence on Houthanksse Liao to the FedSuns since 3055, implicating the mer-
cenaries as covert operatives for House Davion. House Liao had thus sent the Second into an ambush for their act of espionage.
In 3064, the FedSuns’ Draconis March Command welcomed the Eagles back to their fold and stationed them on Kilbourne to dis-
courage any adventurous Outworlds units or pirates. Still in place during the early stages of the Blake Jihad, the Eagles kept a vigilant
watch waiting for any foreign enemy to attempt to take advantage of the Federated Suns’ current crises. As it happened, for a time the
Eagles and other area commands faced no threats, but this would prove to be merely the calm before the storm.
In October of 3071, Lafayette received orders to launch a pre-emptive strike against a Blake force recently identified on the
Outworlds planet of Ramora by the Draconis March Intelligence Command. Eager for action, the Eagles loaded up three ’Mech battal-
ions, leaving their fourth behind with the Seventy-seventh Heavy Armor to defend Kilbourne during their absence.
The task force entered the system at a pirate point and burned in hard and fast to catch the Blakes off guard. Unbeknownst to the
mercenaries, however, the forces on planet were already waiting for them. As Eagle DropShips entered the atmosphere, fighters
swarmed them. Of the three Eagles ships, two landed safely, while a third crashed, disabled and unable to fly again. Lafayette’s exec, Lt.
Colonel Chris Lewis, identified the fighters as Snow Raven and Outworlds Alliance craft, not Blake militia. Realizing that false intelligence
had led his command smack into a hornet’s nest of angry Clansmen, Lafayette deployed her forces to meet a Trinary from the Sixth
Raven Battle Cluster and the Outworlds Alliance Borderers.
The battle was fierce and bloody. In the end, the Eagles managed to defeat the Raven Trinary and the Borderers but lost half of their
attack force in the bargain, with Lt. Colonel Lewis among the casualties. Stripping the field of salvageable Clan equipment, the Eagles
withdrew to Kilbourne to lick their wounds and repair their damaged ’Mechs, only to find that the Ravens had identified their base world
and beat them to it. Returning to find Kilbourne under siege by Raven forces, Lafayette’s battered command made planetfall in the midst
of a major firefight, coordinating with the surviving Eagle forces. Supported by Alliance fighters, the Sixth Raven had battered the Eagles’
Fourth Battalion, held back only by the Seventy-seventh Armor’s heavy artillery. The remaining Eagles’ arrival helped tip the balance of
power, but only barely. When the dust settled, the Raven Cluster was destroyed, and the remaining Alliance fighters had fled.
Colonel Lafayette contacted Draconis March command about the orders she had received and relayed the events of the recent
months. The reply from Robinson was terse and to the point: the Eagles’ orders had not originated from there. Ordered to hold position
until further orders, the Eagles have remained in place since, realizing that their recent debacle may have ignited a new border war
between the Federated Suns and a powerful new enemy.
Dragoons Rating: C
Screaming Eagles
Currently, the Eagles ’Mech forces are a lance shy of seven full ‘Mech companies. While Clan tech salvage taken in their recent
engagements has enabled them to replace some losses with advanced equipment, the prospects of bringing more than a company of
Clan machines online are remote at best. The Seventy-seventh Heavy Armor, meanwhile, is in even worse shape, having lost nearly half
its operational combat units.
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MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
SIMONSON’S CUTTHROATS
Simonson’s Cutthroats were one of many mercenary commands who
signed on with the Word of Blake years before the start of their Jihad. Hired
in 3061 after a brief disappearance in the Periphery, the Cutthroats were
employed to bolster Terra’s garrison, but when it became apparent that no force
could penetrate the system’s formidable defenses, the reinvigorated BattleMech
regiment was freed for more offensive operations. Sent to Caph, the Cutthroats put
down an attempted coup by the local militia after the government declared itself
aligned with the recently formed Blake Protectorate
With Caph secure in the bosom of the Blake Protectorate and the initial resis-
tance taken out, the Cutthroats were prepared in 3068 to establish a beachhead and
supply point inside the Federated Suns for taking more worlds for the Blake protec-
torate. With several strategically important worlds within a single jump, the barren sys-
tem of Ankaa was chosen as the Cutthroats’ target.
Simonson’s Cutthroats landed on Ankaa in May of 3069. Though the isolated cities
made easy targets, the underground population centers made the creation of a resistance move-
ment all but inevitable. Regardless, the only major incident during the campaign occurred towards the end,
when a massive storm prompted one of the Cutthroats’ Overlord DropShips to make an emergency landing. During the recovery oper-
ation, a Davy Crockett mysteriously exploded somewhere in or near the vessel, wiping out the entire recovery team and destroying the
ship. Though Colonel Simonson believes the explosion was no accident but a trap perpetuated by guerrillas, the blast wiped out any
physical evidence.
The casualties damaged the Cutthroats to the point where the Word of Blake decided to hold them back from a planned assault on
Deneb Kaitos, giving the mercenaries a chance to rebuild. Instead, the Blakes decided, the Cutthroats would begin to recruit and train
Protectorate Militia forces to defend Ankaa. As more front-line troops moved on for assaults into the surrounding systems, Colonel
Simonson and his command threw themselves into their new assignment with an eye toward revenge. Among the training regimens con-
ducted, reportedly Colonel Simonson’s favorite became insurgent interrogation. Suspected resistance members were often tortured in
front of the Militia recruits, as kind of a crude “dos and don’ts of interrogation.”
The Cutthroats counter-insurgency training proved a great success. Within a year, the resistance movement on Ankaa completely
collapsed, thanks in large part to the mercenaries’ heavy-handed but effective interrogation techniques. This success, in fact, drew com-
manders of the offensive on Deneb Kaitos to request Ankaa Militia and Cutthroat liaisons to assist in their own counter-insurgency oper-
ations when the stubborn resistance movement on that nearby world grew from a nuisance to a problem. Soon, several other Word-cap-
tured systems followed suit, and the Cutthroats cadre’s duties soon expanded to train Protectorate Militia troops for export to other worlds
with experience not only in counter-insurgency tactics and interrogation but in guerrilla tactics as well, just in case their systems are over-
run by counterattacks.
Dragoons Rating: Wanted
Simonson’s Cutthroats
The success of Simonson’s Cutthroats has not gone unnoticed by the opposition either. Thanks to their extreme techniques of inter-
rogation, the MRBC has placed a bounty on the officers and warriors of this mercenary regiment nearly twice as high as most other com-
mands currently employed by the Word. Since the start of 3070, more than a dozen separate raids by small bounty hunter units have
struck at Ankaa, all with the aim of bagging as many Cutthroat bounties as possible. To date, only one has succeeded.
In September of this year, a transport under Blake colors landed at the Ankaa spaceport, and a force of raiders unloaded, deci-
mating the nearby militia units. As the Cutthroats scrambled to mobilize, a platoon of commandos, presumably lying in wait nearby, broke
through to the mercenaries’ command center and abducted both Colonel Simonson and Major Syrstad, killing several other support staff
during the raid. Linking up with their DropShip, the bounty hunters made their escape. The Commission has since reported the deten-
tion of the Cutthroats commanding officers at an undisclosed site, but it refuses to release any information about the hunters who claimed
the reward, ostensibly for their own safety. Command of the Cutthroats has thus fallen to Major Anthony Alicea of the Cutthroats’ Second
Battalion, who has vowed to find and rescue her commanders once the regiment finishes recovering from its losses.
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FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
SKIBINSKI’S SALVAGE
Perhaps the most famous of those few mercenary commands that specialize in
combat engineering, repairs under fire, and battlefield salvage missions was the leg-
endary (and late) Battle Magic. Regarded as the archetypal ideal of the tech-support
mercenary command, the Magic combined tough and savvy warriors with a gift for scav-
enging and the ability to rebuild ’Mechs using bailing wire and duct tape.
Skibinski’s Salvage is nothing like Battle Magic.
A former restaurateur from Hesperus, Edward Skibinski has no military training, nor
does anyone under his command. Indeed, beyond the weapons integral to his com-
mand’s DropShip and the fighters that escort it, Skibinski’s Salvage does not field even
a single handgun. Skibinski wants there to be no confusion in anyone’s mind that his
people are there to do one job and one job only: to fix whatever’s broke.
Always fascinated by the workings of BattleMechs, Skibinski applied for work at
Defiance Industries as soon as the family restaurant chain he had inherited reached the
point where it could profit without his direct involvement. Though he lacked any technical
background, his management and leadership skills proved superb and he was hired under a
lateral-entry contract to become a “float team” leader while still completing his technical training.
Float teams, made up of technicians waiting to be hired by a specific department (or never to be hired by any department), were
often assigned by DefHes as needed to handle problems or schedule crunches. Typical teams could find themselves calibrating sensor
arrays one day and hand-fitting armor plates the next. Thus, Skibinski’s initial assignment was not unusual for a person with his skill set
and interests. Hands-on techs regarded management as a chore that took them away from their real jobs, while career-minded man-
agers avoided the dead-end of the float pool entirely.
Initially thriving, Skibinski’s enthusiastic leadership made his group of floaters one of the most sought-after troubleshooting teams
on the floor of Defiance’s main plant. He was soon put over several teams, and his personal style and leadership had the same effect
on all of them until even the techs and engineers in stable department positions began requesting transfers to the float pool.
However, personality clashes eventually developed between the independent team leader and the suits over him. At the same time,
Skibinski discovered there were many talented techs and engineers in the lower echelons of Defiance who chaffed at being mere cogs
in a huge machine. Liquidating his assets, including the restaurant chain, and pooling the resources of the technicians and engineers
willing to follow him, Skibinski created Skibinski’s Salvage.
Relocating to Arc-Royal, Skibinski’s Salvage soon developed a reputation for doing quality ’Mech repairs right. No down-and-dirty,
make-it-do jobs allowed. Every piece Skibinski’s installed was precision machined to exceed original specs. When battlefield conditions
required systems be mounted on chassis never meant to carry them, the Salvage fabricated versatile and efficient adaptors.
Skibinski’s close relations with Defiance Industries supplied the company’s R&D department with a constant stream of data on
BattleMech performance and innovations. Defiance even began marketing field upgrade and refit kits designed by Skibinski’s team, while
Skibinski kept an eagle eye on its training program, sometimes luring away some of their top graduates. Unfortunately, this relationship
has been disrupted by the Word of Blake’s occupation of Hesperus II and Tharkad, effectively controlling the company’s key headquar-
ters sites.
Over the years their reputation has grown to the point some local mercenary commands—such as the Tooth of Ymir—have begun
to request Skibinski’s Salvage as their tech support of choice when negotiating contracts. In January of 3068, mistakenly believing the
Tooth served Word of Blake, the Com Guards Second Division nearly destroyed the mercenary command on Epsilon Indi. Realizing their
mistake after the fact, the Com Guards contracted the Salvage to rebuild the shattered Tooth when they arrived on Arc-Royal later on.
Colonel Susan Brownell Shadwell and the Tooth of Ymir have been staunch supporters—and impromptu sales reps—of Skibinski’s
Salvage ever since.
Skibinski is always quick to point out he has never lost a technician to either enemy fire or better job offers. It is a source of great
pride to every man and woman under his command that not a single MechWarrior has been lost due to equipment failure on a machine
Skibinski’s Salvage has repaired.
Dragoons Rating: C
Skibinski’s Salvage
Because battlefield repairs require the ability to reach the battlefield, Skibinski’s Salvage acquired the Four Rings, an Overlord-class
DropShip that they have, of course, extensively modified. Over half the ‘Mech bays have been replaced by machine shops and storage.
Two Stingray and four Lucifer aerospace fighters provide escort. Presently stationed on Atocongo, the Salvage has accepted a support
contract from the LAAF for the duration of the present conflict.
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MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
SNORD’S IRREGULARS
One of the most legendary mercenary commands in the Inner Sphere, Snord’s
Irregulars are credited with many amazing exploits—some real, some not. After leaving the
Wolf’s Dragoons in 3006, these mercenaries (then known as Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)
quickly built a reputation for themselves as highly skilled lostech hunters—scavengers,
eager to acquire any piece of history they could get their hands on, sometimes even
accepting artifacts in lieu of C-bills for contract payment. The Irregulars’ knack for com-
ing out on top, regardless of the odds, further raised their standing in the community,
even after it became clear that they shared Clan origins with the infamous Wolf’s
Dragoons.
The Irregulars’ career culminated in the early 3050s, when they faced off against Clan
Jade Falcon on several occasions, succeeding in taking on the Clan that many believed
unbeatable. Perhaps their greatest success was the capture of Camelot Command in the
Dark Nebula, an ancient naval facility that the Irregulars defended time and again against
repeated Falcon attacks, while simultaneously using it to execute Wolcott-style raids into Clan
space. After the Refusal War, the Lyran Alliance decided that Camelot Command was too exposed
to properly support and curtailed their operations there, eventually pulling the Irregulars back.
Shortly before the FedCom Civil War began, the Irregulars were relocated to Odessa, arriving there in January of 3063. Initially, they
kept themselves out of the fighting and the politics of the conflict until war came to them with Archer’s Avengers’ attack in 3063. The
assault killed Major Sneed and severely injured the Irregulars’ commander, Colonel Rhonda Snord. This prompted Snord’s adopted
daughter, Tasha Snord, to take command, holding the outfit together until the deception that set the Avengers upon them was revealed
and both forces disengaged. After her recovery, Colonel Snord confirmed Tasha Snord as the Irregulars’ new commander, and retired.
When the Falcons attacked the Alliance again, the Irregulars were among the units that moved against them. Rhonda Snord’s
decade-plus experience in what she called “budgie baiting” prompted her to resume command of the Irregulars (with Tasha’s blessing),
and at her lead, the mercenaries bloodied the 124th Striker Cluster on Rasalgethi. When they soon found themselves facing almost an
entire Falcon Galaxy after that, the Irregulars retreated rather than be destroyed. Eventually, however, the Irregulars petitioned to join the
Blair Atholl garrison, hoping to use the open world to maintain pressure against the Falcon Clan.
When the Falcons decided to engage the Lyran Alliance again, they repositioned the Fifty-first and Ninth Garrison Clusters from
Blair Atholl for inclusion among the offensive forces striking into Lyran space. This left three Eyrie Clusters to deal with their former spar-
ring partners. The Irregulars, however, were not caught unaware by the Falcon’s aggression. Having prepared for the eventuality of a
Falcon assault, Snord’s Irregulars laid a series of traps and ambushes that nearly destroyed the Gyrfalcon Eyrie when they started their
attacks in 3070. The remaining two Eyrie Clusters absorbed the few survivors, then proceeded more cautiously. Still confident in their
numbers and Clan superiority, the Falcons soon found themselves in one ambush after another, often misinterpreting or misreading their
opponent’s actions. While both Clusters were savaged almost beyond the point of being viable combat units, however, attrition had final-
ly caught up with the Irregulars as well. Forced to retreat to New Exford after six months of combat, Snord’s Irregulars have since spent
the following year reconstituting their force in anticipation of further missions against the Clans.
Dragoons Rating: A
Snord’s Irregulars
Down to four and a half companies of ’Mechs, the Irregulars have regained some of their strength since quitting Blair Atholl. Their
rebuilding efforts are aided considerably by the salvage they extracted from the Gyrfalcon Eyrie.
While the Irregulars remain in fair shape after the recent fighting, however, Colonel Rhonda Snord has once more stepped from the
outfit’s overall command, citing her own advanced age and unspecified illness. Control of the Irregulars has reverted to her adopted
daughter, Tasha, though experts expect that Rhonda will remain active with her Irregulars—if only in the background—for some time to
come.
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FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
STAR SEEDS
One of the few mercenary commands to be formed since
the start of the Jihad, the Star Seeds’ origins remain shrouded
in mystery. Rumors abound that the all-infantry force are any-
thing from Word of Blake ROM expatriates to the Black
Warriors from Circinus to renegade DEST commandos. What
is known for sure is that Captain Marcel Webb appeared one
day on Galatea, quietly registered his unit with the
Commission, declared no debt, and promptly signed a contract
with Interstellar Expeditions in June of 3068.
The Seeds then faded out of sight for the next year, their contin-
ued existence considered more rumor than fact. Reportedly involved in a
fracas on Tomans between Jade Falcon and Green Ghost forces, the Seeds
supposedly even captured a Ghost DropShip as it retreated from the planet.
According to the current incarnation of this story, the Seeds waited near the Ghosts’
Magellan JumpShip just outside of sensor range, and—with precision gunnery and brav-
ery bordering on insanity—neatly blasted and rammed open the Overlord-class DropShip’s
’Mech bay doors. Then, using their Elephant’s powerful magnetic locking clamps, the Seeds’ ship
seized the target vessel and disgorged several squads of improved Purifier battlesuits to swarm the ship and capture
it, all in full view of the Ghosts’ Magellan. This tale, however, has been largely dismissed, since the IE has remained
silent on the matter of the Ghosts and their identity—something they have reportedly been interested in for years.
Nevertheless, it is a matter of record that the Seeds have an Elephant in their order of battle (the Syssiphus). This
ComStar-registered vessel was reportedly lost at the Titan Yards in the Terran system, along with the Vortex, the Seeds’
Tramp-class JumpShip. This odd pair is rounded out by a second DropShip, the Condor-class Black Feather, which went missing from
the Sixth Free Worlds Legionnaires in mid-3067.
The reported make-up of the unit is equally odd. Completely infantry-based, every trooper with the Seeds is apparently experienced
in zero-g marine operations, with approximately half of them trained as battle-armor troops using mixed designs and deployed in six-
man squads. A preponderance of Purifier battlesuits adds credence to the rumors of their Word of Blake or ComStar origins, but the
Seeds have yet to be confirmed supporting any Blake operations. The Seeds also have at least a squad each of Raiden and Achilleus
suits, and they are believed to possess at least one Void suit, a Kanazuchi, some Cavaliers and even a Fa Shih or three. Considering
the lack of jump jets on some of these designs, it is somewhat doubtful a force with as much specialization in marine combat would use
such limiting armor types, but until a full disclosure is obtained, critics can only speculate.
Recently, Captain Webb allowed for an interview with INN correspondent Michael Bosworth, where he admitted to his command’s
involvement in a recent clash on Orestes. Though he declined to name the Seeds’ employer at the time (their contract with IE expired in
January of 3070), he mentioned their involvement with the destruction of the WBJS Yoke of Purity, a Star Lord transport that had been
ferrying prisoners and other civilians to parts unknown. The Seeds also reportedly captured one DropShip before destroying the Yoke,
but the whereabouts of that ship and its crew remain unknown.
The Seeds are currently being courted by the Lyran Alliance for a highly classified contract. Sightings have linked Captain Webb
and Hauptmann Belinda Joseé—a known Loki agent posted on Galatea—leading to speculation that their mission may involve Tharkad
or any of the other major Lyran worlds currently under Blake blockade.
Dragoons Rating: B
Star Seeds
All Star Seeds troopers—standard and battle armored—are highly skilled in marine intrusion and zero-g operations. Each squad is
divided into groups of six, including regular infantry, and their quiet efficiency and use of non-standard tactics lend strong credence to
the rumors that the Seeds are ex-Light of Mankind or Fury troopers. The Seeds’ current estimated strength consists of six squads of bat-
tle armor and fifteen of regular infantry. The mercenaries have full technical and transportation support and do not surrender command
rights in contract negotiations.
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MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
SUMMER’S STORM
In 3056, Miguel Jose Valdez headed the unionization effort for the test pilot and ground
crews at Mujika Aerospace Technology on St. Ives. When the local plant closed down in 3059
over cutbacks and relocations, Valdez decided to take the offered severance package. Much
to his surprise, so did over twenty other pilots and forty-two technicians. Drowning their sor-
rows over the loss of work at a local watering hole (the Summer’s Storm Brewhaus), Valdez
came up with an idea: form a mercenary force that would hire out as a test pilot cadre to the
various aerospace firms outside the Confederation. The rest of the unemployed agreed with
him, and within a month the Summer’s Storm Experimental Group was formed. Pooling their
resources, the SSEG managed to purchase six of Mujika’s TR-10 Transits off the auction
block, and shortly thereafter they were hired by Boeing in Federated Suns space.
The SSEG survived for a time testing new airframes for Boeing. But slowly, members of
the command began drifting away to other pursuits, bored with the overly cautious company
approach. Valdez himself pondered an early retirement, the life of excitement that seemed
so promising in the beginning now a life of drudgery and bureaucracy. After discussing mat-
ters with several of his core group—those who remained, anyway—they realized they
missed the high-pressure testing and combat drills they had performed at Mujika under the
constant watch of the CCAF.
Valdez began preparations, and when the contract to Boeing ended in 3064, he re-registered the SSEG with the MRBC as
Summer’s Storm. Boeing sold several older W-10 Chippewas to the Storm at a favorable rate, grateful for the test pilots’ help. By the time
the Storm signed its first contract with the Taurian Concordant, they had sixteen fighters and nineteen pilots.
Assigned to the TDF’s V Corps, the mercenaries were tasked with system defense of Cynon. Barely three days after their arrival, a
small pirate band jumped in to carry out a quick raid. Eager to make an impression, the Storm burned out to intercept the raiders' lone
DropShip and meager fighter escort. Though they thoroughly outflew the pirates, they only managed one kill before the small force
retreated.
Thoroughly embarrassed by the unit’s first combat outing, Valdez drilled the Storm mercilessly. In their off hours, several pilots raised
additional funds though aerial stunt shows and flying exhibitions for the local populace, with one pilot even starting his own small flight
school. By the time the next raider force, easily three times their original size, appeared in-system six months later, the Storm put up a
better fight. Bagging eight kills and severely damaging a Triumph DropShip, the mercenaries beat back the pirates with only three loss-
es. Through some help from one of the planetary salvage companies, the Storm managed to land the damaged Triumph and began refit-
ting it.
Eager to continue impressing their employer, Valdez decided to trace the bandits back to their home system. Through his TDF liai-
son (who happily noted the mercenaries’ actual focus on their duties, unlike other commands in the region) and the local Word of Blake
HPG Precentor, the Storm pinpointed the raiders’ base: a small moon in the Althea’s Choice system. Working with several other merce-
naries assigned to the V Corps, the Storm captured the raider base after a short, decisive battle.
The TDF, in a rare show of gratitude, allowed the Storm to claim all the aerospace assets salvaged at the pirate base. Now pos-
sessing more equipment than pilots, the Storm began recruiting from Cynon immediately upon their return. Since then, the Storm has
been assigned to the defense of both Althea’s Choice and Cynon, together with ground elements from other V Corps forces. While pirate
activity continued through late 3069, the near-constant raids dropped off sharply over the past fourteen months. While Word of Blake
operatives in the Concordat have taken much of the credit for this trend, however, mercenary aerospace forces like the Storm have con-
tinued to train and expand, anticipating a resurgence at any given time.
Dragoons Rating: D
Summer Storm
Now up to two full wings in strength (dubbed Torrent and Gale, respectively), the Storm rotates each regularly between Althea's
Choice and Cynon to keep their pilots from getting bored. The Storm has recently purchased an ancient Aquarius escort craft from the
Word of Blake, reportedly under the tacit condition that they carry out at least one ROM mission at some point in the future. The Storm
also has two Leopard CVs and an Overlord for transportation under extended contracts, though the Overlord’s captain still carries out
standard mercantile missions from time-to-time.
Valdez has a strict policy to hire only former stunt, acrobatic, or ex-military fliers in order to maintain a high degree of piloting skill
among his command. If there is any weakness, it is Gale Squadron’s lack of gunnery experience, and the pilots often try to overcome
their lack of accuracy with the sheer volume of fire they spit out.
110
FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
THOR’S HAMMERS
The Clan Invasion of 3048 to 3052 shattered many commands, mercenary and
House alike. Among the victims of this holocaust were the Twelfth Star Guards, whose
Third Regiment (Paget’s War Ponies) were stationed on Icar when Clan Wolf attacked in
March of 3050. The Ponies’ third battalion was overrun almost immediately, but Colonel
Hannah Caitlin rallied her remaining two battalions for a counterattack, momentarily holding the
Wolves at bay until the report came that Clan Elementals had overrun the Guards’ grounded
DropShips, forcing her to surrender. Overlooked, however, was that a single Guards DropShip
escaped the debacle, the Fortress-class DropShip Gunner’s Daughter. Packed with support per-
sonnel and having just enough warning to get clear, the Daughter rendezvoused with the Star
Guards’ JumpShips and fled Icar, planning to link up with the commands’ other regiments. But
bad news greeted the survivors as they jumped deeper into Lyran space: the rest of the
Twelfth Star Guards had been lost to the invaders.
Napoleon Hobart found himself the senior officer of the Guards’ survivors. Captain of
an artillery battery, Hobart had been overseeing the unloading of his guns when the Wolf
Elementals attacked, and it had been his swiftness of thought that had gotten the Daughter
out in time. Some of the survivors called upon Hobart to keep the Star Guards name alive,
but the Captain felt that too much had been lost. He instead proposed forming a new mer-
cenary command around the core of the artillery battery—essentially, the only combat
element they had left. Promoting himself to the rank of Major, Hobart led his people to
Outreach—a world now overflowing with mercenary commands shattered by the Clan
juggernaut. Initially uninterested in BattleMechs and MechWarriors, Hobart was very selective in his recruiting. Heavy armor held no
attraction for him, only guns and crews who knew their business. Formed around a core of two batteries of six guns each, Thor’s Hammer,
as the new command was christened, became operational just as the Clan assault was halted at Tukayyid.
Moving from contract to contract, the Hammers soon established a reputation for accuracy and destructiveness. Working in St. Ives,
their devastating artillery fire slowed Capellan progress to a crawl on Brighton. But it was only after the Hammers’ contract expired and
Chancellor Liao made the mercenaries a better offer that the Capellan conquest of the Compact was completed.
In the months following the dissolution of the Second Star League, fighting broke out along the Free Worlds League/Lyran Alliance
border. Thor’s Hammers were hired to support the Lyran invasion of McAffe and then Sheridan. They remained on the latter world, hold-
ing on to the Alliance’s tenuous gains, until the League’s counterattack in late 3068 forced them to retreat.
Since returning to Lyran space, however, Thor’s Hammers have disappeared. Rumor has it that they have been hired by Duke
Morgan Kell to bolster the defenses of one of the worlds on the Jade Falcon front.
Dragoons Rating: B-
Thor’s Hammer Battalion
Since its inception, the Hammers have expanded into a combined arms battalion by adding additional support elements to each bat-
tery. Able Battery contains the big guns—six massive, mobile Long Tom pieces. Baker Battery is a mixed bag of sell-propelled Snipers
and Thumpers. Charlie Battery, Hobart’s latest addition after he saw the effectiveness of ’Mech-mounted artillery on St. Ives, consists of
heavy and assault BattleMechs modified to carry Arrow IV artillery missiles or even Sniper field pieces. Nicknamed “Hobart’s Funnies,”
these last ’Mechs look like walking nightmares of jury-rigged components, but their accuracy has proven every bit as good as Able and
Baker Batteries.
Around each Battery, Hobart has also assembled a mishmash of scouts, spotter aircraft, and reconnaissance vehicles, plus ammu-
nition carriers and other assorted support units. An infantry company and anti-aircraft vehicles provide these guns with additional pro-
tection. Finally, each Battery can also call upon the services of a lance of BattleMechs for anti-aircraft defense. Two light ‘Mechs act as
spotters, while two heavies—Rifleman and JagerMech designs—serve in the anti-aircraft role.
111
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
THE THUMPERS
Formed from the members of a Defiance Industries demonstration team who special-
ized in showcasing the might of the industrial giant’s assault ’Mechs, the Thumpers mer-
cenary command subsisted on a string of garrison contracts as they meandered through
the Inner Sphere. Run as a pure business enterprise, each member of the command
became a shareholder with a voting power based on the number of shares they held. The
unit’s officers thus became a board of directors, with the majority shareholder the CEO
and force commander rolled in one.
Hired by the Taurian Concordat in 3065, the Thumpers were amongst the forces being
marshaled to bring the breakaway Calderon Protectorate back into the fold, but a crisis
diverted the Concordat’s attention first, sidelining the mercenaries for a few years with a
garrison on Mithron. The Concordat’s preliminary attack against the Protectorate finally
began—and ended—in late 3068, when the Black Angus Boys refused to engage
Protectorate forces during the attack on Marknick. By allowing the Third Taurian Lancers’
third battalion to be mauled the Protectorate defenders, the Boys cast doubt of the over-
all invasion’s strategy. Supporting units like the Thumpers were thus not called up for
future waves while Protector Shraplen scrambled to face the political and military fallout
from the debacle.
Desperate for the combat bonus pay the Concordat had promised, the Thumpers
could ill afford the delay. While Shraplen was scraping together a new plan of attack
against the Protectorate in the face of rising protests among from the Concordat populace,
the mercenaries’ maintenance problems increased. With almost a company of BattleMechs sidelined, and with the TDF too tied up in the
fighting in the Pleiades Cluster to re-launch a concerted drive against the Protectorate, Major Buck Tripp finally informed his Concordat
employers that he had no intention of renewing the Thumpers’ contract when it expired in 3069.
Slipping back into the Federated Suns via an indirect route, the Thumpers made for Filtvelt, where Tripp had heard that the locals
were looking for troops. With Filvelt's pleas for support falling on the deaf ears of a government absorbed in the continuing fighting on
New Avalon and the borders of the Capellan and Draconis Marches, the people of the Outback realized they were on their own facing
the depredations of Tortugan pirates. With Paula “Lady Death” Trevaline’s raids increasing in frequency and violence at an alarming rate,
the Filtvet Academy Training Battalion provided the newly arrived Thumpers with the supplies they needed to reactivate their dilapidat-
ed assault ’Mechs in exchange for the mercenaries’ deployment to protect Wetumpka and Marielund by December of 3070. Within weeks,
about a company of Trevaline’s Death’s Cohorts struck at Marielund. Not expecting significant resistance, the bandits ran straight into
Captain Dorricott’s assault company. The Thumpers’ Atlas, Zeus, and Banshee assault ’Mechs poured fire into the surprised raiders’
Brigands and Phoenix Hawks, leaving many scattered on the field by the time the bandits withdrew.
Following the disaster on Marielund, the bandits of Tortuga have become more cautious and have pointedly avoided the systems
protected by the Thumpers and the cadets of Filtvet Academy. Their ability to manage this trick despite the occasional rotations of both
suggests that the pirates have established a sophisticated intelligence network throughout the region. On the few occasions where the
Thumpers have been able to engage the raiders, they have suffered more damage at the hands of the Death’s Cohorts than they have
inflicted. Only the heavy armor of the Thumper’s ’Mechs has prevented them from losing troops to these confrontations. Yet despite the
casualties the bandits have suffered, their numbers appear undiminished.
Dragoons Rating: D
The Thumpers
Over the years, the Thumpers have had to replace lost assault ’Mechs with lighter units, diluting what was once a pure assault-class
battalion with machines like the Grasshopper and (more recently) the Thanatos. Although lighter than their commander would like, the
mobility these machines bring to his command has lately proven invaluable in the Thumpers' ongoing efforts to intercept and destroy
bandit invaders.
In light of these experiences, Tripp has reorganized his battalion. While the heavy ’Mechs were previously concentrated in Captain
Alexis North’s third company, each company now fields two assault lances and a third “heavy cavalry” lance. When facing the bandits,
the cavalry lances attempt to pin the attackers in place, buying time for the assault units to arrive for a coup de grâce.
Although this new approach has paid dividends in the form of salvage sales, Tripp remains committed to one day replacing his heavy
’Mechs with proper assault models like the Berserker and Templar. It remains to be seen whether the Thumpers will clear enough prof-
it from their current assignment to fund such an upgrade.
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FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
TOOTH OF YMIR
When the Jihad began, the Tooth of Ymir—a tough regiment, skilled in defensive operations—
was under contract to the independent government of Epsilon Indi, one of the few Chaos March worlds
that also played host to the Com Guard forces, rather than Blake Militia. Tragically, after the conflagra-
tion on Outreach and the start of the Word’s war against humankind, the Tooth became one of the first
victims of the Inner Sphere’s fast-growing distrust towards mercenaries. Noting that a disturbing num-
ber of commands, even some with good reputations, had thrown in their lot with the zealots, increasing
tensions between the Tooth and the Second Com Guard Division (possibly heightened by Blake ROM
operatives) finally spilled over in December of 3067. Assaulted by “friendly” troops, the Tooth lost more
than four companies of ’Mechs and armor before Colonel Susan Shadwell could rally her command and
send a scathing interrogative to Precentor Regis Grandi. The Second’s commander indignantly denied
authorizing the attack and called off his Division.
Shocked by this development, Grand Duke Morgan Kell offered Shadwell’s command the hospitality of
Arc-Royal during its recovery, enabling the Tooth to escape certain destruction in the event of a second flare
up with the Com Guards while also providing Kell more reinforcements for his region’s defense. Fears of Clan
opportunism were realized in 3069, when the Falcons once more struck against the Lyran Alliance. After the fall
of Morges and Yeguas, Kell sent the Tooth to reinforce Zanderij in 3070, suspecting an imminent attack.
In June of 3070, the Falcons’ 305th Assault Cluster landed on Zanderij. Immediately moving on the capital city
of Zan, they soon discovered the Tooth’s second battalion deployed ahead of them, their assault ’Mechs dug in along
a scree-choked ridgeline. Thinking she could easily overwhelm the single battalion, Star Colonel Tara hurled her Cluster
against Major Petrov’s forces. The assault went badly, with the slope’s shifting rocks slowing her OmniMechs’ progress
and giving Petrov’s warriors plenty of time to hammer Gauss rounds and PPC fire into the stumbling Falcons. Pulling back,
Tara then tried sending Elementals ahead under heavy supporting fire. Hoping to replay the massacre of Barbera’s Marauder
IIs, Tara watched in horror as a series of small explosions sent rockslides thundering down to wipe the slope clean of her bat-
tle-armored troopers. Incensed, the Star Colonel finally broke her bid and called down Star Colonel Mar Helmer’s Fifth Talon
Cluster. While the Falcon reinforcements were landing, the Tooth battalion fell back, rejoining the rest of the regiment. With almost
a year to prepare, the mercenaries had constructed a complex network of fortifications that dominated the hills above Zan. For weeks,
the irresistible force of the Falcon assault battered against the immovable object of the Tooth and these defenses.
When Star Colonel Tara fell to the TSM-equipped Berserkers of Petrov’s command lance, Mar Helmer took charge of the Falcon
assault. Immediately halting further attacks, Helmer upheld a tense cease-fire for two days, hoping to give his technicians time to restore
his battered forces to full strength while he planned what he hoped would be the final assault. As Helmer’s troops formed up in the dawn
light of 12 August, however, the incredulous Star Colonel received reports that at least a full Cluster of Steel Viper OmniMechs were
approaching his rear. In no condition to fight a fresh—and wholly unexpected—force of Vipers and the Tooth of Ymir at once, Helmer
ordered his troops to fall back to Morges.
Later that day, the Tooth warriors watched from their fortifications as rank after rank of assault OmniMechs, resplendent in the col-
ors of Clan Steel Viper’s 428th Assault Cluster, marched towards them. Halting just beyond weapons range, the new invaders shocked
even the Tooth’s commanders when Colonel Ivo Greenburg’s voice came over the hailing channels and inquired if the Tooth of Ymir mind-
ed terribly if Greenburg’s Godzillas could join in the defense of Zanderij.
Dragoons Rating: B
Tooth of Ymir Regiment
Lyran-made assault models have supplemented the predominantly Marik and Liao equipment employed by the Tooth’s BattleMech
regiment. In addition, the mercenaries’ sojourn to Arc-Royal provided them an invaluable opportunity to train alongside Clan Wolf (in
Exile) troops and Wolf’s Dragoons survivors. Zanderij has also allowed the Tooth to salvage Clan equipment, the bulk of which is now
concentrated in Major Petrov’s Second Battalion.
Ymir Armored Fangs
Before its deployment on Zanderij, the Fangs’ armored regiment had been almost fully restored from its casualties on Epsilon Indi.
Unfortunately, the brutal fighting has whittled Lt. Colonel Rabin’s command down to half strength and has convinced Colonel Shadwell
that the Tooth needs to acquire battle armor support to deal with the threat of Clan Elementals.
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MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
VANDELAY’S VALKYRIES
Faith Vandelay spent decades building her Valkyries into a mercenary command
of the highest order, with uncompromising hiring standards in performance and per-
sonal integrity. By the mid-3050s, the Valkyries had become a mainstay of the Taurian
Concordat’s military structure. Thanks to the formation of the Trinity Alliance, Vandelay man-
aged to acquire upgraded hardware from the Capellan Confederation for her command, while
her elder daughter, Rebekah, earned her position as executive officer through hard work and
mastery of her duties. As a new decade dawned for the Valkyries, so too did the promise of a
bright and secure future.
That all changed in 3061. Attached to elements of the CCAF as part of the Trinity Alliance treaty,
the Valkyries were sent to Texlos in support of the Capellan campaign to reclaim the St. Ives
Compact. During their drop, Compact aerospace fighters shredded the Valkyries’ CCAF escort
wing and crippled the command company’s inbound DropShip. Colonel Faith Vandelay, her
daughter Lieutenant-Colonel Rebekah Vandelay, and a company of the Valkyries’ best and
brightest warriors died when the Union-class DropShip slammed into the plains at supersonic
speed. Decapitated, the Valkyries were demoralized before they even reached their landing zone,
and their ragged deployment proved no match for the determined Compact counterattack.
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Houver, head of the Valkyries’ infantry detachment, assumed overall command and, realizing conquest
of Texlos was no longer a viable possibility, organized a rolling defense. Rallying the badly mauled Valkyries under heavy fire, Houver led
the mercenaries to fight their way free of the St. Ives forces to withdraw in good order. This quick thinking and coherent leadership
enabled the core of the Valkyries’ First Battalion to escape with most of its ’Mech assets intact, a remarkable feat given the unit’s near-
certain destruction. The successful retreat, however, was seen as an inexcusable failure by the Taurians and Capellans alike. Their con-
tract revoked, the Valkyries found themselves unemployed for the first time since their inception.
Houver—now a full Colonel—was shocked when the surviving MechWarriors elected him overall commander of the Valkyries, but
he quickly dove into the role. His first task was finding gainful employment for the command. But with a record in only two markets—nei-
ther of which now regarded the Valkyries as trustworthy—the effort was hobbled from the start.
Thus, Houver led the Valkyries across the breadth of the Free Worlds League, to Cerillos. While taking a mercenary command
named for legendary female warriors and dominated by a high percentage of female MechWarriors to one of the provincial and chau-
vinistic Southwest Worlds may have seemed counterintuitive, it turned out to be a very good fit. The Valkyries were able to rebuild quick-
ly and the government of Cerillos had nothing but praise for the former Tauran unit during their uncontracted stay.
Having always made it clear that he considered himself regent to Sarah Vandelay, Colonel Houver included careful training of Faith
Vandelay’s youngest daughter as part of his restructuring effort, with an eye toward releasing the reins of command to her one day. True
to family tradition, Sarah rose through the ranks on her own merits, becoming the regiment’s executive officer and commander of the
Valkyries’ two ’Mech battalions for several years.
In 3069, after eight years of overseeing the rebirth of Vandelay’s Valkyries, Colonel Houver finally stepped down as overall com-
mander, as promised. Still vigorous, Houver did not retire, but instead resumed his first love—command of the infantry—and while his
rank has been reduced accordingly to Lieutenant Colonel, most of the Valkyires (Sarah included) still drop the word “Lieutenant” from
his title and occasionally defer to his wisdom. Colonel Sarah Vandelay, meanwhile, enjoys the enthusiastic loyalty of MechWarriors and
troops who have witnessed her growth into her new position as the Valkyries’ commanding officer.
Now employed by the FWLM, Vandelay’s Valkyries are stationed on Maxwell in the Abbey District at full combat readiness. Though
poised to defend the region against Lyran and Periphery invaders, however, the regiment has seen no action to date, largely thanks to
the cease-fire negotiated by Marshall Jeremy Brett.
Dragoons Rating: C
Vandelay’s Valkyries
A thoroughgoing and thoughtful commander, Houver oversaw the rebuilding of Vandelay’s Valkyries with the same high standards
and dedication their founder had shown during their formation. Recognizing the command’s former trademark tactics in rapid, open-
ground assaults were not practical given their reduced BattleMech capability, Houver reorganized the Valkyries into a flexible combined-
arms command well-suited to a variety of missions. A headquarters element made up of two conventional infantry companies provides
for logistic needs, security, and combat engineer support, while the First BattleMech Battalion fields two companies of light and medium
’Mechs, a company of heavies, and a mixed command lance. The Second Combined Battalion fields a heavy ’Mech command lance and
a company each of medium ‘Mechs, tracked heavy armor, and VTOLs, each supported by three platoons of jump infantry.
114
FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
VANGUARD LEGION
Formed from the fires of the Clan war and Chad Dean’s personal grudge against
House Steiner, the Vanguard Legion found itself on the Federated Suns’ side of the
FedCom Civil War. Involved in the thickest of fighting on New Syrtis and New Avalon, the
regiment suffered heinous losses from which it had only barely recovered when Duke
Hasek launched his Operation Sovereign Justice campaign in the early months of the
Blake Jihad. When the Capellan counterattack came in March of 3069, the Legion—held
back from offensive operations—soon found itself facing the enraged Confederation
hordes. By April, the Legion was posted to Taygeta as a protective measure against Liao
incursions.
However, the Legion soon received orders to boost for Kafr Silim in August of 3069 and
was just one day out from Taygeta when the First and Second St. Ives Lancers struck.
Unwilling to risk all of his ground assets in Taygeta’s orbit, Colonel Dean landed outside
of the massive Michael Hasek Memorial Spaceway. The St. Ives forces had barely
touched down when Dean attacked, crippling several debarking ’Mechs and toppling the
Capellan commander. Unfortunately, the Legion had failed to notice the incoming Third
McCarron’s Armored Cavalry, who had trailed the St. Ives forces by a few hours since the
jump-in. Taking advantage of the situation, the Third MAC executed a textbook drop in the middle of the Legion’s formation, scattering
them. Having lost the initiative, Dean began pulling the Legion back to its DropShips.
The Third MAC pressed the Legion for two weeks, each side conducting short and brutal clashes whenever they met. Infuriated with
the MAC’s hit-and-fades, Dean made plans to rush the Third’s left flank. Instantly assessing a suicide mission in the making, Major Colin
Chesley argued vehemently and publicly with the Colonel for over an hour, finally forcing Dean admit that his plan was folly and the
Legion should withdraw. Though smarting from the public rebuke and incensed at what he saw as Chesley’s insubordination, Dean nev-
ertheless agreed to pull back. With the two merchantmen JumpShips hired to ferry the Legion still at the zenith point, the Legion’s
DropShips lifted, driving off the small CCAF aerospace unit guarding their rides long enough to abandon Taygeta.
When Dean arrived in New Syrtis, however, he discovered his command was one JumpShip short. Sensor logs aboard their
JumpShip soon revealed that the Wind of Olam had suffered a helium seal rupture just as the vessel jumped, hopelessly distorting its
K-F field. No sign of the Olam could be found at New Syrtis. The Legion mourned the death of their Second Battalion comrades, with
Colonel Dean reportedly taking the loss hardest. His anger, however, focused on Major Chesley, whose argument for withdrawal had—
in his opinion—directly led to Second Battalion’s demise.
The Legion survivors returned to New Syrtis to join the gathering defensive forces. In mid-September, the Third MAC arrived with
other Capellan forces in tow to hit the defenders around Saso City. In the desperate fighting, the Vanguard Legion was ordered to drive
a wedge into the Third MAC’s flank, coordinating with the arrival of the Sixth Syrtis Fusiliers’ battle armor troops. Due to a mistimed com-
muniqué, Dean ordered the thrust too early. For several critical minutes, his Third Battalion suffered the brunt of the MAC’s firepower
before the Fusiliers arrived to turn the fight. But during the MAC retreat, Major Colin Chesley had been killed, his Marauder’s cockpit
stove in by an enemy’s Gauss slug.
Though no one voiced it, many of Third Battalion’s warriors believed Dean had deliberately put Chesley into harm’s way. This sen-
timent only spread as Dean repeatedly threw the Third into the thick of the fighting for the next several months.
Finally, in early 3070, the Capellans withdrew from New Syrtis. When Blake agents then killed Duke Hasek in March, the fighting
between Davion and Liao forces began to die down. Many hard-hit commands were finally able to stand down, the Legion among them.
But as they await new parts and machines, the simmering anger that infected Third Battalion erupted when Captain Kevin Chelsey,
cousin of the late Major Chelsey, punched Colonel Dean during a noonday meal. Chelsey was subdued and thrown into the brig, which
has only further evidenced the notion that Dean carries a grudge against the battalion as a whole, and the Chelseys in particular.
Dragoons Rating: D
Vanguard Legion
Down to two reduced battalions, limited technical support, and two DropShips, the Legion is hurting. With no other recourse, Colonel
Dean has entered into a company store relationship with the FedSuns in order to bring his Legion to at least two battalions in strength.
Dean favors going on the offensive over defensive tactics. Even when pinned, the Legion often attacks, hoping to knock the enemy
off-balance enough to make an exploitable mistake. With so much of the Legion damaged, however, this isn’t a strongly supported tac-
tic—especially among those in the Third Battalion.
115
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
12TH VEGAN RANGERS
Originally part of the Duchy of Verde’s private army, the Twelfth Vegan Rangers
became a mercenary command during the Second Succession War. Rather than see
his forces absorbed into an AFFS now desperate for troops, Duke Solomon Nelson
recognized an opportunity to profit from the situation, and he relabeled his
Rangers a mercenary command. This proved a shrewd business move that
enriched Verde and saw his forces expand into a full four regiments. The
Rangers have since served both the Federated Suns and Lyran
Commonwealth with distinction. After seeing heavy action in the Galtor
Campaign and the Fourth Succession War, the Rangers were spared the rav-
ages of the Clan invasion, instead remaining behind as the anchor for FedCom
border defenses in the Sarna March. During the Lyran secession in 3057, how-
ever, a shortage of vital JumpShips prevented the Rangers from slowing the
Marik-Liao assault long enough for reinforcements to arrive. After the loss of a
full regiment’s worth of equipment, the outnumbered Rangers reluctantly fell
back.
Understandably, the Rangers have harbored a dislike for Katherine Steiner-
Davion ever since, holding her responsible for their losses in the fallen Sarna March.
Despite this, the professional Rangers were prepared to honor their contractual obliga-
tions to the Federated Commonwealth even after Katherine assumed the Davion throne.
Events would force their hand, however, when pro-Katherine forces launched unprovoked attacks
against the Rangers on New Aragon and Algol. Now committed to the fight, the Twelfth Vegan
Rangers joined the pro-Victor forces and fought in several engagements throughout the FedCom
Civil War, sending Loyalists, Combine, and Capellan troops fleeing.
In surprisingly good shape after the war, the Rangers have been one of the FedSuns’ most trusted mercenary forces since the Jihad
began in 3067. Alpha Regiment, moved to Raman in the summer of 3068, has been occupied in repelling multiple raids from Combine
and Blake forces but has yet to be directly attacked in force. Still holding their position—and as many neighboring worlds as they can
manage—Alpha has been taking in stragglers of other less fortunate units, including a few from the DCMS.
Beta Regiment was deployed to New Avalon by Jackson Davion and has been instrumental in several of the major battles on that
world, including the brief expulsion of Blake troops in 3068. Though the Blakes managed to secure a new foothold in a second offensive
against the Davion capital, making details of the situation there questionable at this time, MercNet sources on New Avalon suggest that
Davion forces are preparing to mount a new offensive to push the Blakes off-world once and for all. If so, Beta Regiment will likely find
itself in the thick of the fighting of this third battle.
Still weakened from the civil war, Gamma was sent to Jaipur to support Operation Sovereign Justice in 3068. The First and Second
St. Ives Lancers engaged Gamma in May of 3069, badly damaging the battered regiment. Little more than a company survived to flee
the world to Beenleigh, and the media on that world is speculating that the remaining Gamma assets may soon be shipped to Raman
or even New Avalon.
Dragoons Rating: A
Alpha Regiment
All three of Alpha’s battalions are currently down by several lances each. The elite First Battalion fields heavy and assault ’Mechs,
while Second Battalion is more of an even mix of weight classes. Third Battalion’s jump-capable heavy and assault ’Mechs have adopt-
ed the new rotary autocannon as their weapon of choice.
Beta Regiment
Beta Regiment often surprises its enemies with superior speed and highly coordinated regimental maneuvers. Completely upgrad-
ed with advanced weapons—including a lance of Capellan stealth machines salvaged on Genoa—Beta’s ‘Mechs have proven invaluable
during both of the major battles on New Avalon to date. There are rumors, however, that the Second Vegan Armored Regiment suffered
tremendous casualties during several urban combat engagements and may no longer be a viable combat force.
Gamma Regiment
Despite their liberal use of C3 networks and the best efforts of the Third Vegan Attack Wing, the remainder of Gamma has suffered
greatly at the hands of the St. Ives Lancers and may be folded into Alpha or Beta Regiments soon, if the rumors of their imminent relo-
cation prove to be true.
116
FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
WANNAMAKER’S WIDOWMAKERS
As a command, the Widowmakers nearly died over Outreach before ever setting foot inside a
Hiring Hall when a Wolf’s Dragoons WarShip destroyed part of the incoming force over a com-
munications mishap. According to Major Cheryl Wannamaker, this accidental destruction of half of
her Widowmakers—with no apology or restitution from the overprotective Dragoons—took a promis-
ing up-and-coming outfit and turned it into yet another hard-luck case. Despite this, her mercenaries
slowly rebuilt by absorbing the remnants of other shattered commands and accepting short-term con-
tracts from the Chaos March to the Concordat.
After numerous appeals to the MRBC regarding the Outreach incident, Major Wannamaker pulled
her command from the MRBC’s rolls and set up shop on Galatea. Rebuffed by both Lyran Alliance and
FedSuns representatives during the FedCom war, the Widowmakers took over as a garrison force on
Galatea when Group W left and were still in place when the Word of Blake approached them in
3068.
Impressed by the sheer power and audacity of the Word in hammering the Dragoons both at
Mars and on Outreach (rumor has it that the Widowmakers threw a massive party upon hearing
news of the Outreach assault), Major Wannamaker jumped at the offer to garrison worlds in the
Blake Protectorate. The Blakes relocated the mercenaries to Epsilon Eridani to help train the new
Protectorate forces there. As part of their payment, the Widowmakers were supplied with brand-new equip-
ment, including two Union DropShips to help transport the command. Eager to take advantage of the Word’s technological edge, the
Widowmakers began trading their older machines for newer Blake models. Unfortunately, Major Wannamaker neglected to read the fine
print of their long-term contract and was shocked to discover that much of the new equipment was on credit, rather than a free exchange.
Resigned to a company store fate, she determined to make the best of a bad situation.
Informing her fellow warriors of the matter, she offered to buy out any warriors who wished to leave. Only two Widowmakers took
the major up on her offer—both of whom died in a tragic shuttle mishap a short time later. The remaining Widowmakers, realizing that
they were in the best position they had ever been in despite the company store, determined to stick it out.
In late 3070, the Word of Blake—impressed by the Widowmakers’ training performance on several Protectorate worlds—rewarded
Wannamaker’s command with a unique garrison posting: Outreach. Nominally assigned as a garrison unit, the Widowmakers were given
a large range of latitude with the posting, allowed to keep half of any salvageable technology found among the ruins of the Dragoon and
Blackwell factories on Remus, where they were stationed. To encourage this effort, the Word even supplied the unit with several Oppie-
class HazMat vehicles.
The Widowmakers have encountered little guerrilla activity on Outreach since their arrival in January of this year. In February, how-
ever, a company of vehicles managed to distract the bulk of the command’s forces near a salvaging operation, allowing a small team of
Seventh Kommandos to infiltrate and steal the computer core the Blake mercenaries were in the midst of recovering. The guerrillas also
made off with one of the Widowmakers’ Blue Flames that was on “ready-five” status. Embarrassed by this thievery, Major Wannamaker
has begun rounding up the inhabitants of the local refugee camps and herding them at gunpoint to the shattered remains of Blackwell
Corporation’s VIP retreat center. Reportedly, she intends to hold them there until the Word of Blake returns with another supply ship-
ment, though one has yet to arrive, even ten months later.
Dragoons Rating: Wanted
Wannamaker’s Widowmakers
Forged from constant training as an OpFor for various Protectorate forces, Major Wannamaker has put together a cohesive battle
force from the remnants of many shattered commands. Now a reinforced battalion, heavily equipped with advanced technology, the
Widowmakers have become extremely adept at utilizing C3i systems and have managed to integrate these systems in both reconnais-
sance missions and the preparation and execution of deadly ambushes. Wannamaker has also been using these skills to further her
prospecting operations on Outreach, looking forward to the next eighteen months of the Widowmakers’ garrison assignment.
Wannamaker’s Flying Widowmakers
The first thing Wing Commander Shawna White did when the Widowmakers signed with the Word was to upgrade both of her fight-
ers and purchase an additional four. Indeed, a large part of the reason the mercenaries are so indebted to the Blakes is because of this
spending spree. The massive upgrade has definitely increased the mercenaries’ deadliness in the air, augmented by constant training—
partially in punishment—that has seamlessly integrated these aerospace assets with the lighter recon elements of the ground-based
Widowmakers.
117
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
WILSON’S HUSSARS
For years Wilson’s Hussars had been seen as the prime example of
the hard-luck mercenary command, with other mercenaries uttering their
name as an analogy of failure and poverty. In an effort to reverse this,
Major Donna Wilson launched a one-woman crusade to bring her
Hussars back from the brink of oblivion as soon as she assumed com-
mand in the mid-3050s. Arriving on Outreach in 3056 on board a
decrepit—and, as some suggested, stolen—DropShip, the Hussars
began a desperate hunt for new contracts that finally struck gold when a
small-time freelance security force offered to join the command, infusing
the Hussars with new blood and new capabilities. The much-needed
boost helped the Hussars win a contract with the Federated Suns on the
eve of the FedCom Civil War, where the reformed Hussars would finally
face their trial by fire.
The FedCom Civil War proved to be the career turning point that
Wilson’s Hussars needed when they led an ad-hoc force of assorted smaller merc units to victory against the Seventeenth Arcturan
Guard on Small World. Emerging victorious by the fall of 3066, when the fighting for Small World ended the Hussars signed a new long-
term contract with the Federated Suns and settled down on Nopah to rest, refit, and await new orders.
The start of the Jihad soon found the Hussars on the defensive. Though they took no part in the initial strikes of Duke Hasek’s
Operation Sovereign Justice or the defense against the Capellan counterattack, the Hussars were still placed on alert as the Word of
Blake’s forces surged beyond their Chaos March conquests to expand their Protectorate in all directions. In late 3068, Blake troops final-
ly hit Nopah. The combined-arms Hussars quickly went to ground after the zealots landed, fighting hit-and-run actions until they were
able to retreat to Valexa by early 3069. Desperate to maintain the defensive lines against Blake encroachment, the AFFS officially reas-
signed the Hussars to Valexa in June 3069 and extended their contract through 3072.
Dragoons Rating: D
Wilson’s Hussars
The Hussars were stationed on Nopah when the Word of Blake sent a mixed force of mercenaries and Blake Militia to take the plan-
et in 3068. The Hussars’ vehicle/infantry battalion “Murphy’s Wrath” took the brunt of the initial assault, losing much of their Baker Platoon
while buying time for the rest of the Hussars to head for the hills. Over the next three months, the mercenaries harried the Blakes, try-
ing to find a way to liberate their captured DropShip Raconteur to get off-world. When a Hussars sniper’s lucky shot killed the comman-
der of the Blake forces on Nopah and temporarily brought a halt to the action, the mercenaries pounced on their advantage and rushed
the spaceport. Overwhelming the token force guarding their ship, they high-tailed it off Nopah and hitched a ride on a passing merchant
to Valexa for debriefing and repairs.
Still stationed on Valexa, the Hussars remain at only two-thirds of their prewar strength. To overcome this and avoid a return to the
Hussars’ “golden age of failure,” Major Wilson is offering mergers to smaller units and bits of shattered commands in an effort to bolster
her overall force before its next assignment.
118
FORCE BRIEFS UPDATES
WINFIELD’S REGIMENT
Initially formed by Jeremiah Winfield to strike at the Jade Falcons and reclaim the Winfield family’s home-
world—not to mention his father and other dependents lost in 3050—Winfield’s Regiment ultimately wound
up on the short side of Archon Katrina Steiner’s patience. Practically exiled from Lyran space for conducting
one too many unsanctioned raids (the LAAF grew concerned that they would eventually lead to overwhelm-
ing Falcon reprisals), the Regiment worked several short contracts in the Chaos March before being hired by
the Marian Hegemony to help garrison their gains in the former Illyrian Palatinate. With visions of Hegemony
germanium funding his dream to reclaim Winfield dancing in his head, Jeremiah eagerly signed on.
But when Winfield’s Regiment finally arrived in Marian space, they were immediately relocated to
Alphard instead of the Palatinate. Thanks to Circinian attacks, the Hegemony had pulled back several mer-
cenary units to protect its core worlds, freeing the Legions to man the borders between the two nations,
including those of the former Illyrian domain. Winfield’s dreams of germanium mines and untold riches on
Alphard faded as he discovered that the majority of the mines on Alphard were long since tapped out, stripped
bare of resources.
The Regiment was eventually rotated to the Illyrian world of Maximillian, where they trained with the
Marians’ IV Legio. Occasionally, they participated in riot-control operations, but the Hegemony troops’ heavy-
handedness repelled Winfield’s command. Soon, Jeremiah Winfield realized his dreams of reclaiming Winfield
were slowly slipping away, his force resigned to a life of garrison and training duty with a second-rate Periphery nation.
In mid-3068, the Caesar ordered Winfield’s Regiment and other smaller mercenary commands to search several uninhabited sys-
tems. Apparently, the Hegemony’s intelligence network believed that it had recently confirmed the existence, but not the locations, of the
Circinians’ renegade Black Warriors. Eager to capture or destroy the elite unit, the Caesar sent these mercenaries out to find them. For
his part, Winfield split the Regiment into two task forces, leaving Third Battalion behind on Maximillian with the remainder left on the
JumpShip Hartford.
In January of 3069, Winfield’s Regiment reached Corpus Mortuum, an ancient colony world that had died four hundred years before.
Barely habitable, the colony’s lone biodome had fractured and failed to keep the deadly methane atmosphere from poisoning its inhab-
itants. Unable to replicate the advanced filtration equipment, the Hegemony had never recolonized the system. It was here, however, that
Jeremiah found a band of Federation pirates, living off meager rations and barely possessing the means to contact and surrender to the
incoming Regiment.
As the Hartford recharged, the bandits—while not including Cirion or any of his Black Warriors—explained to Winfield that they had
received a tip from Cirion before his flight that the Black Warriors leader had uncovered something so horrifying that he had fled the
Federation. The information, coupled with scattered news from the Alliance, suggested the presence of a massive series of Blake bases
in Federation space, staging grounds poised and equipped for an invasion of the Marian Hegemony. Winfield took it upon himself to trav-
el to Circinus with the Regiment and the Federation bandits to hit these Blake bases, believing that his Regiment could salvage enough
Blake equipment to empower his next assault on his family’s homeworld.
The mercenaries jumped to a pirate point supplied by the bandits in late February and struck after two weeks of careful observa-
tion, aiming to land directly on top of the secret Blake complexes. Unfortunately, the bandits’ information was incorrect, and the Circinian
defenses were far more powerful than Winfield could imagine. Surrounded by Federation and Blake forces, the Regiment and their ban-
dit guides were wiped out. Only three of their aerospace pilots managed to return to the Hartford, which jumped as soon as the fighters
were aboard.
The Hartford returned to Blantleff in October that same year, desperate for repairs as the strain of hot-charged jumps had finally
shattered its K-F core. The survivors reported to Legatus Anchor Wu, who notified the Regiment’s Third Battalion. With the Hegemony’s
permission, Third Battalion relocated to Blantleff while the Hegemony’s Ordo Vigilis debriefed the three survivors of the disastrous
Circinus raid for over six months.
Though the information gleaned was classified as Top Secret, somehow word leaked of the Regiment’s attack. In March of 3070,
hordes of pirate bands converged on Blantelff and hammered the Regiment’s base of operations, barely engaging the other Marian
forces stationed there. Stories of zombie troops and unarmored men smashing through ’Mech cockpits ran rampant after the pirates
retreated, leaving the surviving Winfield’s soldiers shocked, dazed, and demoralized.
The Hegemony has refused to indemnify Winfield’s Regiment for the damage sustained and so far has disallowed Major Evan
Burton—its current commander—from recruiting among the populace. The Regiment is slowly rebuilding, and rumors have begun cir-
culating that several Palatinate rebel groups have signed up with the devastated command.
Dragoons Rating: F
Winfield’s Regiment
Shattered and demoralized, the Regiment is not currently in any kind of fighting condition. The Caesar is reportedly close to citing
the outfit for breach of contract if the situation does not improve soon.
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MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
WOLF’S DRAGOONS
Not since the time of the Star League has any single command gained the preeminence
or fame that Wolf’s Dragoons have since their mysterious arrival in 3005. Serving every
Great House over the next sixty years, the Dragoons fought more epic battles, engaged
and conquered more opponents, and garnered the respect, admiration, fear, and revile
from more friends and enemies alike than any other mercenary command. But it was not
until the Clans’ invasion of the Inner Sphere that the true mystery behind Jaime Wolf’s
Dragoons become known; that they were Clansmen themselves, originally sent as part
of a compromise plan to scout out the Great Houses. Revealing this secret themselves
in 3051, the Dragoons would eventually become the catalyst to the Clans’ defeat.
The Dragoons suffered their share of defeats and near destruction through war and by
their own hand. During the Fourth Succession War, Wolf’s warriors all but single-handed-
ly held back the DCMS at tremendous cost. In January of 3052, the Dragoons and the Kell
Hounds helped save Luthien from Clans Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat. During 3055, the
Wolves fought their own civil war that savaged both sides and re-forged them as a newer and
far deadlier command.
Despite their growing influence, Wolf’s Dragoons largely remained out of the political arena until
Jaime Wolf—Governor of Outreach and the Dragoons’ Supreme Commander—turned his attention to the Chaos March and containment
of the growing Word of Blake influence there. In March of 3066, Wolf announced the formation of the Allied Mercenary Command (AMC)
to oppose Blake expansion in the March, joining the Dragoons with a number of other well-known mercenary commands. This act would
escalate a hidden war between the mercenaries and the Word that would ultimately explode on the streets of Harlech.
On 15 October 3067 a force of four mercenary BattleMech regiments from TempTown led by Colonel Wayne Waco launched a sur-
prise assault on the Dragoons' capital city on Outreach. Lasting nearly a week, the battle leveled the city and destroyed the Dragoons’
Home Guard and Epsilon Regiment. Beta Regiment and Zeta and the Wolf Spider Battalions suffered serious losses. Among the dead
was Jaime Wolf himself.
Tracing Waco’s support to the Word, the Dragoons and AMC units launched a reprisal assault against the Word. In December of
3067, Beta Regiment and Zeta Battalion joined with the Second Dismal Disinherited and Lindon’s Battalion to launch a strike at Mars.
Reportedly, only Zeta Battalion made landfall on Mars in any strength and held out for a few days before dying to the last man. Blake
WarShips apparently slaughtered the rest of the AMC task force in Mars’ orbit.
After Harlech, Alpha and Gamma Brigades exercised their contractual escape clauses to return to Outreach, with Gamma return-
ing first to help with the recovery and reinforcement of Outreach’s defenses. Before Alpha’s return, however, the Blake counterattack
arrived in mid-December. Backed by two WarShips, the Blakes annihilated the Dragoons’ on-hand naval defenses before dropping two
elite Divisions onto Outreach. On-planet, the remaining AMC and other mercenary units helping in the recovery threw their support in
with Gamma and the Wolf Spiders, but at least one—the Broadsword Legion—turned their guns on the Wolf Spiders and nearly
destroyed the Dragoons command.
Gamma and its allies were slowly losing ground to the Blakes when Alpha Brigade arrived in system with the WarShip Alexander.
The Aegis-class heavy cruiser ran interference for General Maeve Wolf and her brigade, holding back the Blake WarShips long enough
for Alpha to make planetfall. When the Dragoons seemed on the verge of tipping the balance, the Word’s WarShips commenced an orbital
bombardment and massed nuclear strikes that saturated the most populated parts of Outreach. Faced with certain destruction, General
Wolf ordered a general retreat, leaving Gamma Brigade behind to fight a guerrilla campaign.
Stationed on the Draconis Combine’s Ghost Bear border, Delta Brigade initially sat out the opening years of the Jihad. But in early
3070, ISF reports led the Combine to re-deploy the mercenaries to the key world of Buckminster. The Blake task force that eventually
arrived, escorted by two destroyers, did not anticipate Delta’s reinforced aerospace regiment and their WarShip Mars. Nevertheless, the
Dragoons’ corvette died under the Blakes’ guns, while the elite Twenty-eighth and Forty-fifth Shadow Divisions tore into the Dragoons
planetside. After a week of battle, the Dragoons managed to destroy two-thirds of the attacking Blakes, but with horrendous casualties
that ultimately forced their retreat to Arc-Royal.
Dragoons Rating: A+
Wolf’s Dragoons
The Dragoons are a shattered command now. Although they can field a regiment worth of ’Mechs and supporting units, most of
these forces are completely demoralized and suffer from post-traumatic stress. General Wolf is holding these survivors together by sheer
force of will and is focusing hard on re-forging the various subcommand fragments into one unified command.
120
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
MERCENARY COMMANDS
Each mercenary command possesses certain specialties cial abilities, consider the opponent to have won or lost the initia-
and skills based on its experience and the abilities of its com- tive (as appropriate) by a margin of 1.
manders. The regiment descriptions in the Force Briefs
Database discuss these characteristics in detail. The following FORCING THE INITIATIVE
game rules simulate these characteristics and are intended to Several mercenary commands have the ability to “force the
supplement existing BattleTech and CBT: RPG rules. They
should add variety to and enhance game play but not give unfair initiative” and gain bonuses to their initiative rolls in BattleTech
advantage to players, and so gamemasters and players should games. The bonus is equal to the number of enemy units the side
all agree on any supplemental rule before using it in play. destroyed in the previous turn, reduced by the number of its own
Similarly, players should feel free to modify any rule that seems destroyed units.
inappropriate for their campaign. All of the following rules are
considered Level 3 rules and are inappropriate for tournament For example, a side with this capability receives a +2 initia-
play. tive bonus if it destroyed 4 enemy units and lost 2 of its own dur-
ing the previous turn.
Many of the following rules are specifically designed for use
with the Creating Scenarios rules (see p. 103, BMR). Players OFF-MAP MOVEMENT
should feel free to use them in other game situations if appropri- Some mercenary units are proficient in tactical movement
ate. Unless otherwise stated, the following rules apply to
BattleTech games only. behind the lines of combat. Commands with the Off-map
Movement ability may move units off the map during play. These
USING HIDDEN UNITS RULES 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
Certain regiments can use the Hidden Units rules (see p. 83, offensive force may not use this ability in breakthrough scenarios;
BMR) to set up part or all of their forces when scenario circum- in a hold-the-line scenario, the defending force cannot use Off-
stances allow. If a scenario offers no such opportunity, the regi- map Movement.
ments cannot exercise this option. In a chase scenario, for exam-
ple, both sides move right from the start, so neither side can To use this ability, the controlling player writes down the exit
employ these rules. In a stand-up fight scenario, however, one hex and mapsheet of each unit moving off-map. The controlling
side can use the Hidden Units rules. Players must decide for player then writes down the hex, mapsheet, and turn at which
themselves if a scenario accommodates the use of hidden units; each unit will re-enter. Before re-entering the map, an exiting unit
in all cases, both players must agree before using the rules in a must remain off the map for the amount of time it would take to
scenario. 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
If the rules for a scenario type already call for hidden units, between the entrance and exit hexes. Then divide this number by
ignore the regiment’s special ability to set up hidden units. the unit’s Running/Flank MP rating (rounding fractions up). The
result is the minimum number of turns the unit must remain off
OVERLAPPING ABILITIES AND the map. The controlling player can delay the unit’s re-entry
ADVANTAGES beyond this period if he desires but must select the re-entry turn
when the unit leaves the map.
If opposing forces possess identical abilities or advantages,
the advantages cancel each other out. For example, if two Each returning unit re-enters the map in the End Phase of
opposing units both have the advantage of choosing the side of the turn noted on its “written orders.” At that time, the opposing
the map from which they enter, ignore the advantage and instead player can check the unit’s orders to make sure the move was
determine entrance edges using standard rules. 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
BANKING INITIATIVE off the map for the required travel time or does not enter at the
Some mercenary commands possess an innate grasp of 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
ever-changing battlefield. They can take advantage of this by later battle, since they are actually lost rather than destroyed.
electing to give up initiative only to seize it later in combat.
If a returning unit is supposed to enter the map in a hex con-
In game play, the player controlling these forces may, before taining an enemy unit or containing a friendly unit that would vio-
making the Initiative roll, choose to give the Initiative to his oppo- late the stacking limits of the hex, the returning unit is placed in a
nent. For each two turns the controlling player elects to lose ini- hex of the opposing player’s choice adjacent to the intended entry
tiative in this manner, he may—at a later turn and before making hex.
his Initiative roll—choose to take the Initiative. The controlling
player may only “bank” up to two Initiatives (giving up four before- Once the returning unit has re-entered the map, any enemy
hand) at any one time in this way. For purposes of any other spe- unit adjacent to it may immediately attack it using the rules for
Point Blank Shots from Hidden Units (see p. 83, BMR). This
attack does not restrict the attacking unit’s ability to make attacks
in the following turn.
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MERCENARY DEPLOYMENT SUPPLEMENTAL
Units off the map cannot engage in combat. If the opposing • A BattleMech or OmniMech is considered crippled when a
force destroys all the units remaining on the map before off-map side torso location is destroyed; the ’Mech takes two engine crit-
units return, the battle is lost. ical hits; one engine and one gyro critical hit; or loses the use of
its sensors. Internal structure damage in three or more limbs
OVERRUN COMBAT and/or two or more torso sections, or four or more pilot hits also
Some mercenary commands are capable of Overrun render a ’Mech crippled, as do the loss of all the ’Mech’s
weapons to damage or ammunition depletion. If all of a ’Mech’s
Combat during BattleTech games. Under certain circumstances, weapons are destroyed and it can no longer move, the ’Mech is
these forces may fire before the enemy units can move or fire. considered destroyed. The pilot of a destroyed ’Mech may eject
normally.
When rolling Initiative for overrun-capable forces, note the • With the exception of infantry, all of a unit’s weapons are
die roll result’s Margin of Success. Divide the Margin of Success considered to be destroyed if—through damage or ammunition
by 2 and round fractions down. The result equals the number of depletion—it loses all weapons with a range greater than five
individual units that may move, designate their targets, and fire hexes or if it can no longer inflict more than 5 points of combined
before any other units move and fire. Extra successes (such as weapons damage. Note that units that begin a scenario with a
when the player has more successes than there are units avail- damage capacity of 5 or less are exempt from this condition.
able to move) do not carry over to later turns. For example, an • A ProtoMech is considered crippled if all its weapons are
overrun-capable force makes an initiative roll of 11, while its lost to damage or ammunition depletion, or if the pilot suffers four
opponent rolls a 6. That gives the overrun-capable force a Margin or more hits. An entire ProtoMech Point will withdraw if three or
of Success of 5, allowing two units to move and fire before any more of its component ProtoMechs are crippled or destroyed.
opposing units may move (5 divided by 2 is 2.5, rounding down • A vehicle is considered to be crippled if it loses all its armor
to 2). in a single location, or if all its weapons are destroyed.
• An aerospace unit is considered crippled if it suffers a criti-
Units employing the overrun capability do not take part in cal hit to its engine or fuel tank; if all its weapons are destroyed;
the normal move/fire sequence and so do not count when deter- if the unit loses more than half its original Structural Integrity; or
mining how many units each side must move when alternating if its pilot/crew suffers four or more hits.
turns during the Movement, Reaction, and Weapon Attack phas- • A battle armor unit (Point or squad) is considered crippled if
es. Overrunning units make physical attacks as normal during it loses half or more of its members.
the Physical Attack Phase. • Vehicles or BattleMechs that are immobilized—usually
through motive, leg, or gyro damage—are shut down and typi-
FORCED WITHDRAWAL cally abandoned (though abandonment places the crew at the
Not technically a special command ability, Forced mercy of the battlefield). Only the most fanatical crews or those
in dire circumstances will continue to fight. Likewise, only orders
Withdrawal is a survival impulse largely shared by most of the from the highest possible source may prompt the crew of an
commands in the Inner Sphere and Periphery today, especially immobilized unit not to withdraw from combat.
in the face of the Jihad, which has seen entirely too many forces
already shattered for staying in a fight too long. Mercenaries, EQUIPMENT RATINGS
who have found their lack of state support now makes them par- A letter in parentheses follows the name of each of the fol-
ticularly vulnerable to annihilation, favor any tactic that can pre-
serve their troops to fight another day. lowing mercenary commands. This letter is the unit’s equipment
rating, which represents the force’s access to advanced
Under this rule, units must retreat from the battlefield when BattleMechs and other equipment. This includes access to refit
damage has rendered them tactically useless or in danger of kits, exceptional salvage, the purchase of new designs and pre-
imminent destruction (see Crippling Damage, below). A unit served (or recovered) Star League-era technology. Players can
making a Forced Withdrawal must move as directly as possible use the rating when assigning ’Mechs to a unit with the Random
toward its designated retreat edge as determined by the sce- Unit Assignment Table or when building a mercenary unit accord-
nario. The unit need not spend Running/Flank/Maximum Thrust ing to the rules starting on page 137, FMMercs.
MPs to do so, nor must it jump or engage speed-enhancing tech-
nologies like MASC to do this; a unit may retreat at a backwards NAMED MERC UNITS EQUIPMENT
walk if its controlling player desires. While withdrawing, however, RATING TABLE
a unit may not directly engage an enemy unit, though it can add
its firepower to a friendly’s effort to cut an enemy down, or it may Rating Description Example
engage any enemy that closes within the retreating unit’s A Heavy Upgrades Kell Hounds
weapon of physical attack range. B Good Upgrades Khasparov’s Knights
C Chaos Irregulars
Crippling Damage D Fair Upgrades The Battle Corps
A unit may be considered to have sustained “crippling dam- F Average Upgrades The Green Machine
age”—and thus is subject to the Forced Withdrawal rules—if it Poor Upgrades
meets any of the following conditions, unless otherwise specified
by the scenario special rules or the determination of the
gamemaster. Note that Clan units should still uphold any Honor
Rules deemed appropriate:
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MERCENARY COMMANDS
If using an alternate generation method or if exercising a Basement table are modified with a +2 modifier to reflect traps
commander’s prerogative to choose ‘Mechs, the equipment rat- set up in buildings. Additionally, the Black Cats player can
ing can serve as a guideline for those choices. demand a Piloting skill roll for skidding to be rerolled once per
game as long as a Black Cats unit is in play.
FORCE-SPECIFIC RULES
The following level 3 rules reflect the special tactics and abil- An exclusively conventional infantry force, the Black Cats
may possess light- and medium-weight weapons of up to RPG
ities of the mercenary commands featured in the Force Briefs tech level “E” from any Inner Sphere or Periphery faction.
Update section of this book. Note that as many of the special
force rules apply to commands that have been previously Black Heart Roses (C): See pp. 68-69, FMMercs.
detailed, references may be made to their original rules in the
Revised Field Manual: Mercenaries (FMMercs), Mercenaries The Blackhearts (C): See p. 129, FMMercs.
Supplemental (MS1), or Mercenaries Supplemental II (MS2).
Any equipment rating and special rule changes noted here for Blackstone Highlanders (B): See p. 73, MS1.
previously published mercenary commands reflect the changes
caused by their experiences since the start of the Jihad and thus Blanc’s Coyotes (B): See p. 69, MS2.
do not replace those pre-existing special command rules for sce-
narios and campaigns dated before 3068. Brion’s Legion (A): See p. 73, MS1. However, due to First
Regiment’s heavy damage, the First is no longer immune to
The 48th (C): When rolling to randomly determine the composi- intimidation and may retreat at will.
tion of a 48th force, modify the weight class roll by –2 and resolve
specific models using the Draconis Combine Random Burr’s Black Cobras (B): The Cobras use the same special abil-
Assignment Tables from either Field Manual: Updates or BMR. ities rules found on p. 129, FMMR. In addition, however, for every
Furthermore, the 48th’s controlling player may reflect the com- lance of heavy or assault ’Mechs used by the Cobras, the con-
mand’s preference for doing more with fewer forces by applying trolling player may roll one unit on the Word of Blake (A) Random
a +1 bonus to initiative rolls for every full lance the 48th fields Access Table.
below one company.
Camacho’s Caballeros (B): See p. 130, FMMercs.
Arcadians (A): When randomly rolling to determine force com-
position, the Arcadian commander may choose to roll on the “B” Canned Heat (D): See p. 74, MS1.
or lower column of the Random Unit Assignment Table:
Federated Suns (see p. 224, FM:U or p. 139, FM:FS) instead of 21st Centauri Lancers (F): If the Lancers face the Word of Blake
using the “A” column on the Mercenaries Table. Furthermore, as an opponent, they receive a –1 modifier on all to-hit rolls due
when the 1st Arcadian Air Wing is facing an opponent of equal to their anger and single-minded focus. If given a choice of differ-
or better skill level, they suffer a –2 penalty to their Initiative rolls. ing faction targets, the Lancer pilots always fire on the Word of
Blake target until either line of sight is broken or the Blakist unit
Avanti’s Angels (C): See p. 128, FMMercs. is destroyed.
Bad Dream (B): See p. 68, MS2. Note, however, that the Players using the Lancers as a defending force ignore any
Nightcrawlers are no longer a part of the Dream, and so their Forced Withdrawal rules when facing the Word of Blake as an
rules no longer apply. attacker.
Bannockburn’s Bandits (D): See p. 128, FMMercs. Chaos Irregulars (C): The Chaos Irregulars receive a +1
Initiative modifier if Colonel Ariel Peregrine-Simson’s Huron
Barrett’s Fusiliers (C): See p. 128, FMMercs. Warrior or Colonel Obadiah “Jake” Chowla’s Thanatos are
deployed in a scenario (but these modifiers do not stack if both
The Battle Corps (D): Due to their lack of apparent cohesion, are present). To reflect their “Fighting a Hydra” style of combat, in
forces that find themselves in opposition to The Battle Corps any scenario in which the Irregulars are acting as the attacker
have a –3 penalty to their initiative. For every two turns of play, they may choose any two map edges (other than their opponent’s
reduce the bonus by one. Stop when the bonus reaches 0. home edge) to treat as their “home” edge. To use this ability, how-
ever, the Irregulars player must divide the attacking Irregulars
Black Angus Boys (B): See p. 76, MS2. May optionally use the evenly along both of these home edges.
Word of Blake assignment tables.
Clean Kill (F): The Kill has worked on using its artillery to pin its
Black Cats (–): Creative fighting against ‘Mechs in urban territo- opponents in place so that their other forces can then hit them
ry is one of the Black Cats’ strengths. When acting as defender hard. To reflect this, the Kill player can prevent one enemy unit
in a scenario, the Black Cats get a +1 initiative as long as the
opponent fields any BattleMech units. In any role, rolls on the
123
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
(up to four units, maximum) from moving faster than its Devil’s Brigade (D): See p. 69, MS2.
walk/cruise speed by delivering a “suppressing strike” from its full
lance of Sniper artillery units. To successfully suppress a unit in The Dioscuri (A): Before beginning the game, the controlling
such a way, at least two of the four artillery weapons fired must player designates one force commander for every four
strike within 2 hexes of the targeted unit. A unit suppressed in BattleMechs and/or vehicles fielded by the mercenaries. If a
this fashion remains so until the end of the scenario. force commander is killed or incapacitated during the course of
the game, the Dioscuri suffer a –1 modifier to all subsequent
The Clean Kill’s Bludgeon Company gains a +1 initiative Initiative rolls. This modifier is cumulative with the loss of other
bonus when fighting in urban terrain. commanders.
Clifton’s Rangers (D): See p. 74, MS1. When facing Clan Jade Falcon, the Dioscuri receive a –1
modifier to all to-hit rolls until a force commander is killed or inca-
Crater Cobras (B): See p. 74, MS1. pacitated. In addition, each Dioscuri pilot may re-roll one Hit
Location per game. The second roll is final and may not be
Crimson Crusaders (C): See p. 130, FMMercs. rerolled.
1st & 2nd Cunningham’s Commandos (A): When randomly The Dragonslayers (D): See p. 131, FMMercs.
determining lance composition, the Cunningham’s Commandos
player may roll once per lance on the “B” column of the appro- Federated Freemen (D): See p. 131, FMMercs. However, exten-
priate Capellan Confederation table (see p. 206, FMUpdates). sive damage from their fighting in Operation Sovereign justice
has cost the Freemen all initiative bonuses as well as their
Furthermore, due to the Commandos’ long history acting as Overrun Combat and Forcing the Initiative special ability. Instead,
a Capellan-style Opposition Force in war games, they can easi- when using the Freemen in a scenario, assign each Freemen
ly replicate many Capellan tactics. Prior to any game, the unit 4d6 points worth of pre-existing battle damage and reduce
Commandos’ controlling player may thus select the special abili- all ammunition loads by half (rounding down), to reflect their poor
ties belonging to any one CCAF unit (see pp 125-132, Field condition and lack of support. Distribute all damage in 5-point
Manual: Capellan Confederation) and use them with the follow- clusters using the Front/Back column but ignore all critical hit
ing exceptions: the player may not select the special abilities of rolls that would destroy the unit.
the Death Commandos, may not gain any abilities related
towards the selection of forces for the battle (such as using a Fighting Intellectuals (B): See p. 131, FMMercs. In addition,
specific table or column other than as noted above), and all abil- when facing Word of Blake forces, the Intellectuals’ drive to
ities with a numerical value are halved (rounding up; for example, avenge the loss of their founder gives them the Overrun Combat
an initiative bonus of +2 is halved to +1, while a penalty of –1 is special ability.
halved, but rounded “up” to a –1, rather than a 0).
Dante’s Detectives (B): Opposing units may not use hidden The Furies (B): See p. 131, FMMercs.
forces when fighting the Detectives. All Detectives ’Mech and
vehicle units may—at the controlling player’s option—be rolled Golden Boys (D): Having grown proficient at high speed combat
using the “C” column of the Free Worlds League Random over last few years, the Golden Boys now may gain the Overrun
Assignment Table (see p. 26, FMUpdates). Combat special ability but only when employing a force exclu-
sively composed of hovertanks. The Boys also still receive their
During any scenario in which the Detectives are acting as +1 modifier for all Contract Negotiations checks.
the attacking force, the Detectives’ controlling player must secret-
ly nominate one hex within two hex rows of the Defending play- Gordon’s Armored Cavalry (D): See p. 70, MS2.
er’s home edge (or the farthest point from the Detectives’ home
edge if there is more than one edge to choose from) and write Grave Walkers (C): See p. 74, MS1.
down the hex number on a slip of paper. This hex represents the
Detectives’ secret mission objective. To win the scenario, the Green Machine (F): See p. 131, FMMercs.
Detectives player must get at one of his units to that hex and
spend a full turn there—from Initiative to End Phase—without Green Mountain Boys (C): See p. 70, MS2.
either moving or attacking anything. At the end of the following
turn, the Detectives are considered to have successfully reached Greenburg’s Godzillas (C): See p. 131, FMMercs.
their objective and may withdraw immediately. The scenario is
considered a Detectives victory—regardless of any other victory Gregg’s Long Striders (C): See p. 74, MS1.
conditions—as long as the Detectives unit that reached the
objective safely escapes through its own home edge. Griffin’s Pride (D): The Griffin’s Pride excels in defensive fight-
ing. When acting as the defender in any scenario, the Griffin’s
In CBT: RPG games, characters from Dante’s Detectives Pride receives a +2 initiative bonus and may set one 10-point
may increase their bonus in any two Skills from the Police, Scout, conventional or command-detonated minefield in any non-clear
or Detective Fields. or non-paved hex on the map for every lance of Pride units
124
MERCENARY COMMANDS
deployed. When acting as attacker, however, the Pride suffers a Hell’s Black Aces (A): Severe losses since the start of the Jihad
–2 penalty on initiative rolls and the defender automatically have sapped away most of the Aces’ intimidation factor and spe-
receives the Forcing the Initiative ability. cial Wing abilities, but they still impose a +1 to-hit modifier against
their opponents in any turn where the Aces outnumber their
Group W (B): See p. 75, MS1. However, since its losses on opponents and successfully destroy two enemy units in the pre-
Ideyld, Group W may no longer Bank Initiative. vious turn.
HAMPTON’S HESSENS In addition, the Aces player gains a +1 Initiative bonus if the
New Hessen Armored Scouts (C): See p. 70, MS2. opposing force includes elements of the Word of Blake Militia or
Second New Hessen Irregulars (A): The Second New a known Blakist ally. The Aces also gain a +1 initiative bonus if
the defense objective is a world or possession of the Capellan
Hessen Irregulars gain a +2 bonus to all piloting skills when per- Confederation. These modifiers are cumulative.
forming a combat drop. The Second New Hessen Irregulars may
also fire the turn they land on a combat drop but suffer a +3 Hsien Hotheads (B): See p. 132, FMMercs.
attacker movement modifier when doing so (they are considered
jumping for all intents and purposes). ILLICIAN LANCERS
For the basic Illician Lancers rules, see p. 75, MS1. Consult
Hansen’s Roughriders (A): See p. 75, MS1. In addition, the
Roughriders gain the Overrun Combat special ability and are the following for any modifications to the Lancers’ subcommand
immune to intimidation when facing any forces affiliated with the rules, as appropriate.
Taurian Concordat.
59th Strike Regiment (B): See p. 75, MS1. However, the
Harcourt’s Destructors (D): Harcourt’s Destructors deploys its 59th Strike no longer possesses the Overrun Combat special
better technology in the lighter weight Harcourt’s Aliens battal- ability.
ion, leaving older, heavier machines to Drummond’s Destroyers.
To reflect this, players deploying the Harcourt Aliens’ battalion 4th Illician Rangers (B): See p. 75, MS1. However, apply no
may choose to roll on the “C” column for half of their force but bonus to the roll for determining lance weight.
must also apply a –1 penalty when determining random weight
classes for all Aliens’ ‘Mechs. Conversely, the Drummond’s 9th Illician Rangers (A): Since the Capellan counterattack,
Destroyers player must roll half of all Destroyers’ ‘Mechs using the 9th Rangers have lost all previous special abilities. Instead, to
the “F” column, but may apply +1 to their random weight rolls. reflect the effects of the damage sustained in the recent fighting,
this force suffers a –1 initiative penalty in all scenarios, increased
In scenarios where the Harcourt’s Aliens battalion operates to –2 if the opposing force is from the Capellan Confederation.
without support, the Destructors gain a +1 Initiative bonus,
reflecting their emphasis on independent operations. In this situ- 21st Illician Rangers (A): See p. 75, MS1.
ation, the Aliens reduce by 1 any to-hit penalties for attacker
movement. If the Aliens must cooperate with Drummond’s Jacob’s Juggernauts (D): See p. 132, FMMercs. However,
Destroyers, the Destructors player suffers a –1 Initiative penalty Lieutenant-Colonel McDaniel’s +1 Initiative bonus may be
but may deploy all units from the Destroyers battalion using employed if the Juggernauts field any force size up to two com-
Hidden Unit rules (unless the scenario rules forbid). panies.
Harlock’s Warriors (B): See p. 132, FMMercs. Kell Hounds (A): See p. 132, FMMercs.
Head Hunters (F): See p. 75, MS1. Khasparov’s Knights (B): When randomly determining the
Knights’ BattleMech forces in scenarios set after 3066, the
Heart of Blake (A): When rolling for units for Heart of Blake, the Knights may roll twice per company on the Word of Blake B col-
player may roll on the “A” column of the Word of Blake assign- umn (see p. 220, FMUpdates). For scenarios set after 3070, the
ment table. Heart of Blake units gain a +2 to all piloting skills Knights may also roll once per lance on the Draconis Combine
when performing a combat drop, and units firing upon them dur- “A” column—but only for those units of medium weight class or
ing a turn they combat drop suffer an additional +3 penalty to to- heavier.
hit target numbers. Word of Blake units fighting Heart of Blake
receive a +2 to initiative and never withdraw from the playing field If the Knights field a combination of BattleMech and conven-
willingly. Characters affiliated with the Heart of Blake automati- tional vehicle units in a given scenario, up to two vehicles for
cally gain the trait Bad Reputation (2) if the character’s affiliation every full lance of ’Mechs deployed at the start of the scenario
is known, and Dark Secret (2) if the character’s affiliation is not may make use of Off-map Movement rules.
known.
Killer Bees (C): See p. 133, FMMercs.
HeavyHell Raisers (C): See p. 70, MS2.
Kirkpatrick’s Invaders (B): See p. 75, MS1.
Knights of St. Cameron (A): See p. 133, FMMercs.
Kraken Unleashed (C): See p. 70, MS2.
125
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
The Krushers (A): See p. 133, FMMercs. In addition, the attacks made at medium and long ranges suffer a +1 and +2
Krushers may deploy half of their force per the Hidden Units modifier, respectively.
rules (see p. 83, BMR) in any scenario in which the Krushers are
acting as the defender. One-Eyed Jacks (C): See p. 71, MS2.
Langendorf Lancers (A): See p. 141, FMMercs. Pandora’s Box (B): For every four-point Margin of Success by
which this unit wins initiative, it may reserve one unit to move
Langford Wraiths (A): The Wraiths prefer to stay out of combat after all other movement is accomplished. This unit is not count-
and will not engage any enemy force of equal or greater size in ed as an active unit for purposes of deciding the order or num-
a stand-up battle without support from other allied forces. To bers of units to be moved. If this command loses initiative by any
reflect this, in any scenario in which the Wraiths are outnum- margin, it must move half of its remaining units (rounded down)
bered at the start, the unit may begin with all of its units hidden right away, with all other movement (order and number of units
and may retreat from any map edge except for the opponent’s moved) resolved by normal means. This command never suffers
home edge. intimidation or any penalties that may stem from a broken chain
of command.
Legion of the Rising Sun (B): Troops of the Legion of the
Rising Sun can choose to follow Clan Honor rules (honor level 2 Periphery Star Guard (F): See p. 71, MS2.
as found on p. 122-124 of The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky) in a
scenario for a +1 Initiative bonus. Alternatively, due to their Prey’s Divisionals (C): See p. 71, MS2.
recent experiences in guerrilla tactics, the Legion’s controlling Note that the Second Divisionals, an offshoot of Prey’s, have
player may instead choose to use the Banking Initiative special
ability. The Legion’s controlling player must announce which spe- an equipment rating of D and do not follow the rules referenced
cial ability is being used before gameplay begins. by Prey’s above. Instead, the Second Divisionals gain a +1
Initiative modifier when acting as defender against any forces
Lethal Injection (D): See p. 133, FMMercs. from the Taurian Concordat except Prey’s Divisionals. Against
Prey’s units, the Second Divisionals suffer a +2 to-hit modifier for
LEXINGTON COMBAT GROUP all weapon and physical attacks.
See p. 76, MS1 for all Lexington Combat Group special
Raging Horde (A): See p. 71, MS2.
rules, except those pertaining to the 180th Dragoons (Marie’s
Golden Hammers). Instead, the 180th employs the following new Raymond’s Redcoats (A): In any given scenario, the Redcoats
special rules: player may designate 1D6+2 non-infantry opposing units as the
Redcoats’ primary objectives. The Redcoats player may then
180th Dragoons (A): Due to the devastating losses sus- claim a victory in the scenario by crippling or destroying all of the
tained during Operation Sovereign Justice and the Capellan designated targets, then spending one turn full turn per target
counterattacks, this command is severely demoralized and short with at least one Redcoats unit occupying the fallen objective’s
on support. To reflect this, the Golden Hammers lose all of the hex (reflecting the confirmation or capture of the target). Any
special abilities noted on p. 76, MS1. Instead, any opposing force Redcoats unit involved in confirming or capturing an objective
that begins a scenario against the Hammers with equal or may not make any weapons attack during the turn in which it
greater numbers automatically gains the ability to Force the occupies the target’s hex. Once all objectives are eliminated and
Initiative (whether or not said opposing force already possesses confirmed/captured in this way, the Redcoats player may with-
that ability). Furthermore, the lack of technical support means draw from the field.
that all repair rolls for Golden Hammers’ units suffer a –2 modifi-
er. Redfield’s Renegades (B): See p. 77, MS1.
Lone Star Regiment (B): See p. 133, FMMercs. Reed’s Brew (C): Reed’s Brew may roll one unit of every four
using the “B” column on the Free Worlds League Random
Lone Wolves (D): See p. 70, MS2. Access Table (see p. 226, FMUpdates). The Brew player also
receives a +1 bonus to Initiative when the Brew is acting as an
Longwood Bluecoats (D): See p. 133, FMMercs. attacker in a scenario. This bonus only applies until the merce-
naries lose one-fourth of their initial starting force.
Medusans (C): See p. 79, MS2.
Narhal’s Raiders (C): See p. 134, FMMercs. Romanov’s Crusaders (B): See p. 134, FMMercs. However,
reduce the Crusaders’ Initiative penalties for deploying more than
O’Gordon’s Rifles (B): The Rifles’ preference for lighter, more one BattleMech by 1 for each level (so they receive a –1 penalty
mobile designs may be reflected by applying a –1 modifier when at battles involving 2 or 3 Crusaders ’Mechs, a –2 penalty for
randomly determining lance weight. The command excels at lance-sized formations or more, –3 for a company or more, and
close-in fighting, and so all physical attacks and weapon attacks –4 for formations of a battalion or more).
made at short range receive a –1 to-hit modifier, while ranged
126
MERCENARY COMMANDS
Rubinsky’s Light Horse (C): See p. 134, FMMercs. Vandelay’s Valkyries (C): In Valkyries receive a +1 Initiative
modifier for the first three turns of any scenario in which they are
Rubinsky’s Renegades (B): See p. 71, MS2. the defending force.
Sathen’s Snipers (B): See p. 77, MS1. In addition, when the Vanguard Legion (D): The player controlling the Vanguard
Snipers are involved in a scenario that employs any Urban map, Legion may roll two of every five units on the Federated Suns
they gain the Force the Initiative special abilities. Additionally, Random Access Tables (see p. 225, FMUpdates; or p. 112,
any Sniper warrior whose ’Mech or vehicle uses a weapon that BMR). Because of their heavy damage, when more than 25 per-
causes 15 points or more direct-fire damage receives a –1 mod- cent of the Legion’s force is destroyed or crippled, they retreat off
ifier to all Gunnery rolls using that weapon. the board using the Forced Withdrawal rules (see p. 122)
Screaming Eagles (C): See p. 135, FMMercs. 12th Vegan Rangers (A): See p. 135, FMMercs.
Simonson’s Cutthroats (B): The Cutthroats retain their +1 Wannamaker’s Widowmakers (B): See p. 78, MS1. In addition,
Initiative bonus when fighting in wetlands, wooded, or urban ter- the Widowmakers have grown adept at using reconnaissance to
rain, and an additional +1 bonus when fighting at night. Standard pinpoint enemy forces and lay savage ambushes. To reflect this,
to-hit penalties for night combat are reduced by 1 point for all in any scenario where the Widowmakers act as the attacker, one
Cutthroats units. of every four Widowmakers units may start the scenario hidden
per the Hidden Units rules (see p. 83, BMR).
The Cutthroats have also become master headhunters
since the start of the Jihad. To reflect this, at the end of any turn Additionally, when determining forces, the Widowmakers
after the third, the Cutthroats’ controlling player may roll 2D6 and may roll once for every two units on the “B” column of the Word
add the number of turns played to the result. If the modified result of Blake Random Assignment Table (see 220, FMUpdates).
yields an 11 or more, the opposing player must reveal which of Widowmakers’ aerospace units are rolled entirely from this same
his units is that of the on-field commander. If the Cutthroats then table.
eliminate this commander, the Cutthroats automatically gain the
Overrun Combat special ability for the remainder of the scenario. Wilson’s Hussars (D): See p. 78, MS1.
Skibinski’s Salvage (C): See p. 71, MS2. Winfield’s Regiment (D): To reflect their level of damage and
loss of morale since March of 3070, the Winfield’s Regiment
Snord’s Irregulars (A): See p. 135, FMMercs. receives a –3 modifier on all Initiative rolls when facing Word of
Blake forces. Against all other forces, the modifier is –2.
Star Seeds (A): When using Star Seed characters in the
CBT:RPG setting, each trooper gains the Zero-G Operations trait Wolf’s Dragoons (A): When using the Random Mapsheet Tables
for free. Additionally, each battle armor trooper adds a +2 bonus (see p. 107, BMR), the Dragoons player may alter her dice roll
to three combat skills but must have a minimum of 6 INT. results by up to 2 and may alter an opponent’s roll result by 1.
Dragoons units may also ignore the standard +1 to-hit modifier
Summer Storm (C): Players using the Storm may have only one for firing at multiple targets. The Dragoons cannot be intimidated
Elite pilot for every three Green pilots. If using CBT:RPG rules, until more than three-quarters of their initial force is destroyed.
every pilot character of the Storm receives the Zero-G
Operations Trait for free. When determining Dragoon forces for a scenario, the
Dragoon play can use the Random Unit Assignment Table for
Thor’s Hammer (C): Except when playing the defender in a Clan Wolf (In Exile) (see p. 217, FMUpdates). The Dragoons play-
Recon Raid, Base Attack or The Chase scenarios, the Thor’s er may add +1 to the roll results. If the total result is 13, the
Hammer player(s) can deploy all artillery off the map. In addition, Dragoons player may choose any Inner Sphere or Clan ’Mech
Hammer artillery can automatically hit one hex (as if it had from the same weight class.
already hit the hex during play) for each artillery piece deployed.
These hexes should be noted on slips of paper after the maps Due to lack of cohesion and force integration caused by their
are laid out but before any units are placed. When the hex is tar- extreme damage, the Dragoons player suffers an initiative modi-
geted, the Hammer player should surrender the corresponding fier of –1 until at least half of the opponent’s total starting force is
slip to their opponent. destroyed or withdrawn. At that point, the Dragoons gain a +1 ini-
tiative, but only for any turn in which their force outnumbers the
The Thumpers (D): See p. 78, MS1. opponent by two-to-one or better. Enemy units may not fire point-
blank shots at any Dragoons unit in flatland terrain. Finally, the
Tooth of Ymir (A): See p. 135, FMMercs. Dragoons’ specialization in close-range assaults applies a –1 to-
hit modifier for any weapon attacks made at ranges of six hexes
or less.
127
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
This section provides rules to supplement those found in settings and scenarios as well. References to BattleTech Master
Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised (FMMercs), and they are Rules, Revised are abbreviated as BMR. References to the
intended for use in BattleTech games (though many may be eas- Mercenaries Supplemental and Mercenaries Supplemental II are
ily adapted for RPG use). Although tailored for mercenary-based abbreviated as MS1 and MS2, respectively.
campaigns, many of these rules may be applied to other game
ALTERNATE ERA: JIHAD (3068-3081)
Creation Rule Modifiers:
Prohibited Unit Types: None
Commander/Founder: Mercenary founders with Draconis Combine or Word of Blake origins double all negative personnel
modifiers.
Available Standard Personnel and Point Pool Modifiers Point-Based Pool Modifiers
Hiring Halls: Warr Supp Exp Equip Tech
Arc-Royal Same Comp Dist Sup Med Admin Exp Tech Mass Cash +0.20 +0.15 +0.15 –0.05 +0.10
Galatea –2 +0.25 +0.05 +0.10 +0.08 +0.00
Herotitus +2 +1 +1 +2 +1 0 +3 +2 0 –1 +0.20 +0.05 +0.05 –0.03 –0.05
–1
+2 +2 +1 +1 0 0 +2 0 +2
+1 +1 +2 0 +1 0 +1 –1 0
Recruiting Path Modifiers: +1 Exp, +1 to event rolls
Combat Experience Path Modifiers: –1D6 personnel (chosen randomly), –1 Mass, +3 Exp, –2 to event rolls
Force Identification: Use standard rules
DropShips: Use standard rules
JumpShips: Use standard rules
Base Salaries: Use standard rules
Maintenance Table: Use standard rules
Additional Point-Based Rules: Multiply Experience Costs by 0.80 (round up). Multiply Tech Level increases for all units to Level 2+
by 1.10 (round up), add +1 to all Omni upgrades, and +1 to all Clan upgrades.
Jihad Era Operations Modifiers: x1.1
Overhead Costs (see. 164, FMMercs):
Contract Modifiers Table (see p. 156, FMMercs): +3
–2*
Offers –2
Employers
Missions 0.9
Master Contract Terms (see p. 159, FMMercs): –1 mo.
Payment Multiplier
Base Length –4
Command Modifier: +2
Overhead Modifier: +1
Salvage Modifier: –2
Support Modifier: –1
Transport Modifier:
Purchasing Supplies (see pp. 171, FMMercs): –1/1.0
Parts/Eqpt Procurement (Level 1): –2/1.2
Parts/Eqpt Procurement (Level 2+ I.S.): –2/3.0
Parts/Eqpt Procurement (Level 2+ Clan): –1/1.0
Replacement Equipment (Level 1): –2/1.2
Replacement Equipment (Level 2+ I.S.): –2/4.0
Replacement Equipment (Level 2+ Clan):
Personnel –1
Personal Gear (RPG)** F/1.1
* Note: When rolling for Employers, consult the Employers in the Jihad special rules (p. 129).
** Personal Gear (RPG) includes personal armor, small arms (including support weapons, ammo, and accessories), housing, food,
medical, and miscellaneous gear. Letter to the left of the slash indicates the maximum RPG Tech rating of the item, while the num-
ber to the right reflects cost multiplier (which applies in addition to regional cost tables from the appropriate faction’s Handbook).
128
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
Terminology: In these rules, the term unit is used as it is in both the standard ones from FMMercs and the additional paths
BMR, to refer to a single battlefield element such as a ’Mech, from MS2). Note that event roll results may not be reduced below
vehicle, or infantry platoon/battlesuit squad. The term force is 2 or above 12.
used when specifically referring to the formation of units that a • Force Identification – Any exceptions or modifications to the
player may build or maintain using these rules. FMMercs Recruit Identification Table (p. 146).
DropShips and JumpShips – Modifiers to any rolls to obtain such
NEW CREATION/OPERATIONS ERA: vessels.
JIHAD • Base Salaries and Maintenance Tables – Modifiers and
restrictions that apply to personnel salaries, and maintenance
In MS2, rules governing the creation and operation of mer- costs and man-hour needs, respectively.
cenary commands in alternate BattleTech eras enabled players • Additional Point-Based Rules – Added modifiers only used
to place their mercenary forces in time periods ranging from the as indicated in the MS1 Point-Based Force Creation system.
Age of War to the pre-Jihad date of 3067. The shock and confu-
sion of the Jihad, however, had a profound effect on the merce- The Operations Modifiers then provides cost multipliers, con-
nary industry, almost universally shattering confidence in hired tract length modifiers, and roll modifiers applied as appropriate
troops, closing key hiring halls, and affecting everything from for everything from determining contract offers and employers to
recruitment to employer negotiations to salaries. the procurement of items. Note that the listed multipliers apply as
appropriate to Overhead Costs, Base Contract Payment, and the
To reflect the Jihad’s impact on mercenary creation and costs of any Purchased Equipment/Personal Gear (appearing
operations, the Alternate Era: Jihad Table below provides right of the slash for the latter). The other modifiers apply to all
Creation Rule Modifiers for standard and point-based mercenary rolls for Contract Offers, Employers, and Missions, as well as all
creation rules (see pp. 137-152, FMMercs, and pp. 79-90, MS1, Master Contract Terms Modifiers, Replacement Personnel, and
respectively), as well as mercenary operations rules (pp. 153- rolls to Purchase Parts/Replace Equipment (the number left of
181, FMMercs). the slash). Also listed is the base Contract Length modifier (indi-
cating how many additional months a given contract may last) as
Like the Alternate Era rules from MS1, the Jihad data below well as the highest RPG tech rating available for any personal
cover the following major points of mercenary force creation: gear on the open market (left of slash on RPG Gear line).
• Prohibited Unit Types – The specific battlefield units that
mercenary commands may not incorporate. These multipliers and modifiers apply in addition to all others
Commander/Founder – Any restrictions or modifiers applicable applicable for mercenary command sizes, Wanted/Rogue status,
to mercenary commanders. and so forth.
• Available Hiring Halls – The major hiring halls active in the
era and their modifiers for both path-based and point-based cre- EMPLOYERS IN THE JIHAD
ation systems, which replaces those given in the current-era Arguably, one of the most jarring effects of the Jihad on the
books.
• Recruiting Path Modifiers and Combat Experience Path mercenary business is how it has single-handedly reshaped the
Modifiers – Additional modifiers for the appropriate paths, which political landscape in just a few short years. Employers that once
apply in addition to those given with the path used (including held mercenaries in fair regard suddenly disappeared or closed
JIHAD EMPLOYERS TABLE
Rolled Employer Result Action
Chaos March/Circinus Federation Treat as Word of Blake result
Free Worlds League (after 3070) Roll 1D6 and consult Free Worlds League Employer Table*
Capellan Confederation/Draconis Combine Reroll and take second result (even if same)
SLDF
Free Rasalhague Republic Treat as MRBC
Astrokaszy/Antallos Treat as Interstellar Expeditions
Treat as Independent Resistance
* For units with an A or B Dragoons rating or a Fanatical Loyalty rating, apply a +1 modifier to the result (+2 if both apply); units without a Dragoons
rating, with a Questionable Loyalty rating, or which were previously employed by the Word of Blake apply a –1 to the result for each (–3 if all three
apply).
FREE WORLDS LEAGUE EMPLOYER TABLE
Roll Faction
0 or less Word of Blake (Treat as Word of Blake result)
1 Marik Commonwealth (Captain-General Corrine Marik/pro-Word of Blake)
2 Principality of Regulus (Prince Kirc Cameron-Jones/independent anti-Marik)
3 Duchy of Oriente (Duke Christopher Halas and the “false” Thomas Marik/anti-Word of Blake)
4 Duchy of Tamarind (Marshall Jeremy Brett and Duchess Therese Brett-Marik/anti-Word of Blake)
5 Duchy of Andurien (Duchess Dalma Humphreys/independent anti-Marik)
6 Unaffiliated League world or other League sub-state (Various –treat as Independent World result)
7 or more The Free Worlds Resistance (Duchess Alys Rousset-Marik/independent anti-Word of Blake)
129
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
their doors to professional soldiers, while a couple new ones sur- with the Word means that any mercenaries serving contracts
faced (see New Employers below). with this Free Worlds sub-faction may find itself undertaking mis-
sions on the wrong side of interstellar law.
To reflect these effects, when using the Contract Employers
Table (pp. 157, FMMercs), after applying the modifiers noted for Free Worlds League: Duchy of Oriente or Duchy of Tamarind
the Jihad era, consult the Jihad Employers Table below for Grand Duke Christopher Halas, ruler of the Duchy of
instructions based on the originally rolled employer. Note that the
new employers introduced below are presented as additions to Oriente, harbors the deposed—and exposed—double for
the tables in FMMercs. Thomas Marik who ruled the Free Worlds League through its
greatest period of growth. Largely relegated to a defensive role,
NEW EMPLOYERS all but isolated from allies in the League and beyond, this faction
A host of new employers surfaced in the devastating early may employ mercenaries for a variety of missions to make trou-
ble for the Marik Commonwealth and their Word of Blake puppet
years of the Jihad, ranging from the sub-factions of the splinter- masters.
ing Free Worlds League to numerous independent resistance
groups. The MRBC and the Interstellar Expeditions group also Duchess Therese Brett-Marik and her husband, Tamarind
emerged in this time period as major employers, attaching mer- Marshal Jeremy Brett, lead the Duchy of Tamarind as Oriente’s
cenaries to their own agendas as war spread throughout the most powerful ally (with greater military might), but their freedom
Inner Sphere. of action is weakened by continued tensions on the Lyran front
and pressures from the expanding Blake Protectorate.
With different goals and resource bases to draw from, these Mercenaries employed by this faction can expect any number of
new employers—described briefly below—offer different terms missions directed against the Word, the Marik Commonwealth,
than those featured in the Master Contract Terms Tables in or the Lyran Alliance.
FMMercs (pp. 159-160). These new contract term modifiers are
shown in the New Jihad Employers Table. Free Worlds League: Principality of Regulus or
Duchy of Andurien
MRBC
Now based solely out of Galatea, the MRBC—long a neutral The Principality of Regulus, led by self-styled Prince Kirc
Cameron-Jones, is rabidly anti-Marik, and, through Blakist
organization—has begun to actively police the mercenary indus- duplicity, undermined the false Thomas Marik’s last-ditch efforts
tries in an effort to help clean up the integrity of the profession. to restore the League after the gassing of Atreus. Though manip-
Missions for the MRBC can range from the hunting of Wanted ulated by the Word, the Regulans are no allies to the Jihadists.
commands (reflected by objective raid and pirate-hunting mis- Mercenaries employed by this faction may find themselves
sions) to independent rescue and relief missions, largely direct- undertaking all kinds of missions directed at all of the
ed against the Word of Blake or Blakist allies, including other Principality’s neighbors.
mercenary forces.
Like the Principality, Duchess Dalma Humphrey’s Duchy of
Interstellar Expeditions Andurien is also anti-Marik and no strong ally of the Word. Now
In essence a very large yet decentralized exploratory con- running their own course, the Anduriens may hire mercenaries
for operations against the Word, Oriente, Regulus, the Capellan
glomerate, IE has almost inexplicably become more active in Confederation, or even the Magistracy of Canopus.
recent years, emerging from the proverbial shadows to take a
more active role in major events. Most IE missions are defensive- Free Worlds League: The Free Worlds Resistance
and escort-based, though some mercs working with this group Nominally led by Duchess Alys Rousset-Marik, one-time
have undertaken offensive operations—often with no idea of the
true objectives. adversary of the false Thomas Marik (and now tenuous ally of
both Oriente and Tamarind), the Free Worlds Resistance con-
Independent Resistance sists of a core of shattered FWLM commands and allied merce-
Not surprisingly, as the Blakist stranglehold over systems naries now actively campaigning against the Word of Blake’s
Free Worlds conquests. Mercenaries working for this faction will
extended rapidly beyond Terra (and in numerous smaller regions be devoted wholly to anti-Blakist operations, mostly within the
beyond their self-styled Protectorate), a number of large and crumbling League’s borders.
semi-organized resistance groups surfaced, many of them capa-
ble of supplementing their activities with mercenary muscle and NEW MISSION TYPE:
desperate enough to take the risks in doing so. These employers BOUNTY HUNTING
typically deploy any hirelings in offensive missions, though the
legalities of such missions may often prove highly questionable, Though not technically a new aspect for the mercenary pro-
as few such groups can afford to adhere to the niceties of inter- fession, the business of bounty hunting has boomed with the
stellar law. onset of the Jihad. As mercenary operations go, however, boun-
ty hunting is unique in that it need not be performed at an
Free Worlds League: Marik Commonwealth employer’s request. Indeed, the only contract that comes with
Ruled presently by self-styled Captain-General Corrine bounty hunting is the promise of reward money from those who
send out the Wanted posters. Because it amounts to a mission
Marik, daughter of Paul Marik, the Marik Commonwealth claims undertaken on the hunters’ own time, mercenaries who opt to
legitimate rule over the Free Worlds League in fierce dispute with undertake a hunt must pay for all expenses and transportation
several factions. The fact that this government is largely allied
130
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
NEW JIHAD EMPLOYERS TABLE
Employer Payment Length Command Overhead Salvage Support Transport
MRBC Multiplier Multiplier Multiplier Multiplier Multiplier Multiplier Multiplier
Interstellar Expeditions
Independent Resistance 1.2 0.5 –1 +1 +3 0 +1
Marik Commonwealth 1.1 0.9 –1 0 +2 0 +3
Duchy of Oriente 0.9 0.5 –3 –1 +2 +1 –3
Duchy of Tamarind 1.3 0.5 –3 +2 +1 –1 –1
Principality of Regulus 1.4 0.6 –2 0 +2 –1 –1
Duchy of Andurien 1.4 0.5 –2 +1 0 –1 –1
Free Worlds Resistance 1.2 0.6 –3 +2 0 –2 –2
1.2 0.5 –2 0 +2 0 0
1.0 0.7 –1 –1 +3 –1 –3
costs out of their own pockets. However, since all salvage nomi- defeat/destruction, in the case of a “dead or alive” bounty) to the
nally belongs to the victorious hunters as well and there are agency that offered the reward. A successful bounty hunting mis-
rarely any command rights to haggle, the outcome of a success- sion adds +5 to a mercenary command’s Dragoons Rating (see
ful hunt can easily make up for the expenses. While some pp. 153-154, FMMercs), but a mercenary command only
employer-contracted bounty hunting missions do exist, they are receives a –10 penalty to its rating when failing at an unsolicited
normally treated as a simple bonus attached to a standard objec- hunt if it kills a bounty specifically wanted alive.
tive raid or assault contract.
The second way a bounty-hunting mission may be secured
In game terms, a mercenary command may find itself a is as an addendum to a contract offered by an employer. These
bounty-hunting mission in one of two ways. The first, and sim- addenda are actually nothing more than bounty bonuses
plest, is to simply check with local authorities for any outstanding attached to the existing terms of any offensive contract type an
bounties in the area instead of contracts. If the player controlling employer may offer, though such a bonus may not be advertised,
the mercenary command opts to do this, the gamemaster makes even at the bargaining table. To determine if a bounty bonus is
a roll for this search as if searching for contract offers per pp. attached to a given mission contract, the gamemaster should
155-156, FMMercs, applying all modifiers for Hiring Hall, Main secretly roll 1D6 on any Pirate Hunting, Planetary Assault,
Force Type, and Dragoons/Equipment Ratings (see p. 156, Objective Raid, Extraction Raid, Guerrilla, or Covert contract
FMMercs), as well as Wanted/Rogue status and era of play, but mission. Apply +1 to this roll if the employer is the MRBC and
not mercenary force size (see pp. 95-99, MS2). Note that for this another +1 if the era is the Jihad. If the result is 6 or better, a
roll the Hiring Hall modifiers should be doubled, as should the bounty may be offered as a bonus when negotiating payment
resulting number of Contract Offers that result from the roll. This terms. Note that this offer will reduce the mercenary command’s
yields the number of potential bounty hunting operations that bargaining pool by 25 percent (see pp. 157-167, FMMercs). To
may be undertaken in the local area that best suit the com- determine the value of this bounty, use the rules for
mand’s capabilities. Wanted/Rogue Mercenaries as a guide (see pp. 97-99, MS2),
modified as the gamemaster sees fit. Bounties are considered a
Bounties found using this method are considered open to secondary objective in any employer contract and so have no
any mercenary command with the means to track down the com- impact on Dragoons ratings beyond the command’s completion
mand, and the reward for the bounty may be determined by of all other terms of the contracted objective, though a bounty is
using the rules for Wanted/Rogue Mercenaries as a guide (see only paid if the quarry is apprehended or killed in accordance
pp. 97-99, MS2), modified as the gamemaster sees fit. with the offering party’s desires (thus, killing the quarry when the
Remember that since bounty hunting is an unsolicited mission, employer wants him alive forfeits the bounty).
mercenaries who opt to track down these bounties must pay for
all transport and support costs, damages, and supplies con- Dependents
sumed while undertaking the mission. However, said missions Sooner or later, it happens to almost every mercenary com-
also provide essentially full salvage rights and independent com-
mand rights and have no set time limit to complete. Mercenaries mand. Whether for love or for money (or, perhaps, a little bit of
that complete a bounty-hunting mission may receive payment both), professional soldiers find romance, marriage, and even
upon returning the bounty (or conclusive evidence of the quarry’s family through the horrific fires of war, either among the indige-
nous populations they were sent to defend (or conquer), or
Raymond’s Redcoats is a mercenary BattleMech command with a Dragoons Rating of C seeking bounties on Galatea
rather than contracts, during the Jihad. The gamemaster rolls a 7 on 2D6 and adds +2 for Hiring Hall (+1 x 2 = +2), +1 for
’Mech forces, +1 for the Redcoats’ C-rating, and +3 for Jihad-era offers, for a roll result of 14 (7 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 = 14). The num-
ber of bounties that meet the Redcoats’ criteria in the local area is thus 8 (as a 14 result would ordinarily indicate 4 offers on
the Contract Offers Table, 4 x 2 = 8).
131
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
among civilian support personnel hired (at least originally) on a To determine the base number of dependents a command
temporary basis. The longer a merc command remains active, gathers, the command’s controlling player simply rolls 2D6 at the
the more likely the possibility exists that sooner or later it will end of each full year the command has remained active. Adding
become home to more people than just those who serve on the any applicable modifiers for era, force size, Wanted/Rogue sta-
firing lines. tus, and dependent support (see Dependents Costs and
Benefits, below) to this roll result and cross-referencing against
These non-salaried, tagalong non-combatants are often the Base Dependents Table below yields the Base Dependents
referred to as “dependents.” While these people represent an Number. This figure, which may be positive or negative, sets a
often-unplanned financial drain to many mercenary outfits, base number of new dependents that the command picks up in
dependents can also be a source for cheap support and reliable that year through the casual affairs of its members, civilian con-
replacement troops—so long as the parent command protects scription, and so forth. To find the actual number of new depen-
and cares for them well enough. dents acquired (or existing dependents lost) in that year, multiply
this number by one-fourth of the command’s entire salaried per-
On average, the number of dependents a mercenary com- sonnel count (regardless of their role) and round the final figure
mand may amass and easily support is directly influenced by its down. Positive values indicate the number of new dependents,
size. Smaller commands can accumulate their own number of while negative values indicate how many dependents willingly
active warriors and dependents with no more fuss than cramped depart or are lost through more tragic circumstances. Note that a
DropShip quarters, while larger commands may soon find they mercenary command’s number of dependents may never fall
need to co-opt a major city or military base just to house their below zero.
people. Dependents Costs and Benefits
Accumulating Dependents While the expense of supporting dependents is borne most-
In an RPG game, accumulation of dependents by player ly by those to whom the dependents are directly affiliated (e.g.,
husbands, wives, and children), subtle costs for medical and
characters is a matter of role-playing finesse. But for larger com- housing needs and the like can add up as more people accumu-
mands or detailed campaigns where logistics can become an late, creating a growing financial problem for larger commands.
issue, the following rules abstract the accumulation of depen-
dents by mercenary commands over time.
DEPENDENTS TABLE
Base Dependents Base Dependents Roll Modifiers Condition Modifier
2D6 Roll Base Dependents Number Very Small (see pp. 95-97, MS2) –1
0 or less –0.40 Very Large (see pp. 95-97, MS2) +3
1 –0.25 Rogue Command (see pp. 97-99, MS2) 0
2 –0.10 Wanted Command (see pp. 97-99, MS2) –3
3 –0.05 0
4 –0.05 Era: Age of War (2398-2569) –2
5 0.00 Era: Star League (2570-2750) –3
6 0.00 Era: First Succ. War (2751-2821) –2
7 0.00 Era: Second Succ. War (2822-2864) –1
8 +0.05 Era: Early Third Succ. War (2865-2950) +2
9 +0.05 Era: Late Third Succ. War (2951-3025) +1
10 +0.10 Era: Fourth Succ. War (3026-3030) 0
11 +0.10 Era: Early Post-Fourth War (3031-3050) 0
12 +0.15 Era: Late Post-Fourth War (3051-3060) 0
13 +0.20 –2
14 +0.25 Era: Pre-Jihad (3061-3067)
15 or more +0.35 Era: Jihad (3068-3081) –1 (max. –6)
Per Month without Support
Dependent Costs and Support Monthly Cost Free Support (each,
Number of (each, in C-bills) in Man-Hours/Week)
Dependents
0-25 100 3
26-50 250 4
51-100 500 5
101-200 750 6
201-300 1,000 8
301-500 1,250 10
501+ 1,500 12
132
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
To abstract this factor, the Dependent Costs and Support bases for a mercenary command (and its dependents) can take
Table gives a monthly cost (in C-bills) that each dependent costs as long and cost as much as the force’s needs dictate. The fol-
a mercenary outfit in terms of medical care, food supplies, and lowing rules provide a rough guide to the process.
housing assistance, after the dependents’ direct link to the com-
mand pays his or her own share. This cost—applied whether or Step 1: Obtain Land
not these dependents accompany the mercenaries on mis- For some mercenary commands, the land area needed for a
sions—comes out of the command’s war chest. A mercenary
command that is unable or unwilling to pay for the support of all base may already be within reach if the owner, commander, or
its dependents in a given month may suffer a loss of dependents other key officer has a land grant or significant property. For oth-
as indicated in the rules above. This reflects attrition through dis- ers, a tract of land may be the first stages of the command’s
gruntled dependents departing, or a higher rate of accidents and beachhead on a planet they have been sent to conquer. Still oth-
other tragedies that occur through lack of support. ers may be given a designated area as part of their garrison con-
tract, an out-of-the-way place provided to park the outfit’s equip-
Though they can be costly, dependents that accompany a ment and ships in lieu of employer-owned facilities. If none of the
mercenary force may be used to assist its support need and can above apply and the command is in friendly or neutral territory,
be a source for new recruits over time. To reflect this, each the mercenaries may instead opt to lease or buy a parcel of land
dependent also provides a number of man-hours of technical for the purposes of base building.
support as shown in the Dependent Costs and Support Table.
These support hours may be drawn upon without spending any Doing so can be as difficult or as easy as the gamemaster
additional C-bills (these costs are already factored in the basic desires, as can the cost of land, based on its area and value. In
Dependents’ Costs), but only from those dependents who actu- RPG campaigns, this can be resolved by whatever means the
ally travel with the mercenary command to its present location— gamemaster wishes. Alternatively, the process may be abstract-
and then only in a month where the mercenary command has ed into two dice rolls, modified as the gamemaster sees fit. For
spent the C-bills to support its dependent population. The quali- the first—the roll to locate suitable land—the mercenary com-
ty of all repair rolls made by dependent-based support is consid- mand spends a week of searching, at the end of which the com-
ered to be Regular (base TN of 7). mand’s controlling player rolls 2D6 against a base target of 8
(modified as necessary for negotiation skills or
As a source for new recruits, dependents offer a homegrown employer/landowner conditions, at the gamemaster’s discretion).
alternative to hiring halls that takes a while to cultivate but often If the result is equal to or higher than the modified target number,
guarantees absolute loyalty to the parent mercenary command. the command has found a suitable tract of land within that week.
Whether children coming of age or significant others who have Failed rolls simply mean that an extra week of searching and
acquired the skills and the interest to contribute more than a lit- negotiations is spent for every point by which the roll misses its
tle elbow grease to the outfit’s needs, these new recruits can be modified target. The cost of the land is then determined by rolling
drawn once per year without making a roll. For every ten depen- 3D6 and subtracting the previous roll’s Margin of Success (or
dents a unit possesses, it may recruit one member of any per- adding the Margin of Failure). The result of this second roll, mul-
sonnel type. This new recruit is considered to be Regular-rated tiplied by 10,000 for every square half-kilometer of land desired
upon joining the salaried personnel, regardless of the role he or (or portion thereof), represents the monthly cost to lease the
she is assigned, though the dependent-based recruit must be land, in C-bills. Quadruple this cost result if the mercenary com-
skilled in a field already possessed by the parent mercenary mand is buying the land instead of leasing. Note that a square
command (thus, a newly recruited dependent for an all-vehicle half-kilometer roughly equates to the area of a standard CBT
regiment may not be skilled as a MechWarrior). mapsheet.
HOUSING AND BASE-BUILDING However the land is secured, the controlling player continues
For basic housing and shelter, most mercenary commands on to Step 2: Base Construction, below, once this step is com-
pleted.
tend to rely on the provisions of their employers or—if fortu-
nate—the facilities within their own DropShips. Neither option, Step 2: Base Construction
however, is particularly convenient for larger commands or those Under these rules, base construction is not a hit-or-miss
operating between missions. Thus, many mercenary commands
have been known to invest in bases—whether temporary or per- affair but a simple matter of investing the C-bills and man-hours
manent—to house their equipment, personnel, and dependents. to construct the facilities the command needs. The Base
Components Table below provides the basic cost and man-hour
Bases vary with their roles, sizes, and other considerations. formulae for each standard structure that may be constructed on
Outfits working in the field for short durations tend to settle for a a base but is far from exhaustive. For simplicity’s sake, these
simple series of large tents and/or enviro-bubbles with a comm rules use the standard Classic BattleTech map scale of 30-meter
center and a perimeter of hastily strung barbed wire. Commands hexes and 6-meter levels, as well as Construction Factors (CF)
assigned a more permanent multi-year garrison or those that are that denote the relative strength and damage capacity of struc-
simply large and brimming with dependents, on the other hand, tures under the standard rules for buildings in BMR. The man-
would need a base that roughly equates to a small city of bar- hours involved in their construction are reflected as well, repre-
racks and administrative buildings, perhaps even including a senting labor that may be performed by the command’s support
miniature spaceport, weapon emplacements, and independent personnel or (if on a friendly/neutral world) by local hires. If using
power stations. With the above in mind, the process for building local labor, use the Freelance Support rules (p. 177, FMMercs).
133
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
Note that all structures used in bases have a maximum size hangar may only stand on the floor or the rooftop, the tonnage of
in terms of number of hexes occupied and levels of height any gear tops out at 600, reflecting the maximum number of bays
(excluding basements). This reflects the maximum overall size a a Hangar may possess per hex (so a one-hex ’Mech Hangar has
single structure may occupy, though how these structures are room for a lance-worth of BattleMech cubicles, regardless of its
laid out are open to the base designer’s preference. Note that CF, while the same size vehicle Hangar may have bays for up to
any multi-hex structure receives the same CF per hex (though 6 heavy vehicles or 12 light vehicles). Note that stacking rules
this CF applies to the full height within said hex), so a 3-hex only apply inside a hangar when units are active and engaged in
structure reduced to a CF of 0 at the center hex will only collapse combat.
at its center. A single structure may not be constructed with a CF
that varies between its hexes (though a similar effect may be Fortresses: Fortress structures are available in Medium, Heavy,
obtained by simply placing structures of differing CFs in adjacent or Hardened CFs and may be armored or even mount heavy
hexes). Non-Hangar structures may have basements of any weapons. The mass of armor and weapons a Fortress may
depth, allowing sizes beyond the normal height maximum but mount per hex are limited by the structure’s CF but are consid-
must still pay the man-hours to construct these extra levels. ered additional to any non-combat gear which may be placed
within such structures as noted above under Buildings. Note that
Note also that the use of appropriate engineering equipment an armored Fortress must allocate its armor to each facing
(such as backhoes, bulldozers, drills, dumpers, hoists, (including the roof) that is open to attack, and that this armor
piledrivers, saws, rock cutters, and wrecking balls) can reduce must be destroyed before structure’s CF can take any damage or
the manpower needed to clear land, build structures, and such. hostile units can enter.
To reflect this, multiply the total man-hours required for base con-
struction by 0.9 for every appropriate support vehicle used in the Tunnels: Usually used for subsurface structures, but also applic-
process. Multiply again by 0.85 for every appropriate able above-ground between sealed structures, tunnels are
IndustrialMech also employed. Round this final result up. When essentially specialized variations on the hangar, comprised of
in doubt, allow a gamemaster or other neutral party to determine two opposing walls and ending on each side in doors.
whether a support vehicle or IndustrialMech qualifies as an Construction of tunnels follows the same basic rules as hangars,
appropriate engineering unit (for example, a base construction and require the added cost of doors at each end. Treat any junc-
that requires 30,000 man-hours to complete but has the aid of tions where two or more tunnels cross as a non-tunnel structure,
two engineering vehicles and an IndustrialMech that can help complete with doors opening into each tunnel passage.
reduce these man-hour needs to 20,665 hours [30,000 x 0.9 x
0.9 x 0.85 = 20,655]). Walls/Fences: Walls and fences follow a hexside rather than
occupying a full hex and may be of any length desired.
Remember to note the purpose of each structure when con- Depending on construction, they impose an additional Movement
structing a base, as each has its own features and special rules: Point cost to units that pass through them using ground move-
ment (though in the case of Armored, Hardened Walls, the armor
Buildings: Everyday structures such as barracks and on-site must first be destroyed).
housing, administrative centers, infirmaries, and such typically
fall into the standard Buildings category. These structures fall into Armor and Weapons: Fortresses and Walls may add armor as
the Light, Medium, and Heavy CF categories as outlined in the indicated on the table below. As noted above, all armor on a
BMR and follow all standard rules. Buildings may not be given hexside must be destroyed before hostile units may enter
armored, nor may they mount heavy weapons (weapons larger or cross through an armored Fortress/Wall structure or before
than RPG support weapons), but they may house non-weapon the CF within can be damaged (note that attacks against other
equipment useful for their function (at additional costs). sections or facings of the same Wall or Fortress structure must
Examples of this equipment may be crew quarters for barracks still contend with any remaining armor).
and housing, communications equipment for administrative cen-
ters, MASH and paramedic gear for infirmaries, and so forth. The Only Fortress structures may mount heavy weapons. The
tonnage of such equipment a structure may contain per hex is maximum tonnage of such weapons—discounting ammunition,
equal to the structure’s CF times its number of levels. turret mechanisms, and heat sinks or power amplifiers—that may
be mounted per hex of Fortress is equal to the Fortress’ CF divid-
Hangars: Hangars are specialized structures intended to house ed by 10. Lighter structures, such as Buildings, Hangars, and
vehicles, ’Mechs, fighters, and the like. Hangar structures come Walls, may mount Medium and Small weapons (RPG support
in Light, Medium, Heavy, or Hardened CFs and may not be weapons or small arms, respectively), at a limit of six such
armored. Their open internal construction, in fact, means that weapons per level of structure height. Note that these weapons
Hangars always have half the CF value of their equivalent build- are not counted toward the structure’s standard weight limits for
ing type, and they may not be constructed with basements. other equipment.
Hangars must stand at least as tall as the units they house (e.g.
2 levels for ’Mech units, 1 for most others) and should have a Power: For most structures and facilities, it is generally pre-
Large Door on at least one facing (considered free for purposes sumed that any power needs are met by the capacity of a local
of equipment tonnage). Hangars may mount equipment like power grid. But where desired, players may opt to create an inde-
buildings, but as all units (and internal equipment) within a pendent generator for their facilities. In such a case, determine
134
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
the base generator weight by adding up the total number of For a structure to be considered subsurface, the highest ele-
hexes of structures the generator will supply with power, not vation of the structure must be more than one level below the sur-
counting its own structure. (Note: for this computation, multiply face of the ground (or body of water) itself. Underwater subsur-
any multi-level structures by their height, so a 2-hex building that
is 3 levels tall is worth 6 hexes [2 x 3 = 6]). Then add to this fig- SEALED STRUCTURE BREACH
ure one tenth of the total weight of all heavy energy-based TABLE
weapons used by any fortresses in the power grid (rounding up
to the nearest whole number). Structure is Roll Modifier
Light +2
Multiply this figure by 3 for Steam or Solar-based power sup- Medium 0
plies, 1.5 for Fission or Internal Combustion-based power, 1.0 for Heavy –2
Fusion-based power, and 0.5 for External power supply (provid- Hardened –4
ed by the local grid, which makes the generator in this case more Subsurface
of a capacitor back-up). Round this final result up to the nearest Depth ÷ 2 (round up)*
whole number to find the tonnage of the power generation equip-
ment needed for the complex. This equipment may be housed Target Number for Breach (2D6): 10
within a Hangar or any other dedicated structure to protect it
against the elements and hostile fire. face structures require Environmental Sealing as well, and may
be constructed at a depth no deeper than their CF (so an under-
Note that generators powered by Steam, Internal water light hangar, CF of 8, may not be constructed at or below a
Combustion, and Fuel Cells require a storage place for their fuels depth of 9). No such sealing is necessary for underground struc-
as well. To abstract the fuel needs of such facilities, consider that tures unless the native atmosphere is unbreathable.
a typical facility consumes 1 ton of fuel per day for every 5 hexes
of structure that use power, plus 1 ton for fuel per hour for every Only Buildings, Hangars, Fortresses, and Tunnels may be
heavy weapon battery that sees use in combat. Fuel is typically built as subsurface structures.
purchased on a monthly basis, so a base’s minimum fuel storage
should be sufficient to see to a month’s worth of continuous The maximum structure sizes (both in terms of height and
power for all essential structures. number of hexes) for all subterranean structures are reduced to
one-half of their surface versions, rounded up (so a subterranean
Environmental Sealing: Buildings, Hangars, and Fortresses in hardened fortress hex can be a maximum of 15 levels “high” and
vacuum, toxic atmospheres, or underwater must be environmen- occupy no more than 10 hexes as 30 ÷ 2 = 15 and 20 ÷ 2 = 10).
tally sealed (all other structure types can make do with adequate
built-in ventilation that does not add significantly to their cost The cost and man-hour requirements to construct subsur-
under these rules). For such structures, a 2D6 roll must be made, face facilities multiplies the standard structure costs by five. If the
modified as noted on the Sealed Structure Breach Table below, subsurface feature is both underground and underwater (such as
whenever the structure’s CF suffers damage in excess of 10 beneath an ocean floor), double these costs again (and note that
points (per hit). If the final, modified result is 10 or more, the environmental sealing is required).
structure is considered to be breached. A breached structure will
not necessarily collapse, but all unprotected personnel and Any subsurface structure may be damaged normally by units
equipment within the entire structure is considered destroyed. standing within the structures, while tunnel openings and under-
Adjacent structures—such as tunnels—are not considered to be water subsurface structures not also built below the floor of the
breached unless the doors between them are open. water feature may be attacked by units outside. As with sealed
structures, each hex of subsurface structure that sustains dam-
Units attempting to move through the walls or closed doors age in an attack must check for breaches, though a breach result
of a sealed structure must make the breach check first in order for an underground subsurface structure translates into a col-
to pass. Remember that an armored structure may not sustain lapse for that hex only. (As with surface structures, a multi-hex
CF damage until its armor is destroyed. subsurface structure will collapse completely if more than half
[rounded up] of all its hexes collapse.)
Subsurface Structures: As a more complex option, building,
hangar, and fortress structures may be constructed below All equipment and unprotected personnel within a flooded or
ground (or underwater), rather than above. Doing so, however, collapsed subsurface structure are considered to be destroyed in
poses certain risks, such as the threat of collapse from combat, the event of a collapse. Vehicles and ’Mechs within a collapsed
both inside the structures, and above ground (if the base is close subsurface hex suffer damage as though they stood within a col-
enough to the surface, or simply located underwater). The costs lapsing structure equal to the height of the subsurface structure,
and construction times of such constructs also increases dra- plus the height of all ground/water above it.
matically, while the sizes of the same are vastly reduced.
Units attempting to move through the walls of subsurface
To abstract all of this, players interested in constructing sub- structures may not do so under any circumstances if the area
surface facilities may use the existing rules for surface structures, beyond the wall is solid rock, but may inflict damage on the walls
with the following exceptions: to encourage a collapse. Units in submerged subsurface struc-
tures may attempt to penetrate the walls using the same rules
noted for environmentally sealed structures above.
135
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
BASE COMPONENTS TABLE
Component C-bill Cost Max. Size Man-Hours
Type (per Level)
Tent (per hex) 1,000 x CF (Hexes/Levels) (per Level) CF Notes
Buildings (per hex) 10,000 x CF 1-2 Units inside take full damage
1/1 5 — May not be armed or armored
Light — 1-15
Medium — —— 16-40 May not be armed or armored
Heavy — 41-90
Hangars (per hex)* 8,000 x CF 6/5 100 — May be armed/armored at extra cost
Light — 1-8
Medium — 8/8 300 9-20 May be up to 4 hexes wide; At least two opposing hexsides
Heavy — 21-45 must be considered walls. Entrance/Exit hexes must include
Hardened — 10/10 500 46-75 doors.
Fortress (per hex) 20,000 x CF —
Medium — —— 16-40 +1 MP to cross (infantry only)
Heavy — 41-90 Walls may be armored at extra cost
Hardened — 10/7 30 91-150 +1 MP to cross (all ground units)
Tunnel (per hex) 15,000 x CF — +2 MP to cross (all ground units)
14/10 90 +3 MP to cross (all ground units)
+4 MP to cross (all ground units)
18/13 150 As Paved/Road Terrain
Required for structures in vacuum, toxic atmospheres, or sub-
20/14 200 merged.
Min below-ground Depth = 1; Max underwater Depth = CF;
—— Building, Hangar, Fortress and Tunnel only
12/15 600
15/20 1,000
20/30 1,800
——
Light — —/6 40 1-8
Medium — —/6 100 9-20
Heavy — —/6 160 21-45
Hardened — —/6 220 46-75
Fence (per hex-side) 800 —/3
Walls (per hex-side) 5,000 x CF — 21
Light — —/4 ——
Medium — —/6 10 1-15
Heavy — —/8 20 16-40
Hardened — —/10 40 41-90
Pavement/Road (Hex) 7,500 —/0 60 91-150
Environmental Sealing x 1.5 —/— 10 —
x2 —
Subsurface x5 Half Normal x5 x1
Additional Cost Min. Size Man-Hours
(per Level)
Equipment (C-Bills) (Hexes/Levels) Notes
—
Weaponry —— 1/weapon Available to all but Tents/Fences*
3/weapon Available to Fortresses only*
Light/Medium As RPG weapon — Available to all but Tents/Fences**
2/turret Available to all but Tents/Fences
Heavy As CBT weapon — 2/ammo ton Standard Heat Sinks only
1/heat sink Available to Fortresses/Walls only†
Turret 5,000 x Turret Mass — When open, units of equal or smaller height may pass through unhin-
40/hex dered
Ammo As weapon — 8/door Enables equipment feature, as appropriate
Heat Sinks 2,000 x Heat Sink —
Armor 60,000 x Armor Mass —
Large Door 10,000 x Levels —
Other Equipment As item — 4/item ton
Power Generators — — — 1 Level height per 100 tons (Min: 1 Level)
2/2 40 X Tons Min height represents smokestacks
Steam-based‡ 4,000 x Tons 1/2 35 x Tons Min height represents smokestacks
1/1 40 x Tons
IC-based‡ 5,000 x Tons 3/1 50 x Tons Panels add 1 hex area per 50 tons
2/2 100 x Tons Min height represents cooling towers
Fuel Cell-based‡ 7,000 x Tons 1/1 150 x Tons
1/1 30 x Tons 1-day power supply if external source is lost
Solar-based 8,000 x Tons
Fission-based 15,000 x Tons
Fusion-based 10,000 x Tons
External-source 5,000 x Tons
*Max tonnage of heavy weapons (discounting ammo, turret, and heat sinks) per Fortress hex = CF / 10 (round down); maximum number of
light/medium weapons per hex of structure = 6 x structure height (in levels).
**Turret mass = tonnage of turreted weapons / 10, round down (minimum: 0.5 tons).
†Max armor points per fortress hex/wall hexside = CF of fortress/wall being armored. Armor must be destroyed before structure can be entered or
sustain damage.
‡These facilities require fuel to operate.
136
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT VEHICLE AVAILABILITY MODIFIERS
EXPANSIONS TABLE ADDENDUM*
The rules provided on pp. 171-175 of FMMercs enabled Local Conditions +2
mercenary commands to procure replacement equipment and World is in the Blake Protectorate
parts to expand a command’s force size or replace its battlefield
losses as needed. Those tables, however, covered only the Technology and Manufacture +4
basics of battlefield supplies and equipment, leaving out the Vehicle uses experimental (Level 3) technology –1
addition of support vehicles or spacecraft for post-creation com- Vehicle uses “Salvage Quality” equipment +5
mands, as well as the effects of purchasing less costly (but more Vehicle uses Lithium-Fusion Battery
temperamental) salvage-quality gear.
Weight/Vehicle Class +5
The following expansions enable mercenary commanders to Vehicle is JumpShip +6
integrate these elements into their campaigns and are designed Vehicle is “pocket WarShip” DropShip** +4
for full compatibility with the rules found in FMMercs. Vehicle is assault DropShip +3
Vehicle is ’Mech or fighter carrier DropShip +2
Procuring Support Vehicles and Spacecraft Vehicle is troop or vehicle carrier DropShip –2
The Vehicle Availability Modifiers Table Addendum provides Vehicle is cargo carrier DropShip +1
Vehicle is liner DropShip +2
additional modifiers that enable interested commanders to Vehicle is tug DropShip 0
search for Support Vehicles, DropShips, and even JumpShips Vehicle is armed Support Vehicle† –2
when attempting to obtain units under the Replacement Vehicle is unarmed Support Vehicle† +5
Equipment rules (see pp. 173-174). These modifiers supplement Vehicle is Large-class Support Vehicle 0
those found in the Vehicle Availability Modifiers Table (see p. 174, Vehicle is armed IndustrialMech† –1
FMMercs) and are added together with all other standard modi- Vehicle is unarmed IndustrialMech† +1
fiers as applicable. As with procuring replacement ’Mechs and Vehicle is fission-powered 0
vehicles, these modifiers apply to both the roll to locate a suitable Vehicle is fuel cell- or solar-powered 0
unit, as well as to the roll to determine its base cost and the for- Vehicle is armed exoskeleton† –1
mulae for determining how long it will take for any purchased Vehicle is unarmed exoskeleton†
units to arrive under these rules.
*The following modifiers apply in addition to those on p. 174,
Note that, in the case of support vehicles, the vehicle’s FMMercs.
motive type and engine stacks upon its base weight class and **For the purposes of these rules, “Pocket WarShips” are any
the like, so a large-class, unarmed, fission-powered submarine DropShip equipped with capital missiles.
weighing 5,000 tons would receive a +5 modifier for being large, †Do not count physical attack weapons or melee-capable
–2 for being an unarmed Support Vehicle, +1 for being fission- industrial equipment as armament.
powered, and a –3 for being a submarine for a total modifier of
+1. Also note that medium Support Vehicles use the same weight In terms of procurement, salvage quality equipment reduces
classes of their combat counterparts (light = 20 tons to under 40 the availability target number of a given item on the Weapons and
tons; medium = 40 tons to less than 60 tons; heavy = 60 tons to Equipment Availability Table (see p. 172, FMMercs) by 1 and mul-
less than 80 tons; assault = 80 to 100 tons), and all small-class tiplies its C-bill cost by 0.6. As an optional rule, “Salvage Quality”
Support Vehicles may be treated as part of the light weight class. equipment may also be recovered in the field as any equipment
Conventional aircraft and airship Support Vehicles should be that has suffered a critical hit in all of its component slots and
treated as conventional fighters for purposes of determining their recovered using the Component Status rule under the standard
modifiers, while satellites may be classed as aerospace fighters. Scavenging and Repairs rules (see p. 88, BMR).
Finally, treat any Support Vehicle power source other than fusion,
fission, fuel cell, or solar as an ICE for purposes of engine types. Note that certain items may never be obtained as “salvage
quality”. These items are: ammunition, CASE, One-Shot
“Salvage Quality” Equipment Weapons (including A-Pods), armor, fuels, structural components
The business of warfare practically guarantees that many (including internal structure and actuators), external hardpoint
weapons (such as bombs), infantry weapons (e.g. weapons used
items of equipment found on salvaged or other pre-owned by unarmored infantry units), and all other equipment not covered
machines will include weapons and equipment of questionable by the Salvage Quality Equipment Table below.
quality. Such “salvage quality” equipment functions well enough
in combat but may have additional quirks that can prove a hin- In combat, Salvage Quality equipment suffers from a random
drance in combat. Nevertheless, the very weaknesses of salvage quirk as outlined in the Salvage Quality Equipment Table below.
quality equipment has led to a niche market where machines and This quirk is determined at the time the item finds itself in the
weapons are slightly easier to obtain and sold at reduced prices player’s hands but after its purchase or recovery. Affected items
because of their defects—and, of course, there is always the
chance that unsuspecting mercenaries may simply find them-
selves saddled with having to rely on such broken technology in
a pinch.
137
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
weigh as much and occupy the same critical space in a unit as tion for the remainder of the scenario (even if the weapon rules
their undamaged counterparts straight from the factory, but they normally allow for the clearing of such effects). Weapons with a
may never be fully repaired to factory specs. If damaged in com- damage loss reflect loss of standard damage for standard
bat, Salvage Quality gear that is subsequently repaired will sim- weapons, and capital damage for capital scale weapons. If the
ply perform with the same glitch as before. weapon ordinary inflicts no damage (such as TAG or Narc pods),
treat a damage reduction effect as a +1 to-hit modifier instead.
Any quirk with a random component built in (such as a +1D6
heat factor) should be determined at the time the quirk is deter- Units mounting “Salvage Quality” equipment must replace
mined, rather than each time the item is used, unless the effect such gear in order to function normally. Otherwise, in combat, the
is specifically described as “intermittent”. If a glitch affects sys- item will always function with the quirk determined at the time it
tems designed to work in multiples—such as Jump Jets and is obtained.
Heat Sinks—the effects are not cumulative, though multiple dif-
ferent glitches may occur if more than one part of these systems Customizing Vehicles and Spacecraft (Expanded)
is of Salvage Quality and the “glitchy” systems are active at the While the purchasing of customized vehicles and vessels is
time (so two “Salvage Quality” jump jets would apply the –2 Jump
MP glitch only once, even if both had that glitch, but if one had allowed under the rules for procuring equipment, the extent and
the –2 Jump and another had the +1 Piloting Skill glitch, both costs of such customization is a matter left largely to the con-
would apply to the unit—so long as both “Salvage Quality” jets struction rules of the appropriate unit. Players interested in more
remain functional, that is). depth in this matter for their mercenary campaigns may use the
following guide to customizations.
Note that any Piloting Skill rolls caused by quirks in a
“Salvage Quality” item are made at the end of the Movement To find the cost of a customization, the player must first
Phase in which the quirk applies, unless specifically indicated name a specific model of unit to upgrade and then determine the
otherwise. Weapons with a misfire or jam roll effect use ammo total cost (in C-bills) for all the new components desired to make
and generate heat as normal during the turn in which they jam or the upgrade (as found under the unit’s appropriate construction
misfire, but deliver no damage in that attack, and cease to func-
SALVAGE QUALITY EQUIPMENT TABLE
Equipment Effects (1D6) by System Type
Energy Weapons/TAG
(1-2) Minor optics/targeting circuitry glitch. [+1 to-hit when fired]
(3) Power output glitch. [Multiply damage by 0.75 (round down, minimum of 1)]
(4) Focus/alignment glitch. [Reduce all ranges by 1 hex (to minimum of 0)]
(5) Intermittent power short. [Misfires on a to-hit roll of 2 or 3]
(6) Power surge. [Add 1D6-2 (minimum +1) heat per shot.*]
Ballistic Weapons
(1-2) Alignment/targeting circuitry glitch. [+1 to-hit when fired]
(3) Firing mechanism/accelerator glitch. [Multiply damage by 0.75 (round down, minimum of 1)]
(4) Recoil damping/muzzle velocity glitch [Reduce all ranges by 1 hex (to minimum of 0)]
(5) Feed mechanism glitch. [Jams on to-hit roll of 2 or 3]
(6) Runaway misfire. [Ammo consumed at twice the normal rate (from the same bin) when fired, but only one hit may be made; Weapon also
generates 1D6 (minimum +1) heat per shot.]
Missile Weapons
(1-2) Targeting/arming circuitry glitch. [+1 to-hit when fired]
(3-4) Guidance glitch. [–2 on Cluster Hits Table (Streak Launchers still require lock to fire, but now roll for Cluster Hits—with a +2 modifier—
instead)]
(5) Launch mechanism glitch. [Jam on to-hit of 2 or 3]
(6) Exhaust ventilation glitch. [Weapon generates 1D6+1 heat per shot.]
Artillery Weapons
(1-2) Alignment/targeting circuitry glitch. [+2 to-hit when fired (homing rounds require a 6+ to hit successfully-designated targets, rather than a
4+)]
(3-4) Muzzle/launch velocity drag. [Range reduced by 1 mapsheet. (On-board artillery fire unaffected.)]
(5-6) Feed mechanism glitch. [Jams on to-hit roll of 2 or 3]
Melee Weapons
(1-3) Poor weapon balance. [Piloting Skill +1 to avoid fall after making attack. Non-’Mech units that fail this roll suffer half weapon damage (round
down) to mounted location instead.]
(4-6) Material defect. [–2 damage per hit (min. 1); Weapon shatters (must be replaced) on to-hit roll of 2]
Engines (Fusion/Fission)
(1-2) Shielding leak. [+3 heat/turn*]
(3-4) Reduced power. [–1 Cruise/Walk/Safe Thrust (min. 1); recalculate Flank/Run/Max. Thrust]
(5-6) Power sputter. [Piloting Skill +1 per turn of Run/Flank/Max Thrust. On failure, BattleMechs/IndustrialMechs fall, Aerospace units suffer Out-
of-Control effects, all other units stall for 1 turn (treat as immobile).]
138
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
Equipment Effects (1D6) by System Type
Engines (Other)
(1-3) Reduced power. [–1 Cruise/Walk/Safe Thrust (min. 1); recalculate Flank/Run/Max. Thrust]
(4-5) Power sputter. [Piloting Skill +1 per turn of Run/Flank/Max Thrust. On failure, BattleMechs/IndustrialMechs fall, Aerospace units suffer
Out-of-Control effects, all other units stall for 1 turn (treat as immobile).]
(6) Fuel pump glitch. [Double fuel consumption rates (and halve operational range accordingly).]
Gyro/Cockpit/Controls/Avionics
(1-2) Transmission/joint/thruster control slippage. [–1 Flank/Run/Max Thrust MP]
(3-4) Stability/braking control glitch. [Piloting Skill +2 per turn of Run/Flank/Max Thrust. On failure, BattleMechs/IndustrialMechs fall,
Aerospace units suffer Out-of-Control effects, all other units stall for 1 turn (treat as immobile).]
(5-6) Major servo/alignment/avionics glitch. [No Torso Twist for BattleMechs/IndustrialMechs or ProtoMechs; Turret Twist for vehicle units lim-
ited to one hexside (60 degrees) per turn; Aerospace units double all turning costs]
Life Support
(1-4) Sealing mechanism glitch. [Unit may not operate underwater, in vacuum, or in thin, tainted, or toxic atmospheres for longer than 3 con-
secutive turns.]
(5-6) Ejection system fault. [Warrior may not use Ejection rules (p. 79, BMR).]
Heat Sinks
(1-4) Slow coolant leak. [During any Heat Phase in which the unit overheats by 5 points or more (or, for non-heat-tracking units, uses
Flank/Run/Maximum Thrust MPs), roll 2D6. On a result of 2 or 12, one heat sink shuts down for the remainder of the scenario (treat as
a critical hit to a heat sink, location determined randomly).]
(5-6) Intermittent cascading failure glitch. [During End Phase, roll 2D6; on a result of 2 or 12, unit vents only half as many heat points as nor-
mal during that Heat Phase.*]
Active Probe, ECM, and Artemis FCS
(1-5) Power input/output glitch. [For Active Probes/ECM, effective range reduced by half (round up, minimum of 1 hex); For Artemis, the Cluster
Hits bonus for the related launcher is +1, rather than +2]
(6) System interference. [+1 to-hit modifier for all ranged weapon attacks]
Other Electronics
(1-4) Data resolution glitch [+1 to-hit modifier for all ranged weapon attacks by user(s) (Targeting computer retains aimed shot ability.)]
(5-6) Intermittent failure [Before using system for attacks, roll 1D6 and treat system as inoperative/inactive (for that turn only) on a result of 6.
(For units with Salvage Quality C3 gear, this result applies only to the unit mounting said gear, not others in the network.)]
Jump Jets/MASC/Triple-Strength Myomer
(1-3) Underpowered. [–2 Jump/Run MP (min. 1) when using movement related to system (–2 Jump MP for Jump Jets; –2 Run MP when using
MASC or TSM).]
(4-5) Balance/alignment glitch. [Piloting Skill +1 to avoid fall (even from standstill) when equipment is used.]
(6) Heat spike. [+3 heat when used, applied to heat scale after equipment is used.*]
Battle Armor (Apply effects to entire squad.)
(1-3) Faulty motor/myomer control. [–1 MP from unit’s fastest movement rating (min. 1).]
(4-5) Faulty targeting systems. [+1 to-hit modifier for all ranged weapon attacks.]
(6) Manipulator glitches. [Unit may not deploy as Mechanized Battle Armor or undertake Swarm/Leg Attacks]
Note: Ammunition, CASE, One-Shot Weapons (including A-Pods), armor, structural components (including internal structure and actuators), exter-
nal hardpoint weapons (such as bombs), infantry weapons (e.g. weapons used by unarmored infantry units), and all other equipment not covered
by the above classifications may not be obtained as “salvage quality”.
Energy Weapons include lasers, PPC, flamers, and TAG
Ballistic Weapons include anti-missile systems, capital missiles, autocannon and Gauss weaponry.
Missile Weapons include SRM, MRM, LRM, ATM, Rocket Launchers, Narc Launchers, and Streaks.
Artillery Weapons include tube artillery (such as Thumpers, Snipers, and Long Toms), and Arrow IV systems.
Melee Weapons include all built-in physical combat weapons and industrial gear that may be used in a similar capacity.
Other Electronics includes Targeting Computers, C3 systems, Sensors, Aerospace Fire Control Systems, and any other specialized electronic sys-
tems other than Active Probes, ECMs, and Artemis Fire Control systems.
* Units that do not track heat or which operate on a “zero-heat principle” (such as vehicles and ProtoMechs) must refrain from using any combi-
nation of energy weapons that create heat in excess of their total number of heat sinks. If no such weapons are present, there is no effect.
rules, such as pp. 115-129 in BMR for most ground units, or pp. BMR for most ground units or pp. 56-57 in AT2 for most aero-
60-84 in AT2 for most aerospace units). Deduct the cost of any space units). Divide this sum by three if there is a major factory
weapons or equipment removed from the unit to facilitate these or repair facility on-planet to do the work. This establishes the
additions to establish the Base Parts Cost. Next, determine the Base Labor Hours involved. Multiply these Base Labor Hours by
base time (in hours) for such customization by finding the time to 60 and then add the result to the Base Parts Cost to determine
replace each of the removed and installed components (as found the total cost for the custom work. This is called the
in the appropriate repair rules for each unit, such as pp. 87-92 in Customization Cost.
139
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
Under the Replacement Equipment rules (see pp. 173-174, opt to make a single roll per week to reflect their efforts to locate
FMMercs), a mercenary command may purchase a customized the local black market. This 2D6 roll has a base target number of
unit in the normal fashion by paying the Customization Cost in 10. Reduce this target number by 1 point for each of the follow-
addition to the cost of the specific model machine being pur- ing Traits the mercenary commander possesses (only one per
chased. Note that, in addition, the mercenary player must add Trait type): Scrounge Skill (+3 or higher), Negotiation skill (+3 or
the modifiers for specifying the exact design model (+2) and cus- higher), Contact, Well-Connected, Wealth. Add 1 to the target
tomization (+3) to the unit’s availability roll to reflect the difficulty number for each of these traits the mercenary commander pos-
in scrounging up a given unit and then having it modified. Note sesses: Bad Reputation, Enemy, Unlucky, Timid. If the roll result
that units customized to these rules are never purchased in dam- equals or exceeds the target number, the mercenary command
aged condition nor may they mount salvage quality gear. has located the black market and may place orders, make pur-
chases, and sell items through it for the following month, after
Alternatively, mercenary commands may obtain a given which the market must be located again, reflecting its transient
machine and opt to perform the customizations for themselves in nature.
an effort to trim out labor costs or enhance their chances of hav-
ing usable machines now, rather than waiting for the specific Once found in this fashion, the black market enables players
models and parts to come in. In such case, procuring the base to subtract 1D6-2 from all target numbers (negative results
unit is handled as per the normal Replacement Equipment rules, increase the target number) when determining the availability of
and any desired items of equipment are then purchased per the replacement parts and equipment under the FMMercs rules (pp.
Parts and Equipment Replacement rules (see pp. 172-173, 172-174). The black market also reduces the delivery time for
FMMercs). Note that, in this case, the mercenary command purchased items by 1D6/2 months. However, the cost for any
spends the man-hours of its own staff to perform the custom item purchased on the black market increases by 3D6 x 10 per-
work, so determining the time needed to make the modifications cent, though the margins of success may help drive down the
once all parts come in is merely a function of dividing the Base final price as normal. Furthermore, purchased equipment may
Labor Hours for the job by the man-hours of the technical staff. turn out to be of salvage quality even when not purchased as
Furthermore, for each part removed and installed in the cus- such. To reflect this possible surprise when buying from the black
tomization process, the appropriate rolls must be made by the market, the gamemaster (or controlling player) should make a
command’s technical staff in order to successfully complete the 1D6 roll for every item purchased on the black market after the
customization process. Note, however, that while these rules transaction is completed. On a result of 1, the item is of salvage
cover most custom work easily enough, some jobs are impossi- quality (see “Salvage Quality” Equipment, p. 137). Note that the
ble for a mercenary command that lacks ready access to major black market does not offer refunds.
facilities. Custom work that falls into this category includes the
modification of any core components for JumpShips, DropShips, Selling to the black market works along the same principles
and Large-size Support Vehicles (e.g. engines, control systems, as buying, though black market buyers invariably try to drive
life support, or structural integrity). WarShips captured by the down the sellers’ asking price. To reflect this, when attempting to
mercenary command may only be modified or repaired in a sell to a black market buyer in the RPG, players must make a
major shipyard and may never be purchased by a mercenary successful opposed Negotiations Check to sell any item within
force. 10 percent of its basic black market price. A Margin of Success
over 3 allows the negotiator to sell items for 10 percent more per
Black Market Buying and Selling each point by which the player’s negotiator succeeded, while any
With constant warfare something of a norm, almost every Margin of Failure reduces the black market buyer’s offer by 5 per-
cent per point (to a minimum of 25 percent).
world in the Inner Sphere and Periphery where troops are post-
ed might host a thriving black market willing to provide those In a non-RPG campaign, the selling player simply makes a
troops with anything they need (or a place to sell off hot mer- 2D6 roll against the item’s black market-modified base availabili-
chandise). In an RPG setting, tables exist to cover the process of ty target number and adds +2 to the result for every one of the
finding the black market and determining the prices of any item following traits the mercenary commander possesses: Scrounge
a player or player group may want to buy or sell there, and Skill (+3 or higher), Negotiations Skill (+3 or Higher), Contact, or
gamemasters may abstract the process further by simply having Well-Connected (subtract 2 from the roll if the mercenary com-
a relevant character in the command make the appropriate mander has the Unlucky or Enemy Traits; subtract 4 for both). For
Streetwise or Scrounge Skill checks (once per week, against the every point by which this roll exceeds the target number, the sale
TN of the gamemaster’s choice, based on local conditions). Note price for the item increases by 10 percent over its base price. A
that under the RPG rules, each faction the mercenary command failed roll reduces the buyer’s offer by 5 percent per point.
may find itself operating in has its own unique market, whose
pricing table may be found in the rules section of the appropriate If at any point a mercenary doing business with the black
Handbook. If players do not have access the appropriate market opts to refuse a sale or a purchase, the player doing busi-
Handbook, the Generic Black Market Price Table (RPG) below ness with the market should roll 2D6. On a result of 6 or less, the
provides a guide for basic price multipliers based on the avail- market “closes” and must be relocated before any further black
ability and legality of a given item. market business can occur. On a result of 2, the mercenary com-
mand has been caught red-handed by local authorities and may
For mercenary-based CBT campaigns, players may instead face disciplinary action from its employers, up to and including
the termination of its present contract and a subsequent
Dragoons Rating effect of a failed mission.
140
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
GENERIC BLACK MARKET PRICE nary command will not see another such opportunity from its cur-
TABLE (RPG) rent employer.
Availability Mercenaries that accept these terms are considered to have
sold out immediately, losing all recognition as a mercenary com-
Legality A B CD E F mand, including Dragoons Ratings and access to the Hiring
4 Halls. They are to immediately conform to the regulations of their
A 0.5 1 1.25 1.5 2 6 new parent state and are considered answerable to the state’s
9 chain of command rather than the MRBC. In general, larger com-
B 1 2 2.5 2 3 14 mands that merge into regular armies tend to suffer a minor exo-
21 dus during these transitions, mostly among those warriors who
C 2 3 43 4 30 own their own machines or who have personal or political gripes
with the new parent state. Indeed, some warriors may even be
D 3 4 56 8 dismissed as security risks by the command’s new masters, as
they clean house during the process of assimilation. To reflect
E 5 6 7 10 15 this, see the rules for Defections and Retirement, p. 137. To facil-
itate these transitions, it is not uncommon for an employer to
F 7 9 11 13 20 assign a group of liaison officers who function as a combination
of administrative aides and watchdogs to assure a faithful and
SELLING OUT complete absorption of the mercenary command into the fold.
Though many mercenary commands form when a legitimate
At the same time, all of the command’s previous debts—if
regular army force severs its ties to a state command, on rare any—are reduced to nothing, and any requested supplies held up
occasions these same forces may return to the fold (or to a fold), for said reason are immediately released and delivered for use.
exchanging the freedom and profits of mercenary life for the sta- Furthermore, the procurement of new supplies by the ex-merce-
bility and order of military service. The reasons for returning to nary command receives a –2 modifier to the base equipment
regular service can vary greatly—from the pressures of a crush- availability (pp. 172-174, FMMercs) for all items. Mercenaries can
ing debt to a strong sense of nationalist sentiment to the prover- (and, actually, must) also stop seeking contract offers during
bial offer that can’t be refused. While these professional soldiers downtime, as the command receives its base pay regardless of
may have their reasons, their fellow mercenaries often label such its operations (though employers of sold-out units generally
warriors with the same bitter label: “sell outs.” replace hazard pay bonuses with a benefits package that applies
to both the troopers and their families in the event of crippling
Mercenary units generally may not sell out (also known as injuries and death—the same deal their regular troops receive)
“turning regular” or “turning House”) on their own, as legitimate and receives missions as assigned from their new High
states and employers may not always be willing to adopt them. Command. These new orders can put the adopted mercenaries
Indeed, as a general rule, only those commands that have through any kind of operation their new masters deem reason-
served their employer faithfully for a great period of time—typi- able, up to and including the dispersal of unit assets to fill out
cally in decades—receive the offer to rejoin the ranks of the state other damaged House commands (though this is very rarely
army. To reflect this, gamemasters are best advised to avoid done, as it can defeat the very point in absorbing the command).
extending an offer for regular service to any player’s mercenary
command that has not served the same employer for at least five Additionally, the former mercenary command and its depen-
consecutive years, has a reliability rating of Questionable (see dents may be assigned a semi-permanent base of operations
Contract Outcomes, pp. 170-171, FMMercs), or is rated Green in within their new masters’ realm. Any dependents would be left on
experience. Outside of these criteria, units of any type, origin, or this base whenever the command is assigned missions of rela-
financial status may receive an offer to become regular army at tively short durations (under a year). These bases, however, may
the end of their current contract. be moved at any time at the discretion of the controlling govern-
ment (or gamemaster, as the case may be), dependent on the
The minimal offer an employer may make toward a merce- state of local hostilities at that time.
nary command for their permanent service would cover the for-
giveness (negation) of all outstanding debts and the purchase of Aside from the above changes, however, it remains possible
all unit assets not owned by its individual members (generally at to continue campaigning as normal with a mercenary force that
base cost, subtracting the value of the command’s outstanding sells out, and the command’s irregular status may even free it to
debts from the total—which can conceivably run beyond the undertake missions not ordinary given to regular troops (such as
value of all its equipment). Furthermore, all of the command’s deep raids or guerrilla warfare).
staff willing to take the oath to serve their new liege state in per-
petuity will be offered their equivalent rank (by function, rather MISCELLANEOUS PERSONNEL RULES
than title) into the regular service. The following personnel rules mainly focus on the over-
If a mercenary command declines this initial offer, the looked aspects of personnel losses through retirement and
employer (at the gamemaster’s discretion) may sweeten the deal defections, and the improvement of warrior and non-warrior skills.
with offers of land grants for the unit’s commander and command Though developed for mercenary commands in non-RPG cam-
staff, as well as a healthy sign-on bonus and (perhaps) the first
posting of the unit’s choice. Additional gear and even a noble
patent for the commander may be offered, though the core terms
of purchase are rarely changed in this second offer. A refusal on
the second offer, however, virtually guarantees that the merce-
141
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
paigns, these rules may be used with regular forces and as a points as a group rather than as individuals, though gamemas-
means of handling NPC personnel in RPG settings. ters of non-RPG campaigns interested in greater depth and vari-
ety may feel free to do otherwise.
Defections and Retirement
During wartime, combat may be the largest cause of per- Note that for the purposes of these rules, a “scenario” refers
to any major (non-simulated) battle in which the warriors or sup-
sonnel loss in a military command. However, during both war and port personnel take an active part (e.g., are deployed on the
peace, retirement, resignations, and even defections to another map). A “mission,” on the other hand, refers to any contract com-
employer can riddle the ranks at any time, sapping away some of pleted (successfully or otherwise) by the mercenary command.
a force’s best and brightest through nothing more than the pas- Note also that these rules allow for the cross-training of person-
sage of time. nel. To add a new skill, the individual in question must first pay
the purchase price for the new skill, and he or she then receives
To reflect this effect, at the end of each month, the player the listed target number as a result. New and improved skills
controlling a mercenary command that is not actively in combat must be used at least once before they may be improved again.
should roll 2D6 and apply all the modifiers which apply from the Finally, remember that that no skill target number may be
Personnel Loss Modifiers Table below. If the modified roll result reduced below 0 under these rules.
John controls a D-rated, battalion-sized merce- As indicated above, these rules are not intended as a sub-
nary BattleMech force that is led by an Unlucky com- stitute for the skill advancement rules presented in CBT: RPG
mander, in debt, and between missions on a hostile campaigns, but they may be adapted to allow for the advance-
border. They failed in their latest mission and earned a ment of background NPCs in such campaigns if desired.
Questionable reliability rating. The modifiers for all of
these conditions come to +6 when John rolls 2D6 to PERSONNEL LOSS MODIFIERS
check for personnel losses. On a roll of 8, the final TABLE
result becomes 14 (8 + 6 = 14). The result is not less
than 10, so the mercenaries lose 15 percent of their Situation Modifier
personnel to defections (14 – 9 = 5; 5 x 3 = 15%).
Command is stationed on a hostile front –3
With a battalion of MechWarriors plus 30 techni-
cians, the command has 66 people on its payroll. Of Command is at rest/between contracts +1
these, 9 quit, retire, or defect by the end of this month,
based on the roll result (15% of 66 = 9.9, which rounds Command is in debt +2
down to 9). John must now proceed to randomly deter-
mine which 9 of his mercenary command have chosen Command has sold out +4
to abandon their comrades.
Command has Dragoons Rating of A –1
is less than 10, the mercenary command suffers no loss of
salaried personnel (note that dependent losses are covered in Command has Dragoons Rating of D or F +2
the rules for Dependents, p. 142) If the modified roll equals or
exceeds 10, the command loses 3 percent of its overall combat Command has successfully completed last mission –2
and support staff (to a maximum of 30 percent) for every point by
which the result was higher than 9. Determine the number of lost Command has failed latest mission +1
individuals by totaling up all salaried personnel and applying the
percentage accordingly. Round all numbers down. Command has breached latest contract +2
The exact members of the mercenary force who depart may Command is Elite –2
be determined by any random means the controlling player wish-
es, but neither the commander/founder of the unit nor any play- Command is Green +1
er characters among the force may be selected to leave in this
fashion. Command is Fanatical –2
Improving Skills Command is Questionable +2
Basic non-RPG rules for improving the Gunnery and Piloting
Command is very small –1
skills of warriors across scenarios may be found in BMR (see p.
16). Larger military forces, however, also incorporate scores of Command is very large +2
non-warriors whose skills may also be increased as their careers
continue. The Basic Skill Improvement Table below outlines the Command has suffered internal strife +(2 to 4)*
process by which the various elements of a mercenary com-
mand may acquire and improve their appropriate skills over time. Commander has high Leadership (RPG: over 3+) –2**
To use it, the mercenary player must track the skill points award-
ed to all members of the command’s roster. For the sake of sim- Commander has CHA/SOC of 7+ –2
plicity, vehicle crews and infantry squads should apply their skill
Commander has CHA/SOC of 3 or less +2
Commander has Enemy Trait +1
Commander is Unlucky +1
* Gamemaster determines modifier based on cause and extent of
internal divisions.
** CBT: RPG – Subtract half of Leadership Skill bonus instead.
142
MERCENARY RULES ANNEX
BASIC SKILL IMPROVEMENT TABLE
Skill Point Awards Skill Points Awarded
Situation 1
Each Scenario Survived 2
Each Offensive Mission Completed 1
Each Defensive Mission Completed
Skill Improvement Costs Point Cost
Skill Improvement/Purchase 8
Gunnery Skill Improvement 4
Piloting Skill Improvement 6
Tech/Mechanic Skill Improvement 8
MedTech/Surgery Skill Improvement 4
Administration Skill Improvement 4
Scrounge/Negotiation Skill Improvement 6
Tactics/Strategy/Leadership Skill Improvement x2*
Purchase New Skill
* Skill Target Number begins at “Ultra-Green” (see below)
SKILL QUALITY TABLE
Target Number Range CBT:RPG
Gunnery Piloting
Base Quality Rating Other Equivalence
“Ultra-Green” (Astech/Assistant/Paramedic) 7 8
Green (Tech/Intern) 5-6 6-7 10 +0
Regular (Tech/Nurse) 4 5
Veteran (Tech/Doctor) 3 3-4 6 8-9 +1
Elite (Master/Surgeon) 0-2 0-2 5 or less
7 +2
+3 to +5
+6 to +10
143
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
NEW VEHICLES
The following section provides new battlefield units that debuted between 3068 and 3071.
CROW SCOUT VTOL Crow could sell on the mercenary and independent unit market.
Very aware of the Dragon’s “death to mercenaries” stance, they
Mass: 15 tons offered to create a shell corporation based outside the Combine
Movement Type: VTOL to sell the craft in order to preserve the appearance of honor.
Power Plant: 100 DAV Fusion Profits from the sales would then go back into LAW, who could
Cruising Speed: 140.4 kph continue rebuilding efforts on systems farther away from the
Flank Speed: 216.0 kph Word of Blake Protectorate.
Armor: Star Slab/3 Standard
Armament: Warlord Minamoto, recognizing the need for such a fast
reconnaissance vehicle that was also capable of artillery spotting
2 Exostar ER Small Lasers and possibly even working within a C3 network, hesitantly
Manufacturer: Yan Manufacturing agreed. Very aware of the financial difficulties facing the
Combine’s largest weapons manufacturer and knowing the
Primary Factory: New Samarkand Dragon would need those new factories back online as soon as
Communications System: Scuti Dualcom w/ Apple Churchill possible, Minamoto allowed the deal to go forward, though with
no official sanction.
Guardian ECM
Targeting and Tracking System: Skyhunter IV w/ Forward-1 After arranging for a large surplus of Guardian ECM sys-
tems to be imported to LAW’s new facilities on New Samarkand,
TAG and Wunderland Beagle Active Probe other Combine-based corporations made favorable arrange-
ments with the company to provide lightweight fusion engines
Overview and control systems for several production designs. Within six
After the Dominion War, the DCMS realized it was critically months of the initial agreement, the first production run of Crow
Scout VTOLs began.
short in the area of electronic reconnaissance and warfare.
Losing a large number of Hitmans and Owenses from combat Capabilities
losses—the Bears would often target these light ’Mechs specifi- Able to attain speeds above 200 kph, the Crow is one of the
cally because of their C3 capabilities—the war put a serious
crimp in the Combine’s ELINT capability. Needing a fast and fastest military VTOLs in service. Its lighter airframe allows for a
cheap replacement to fill in the gaps, Combine engineers had larger engine to produce such tremendous speeds, but it trades
their work cut out for them. heavy armor protection for this mobility. The airframe is con-
structed almost as a solid frame, allowing skilled pilots to execute
Yan Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Luthien Armor Works incredible maneuvers with the VTOL, while the counter-balancing
(LAW) known for its Search-and-Rescue VTOL and STOL air- rotor on the tail utilizes a strong ferro-diamond weave in its blade
craft, came up with a design that utilized a modified version of construction so the Crow can practically spin on a dime at maxi-
their Soar-class SAR VTOL. By removing most of the Soar’s mum speed without tearing the smaller rotor out from its mount.
standard equipment, more room could be devoted to its fusion
engine and rotor mounts, eliminating the need for heavy bracing. Since the Crow’s mission profile is geared toward ELINT and
With an overall design twelve percent lighter and fifteen percent artillery-spotting duties, most pilots would not be involved in
faster than the Michaelson Heavy Industries’ Mantis, the newly heavy combat. Two Exostar ER small lasers nonetheless provide
designated Crow seemed to be the perfect solution to the DCMS’ pinpoint defense against missile batteries and infantry, though
problem. Unfortunately, its electronics-intensive load-out and any Crow pilot should be more concerned with evasive tactics
fusion plant came a high price tag, placing each Crow in excess than dogfighting.
of one million C-bills, and so the DCMS’ procurement divisions
initially balked at Yan’s offering. Deployment
Several Genyosha and Ryuken regiments (along with sever-
The High Command was still struggling to find an effective
ELINT platform when the Black Dragons—and, subsequently, al “independent commands”) received Crows from the first three
the Word of Blake—struck at both Luthien and Dieron. The dam- production runs. The next run, slated for more DCMS-exclusive
age done to Luthien Armor Works’ main production lines was sales, has been delayed due to the lack of Forward-1 TAG equip-
devastating, with the company staving off bankruptcy twice in ment. Yan is attempting to overcome this lack with the installation
two years through desperate measures. The massive arms man- of C3 slave modules—smuggled from a Luthien cache in late
ufacturer even looked to sell off many of its subsidiaries when the 3070—instead of the TAG.
Yan board members approached both the new Kanrei and LAW’s
CEO with a desperate offer. Variants
While ELINT-loaded Crows began to populate DCMS recon-
Yan proposed to quickly convert the remainder of the Soar
production line on New Samarkand to the manufacture of Crow naissance groups as early as August of 3069, the mercenary
VTOLs. They would then give eight of every ten to the DCMS for
use in their forces, free of charge, if the DCMS would provide Yan
with much of the spare electronic suites originally slated for unit
refits and upgrades. Yan then provided documentation that the
144
NEW VEHICLES
market began to see a more stripped-down Crow variant, SAXON APC
designed to be more attractive to cost-conscious mercs. These
Crows remove their ECM, TAG, and probe packages in favor of Mass: 35 tons
dual machine guns and an external triple-mount of cheap, one- Movement Type: Hover
shot rocket pods. To balance out the loss of weight, additional Power Plant: GM 175
armor plating is installed on the nose and sides of these merce- Cruising Speed: 108 kph
nary Crows, allowing these VTOLs to fulfill the role of harasser Flank Speed: 162 kph
scouts. Coming in at a reduced cost of just 350,000 C-bills, many Armor: ArcShield Heavy II
merc units have been snapping them up as soon as they hit the Armament:
market.
1 Kicker 2 Machine Gun
Type: Crow Scout VTOL Manufacturer: Cyclops Incorporated
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Movement Type: VTOL Primary Factory: Skye
Tonnage: 15 tons Communications System: TharHes KR-A P/Comm
Battle Value: 322 Targeting and Tracking System: TharHes Mars 1
Equipment 100 Fusion Mass Overview
Internal Structure: 13 1.5 In the face of Improvements in battlefield weaponry, existing
Engine: 20
10 3 armored personnel carriers (APCs) were demonstrating a worry-
Type: ing vulnerability in the eyes of the LAAF. To address these short-
Cruising MP: 24 0 comings in the face of its ever-increasing commitments, the Lyran
Flank MP: Armor 1 military called for upgraded designs to improve the effectiveness
Heat Sinks: Value 1.5 and survivability of its infantry forces. Cyclops Incorporated of
Control Equipment: Skye rose to this challenge, delivering a company of Saxon pro-
Armor Factor: 8 totypes to the Second Skye Guards in early 3070.
5/5
Front 4 Having proven itself in the continuing conflicts in the Skye
R/L Side 2 Province, the LAAF placed several orders for the new APC,
Rear though concerns soon arose that Cyclops’ limited resources may
Rotor be unable to fulfill all of these orders. As a consequence, other
vehicular manufacturers have begun to express an interest in the
Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage Saxon design—including Defiance Industries’ off-Hesperus
2 ER Small Lasers Front 1 headquarters and Quikscell Company of Richvale—and have
TAG Front 1 entered into negotiations to acquire manufacturing licenses.
Guardian ECM Body 1.5
Beagle Active Probe Body 1.5 Capabilities
Blindingly fast, the Saxon sacrifices weaponry for speed,
capacity, and—most critically—armor. The roomy fighting com-
partment is spacious enough to accommodate a conventional
foot-infantry platoon or a battle-armor squad with what
Succession Wars veterans would consider shameless luxury.
145
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
Making provisions for additional stores, the compartment allows Type: Saxon APC
the APC to be used in extended deployments, while its fusion Technology Base: Inner Sphere
engine enables it to operate far from the supply lines to which Movement Type: Hover
older designs, like the Maxim, remain tied. Tonnage: 35
Battle Value: 142
For armament, the Saxon mounts a single Kicker-2 machine
gun, granting it limited light support for the troops it carries. The Equipment 175 Mass
lives of the three-man crew (driver, gunner, and cargo master) Internal Structure: Fusion 3.5
are thus extremely dependent on how skilled their passengers Engine: 10.5
are. Well-trained troops can embark or disembark through the 10
large rear hatch in seconds, minimizing the vehicle’s stopping Type 15 0
time. Greener troops, on the other hand, tend to test the Saxon’s Cruising MP: 10 2
armor, as their deployments often force the vehicle to remain sta- Flank MP: 3.5
tionary longer while under enemy fire. Heat Sinks: 144 0
Control Equipment: Armor .5
Deployment Lift Equipment: Value 9
The first Saxons were field tested by the newly formed Power Amplifier:
Turret: 33 Tonnage
Second and Third Skye Guards. Still deficient in BattleMechs, Armor Factor: 26 .5
these regiments incorporated powerful infantry formations—for 24 .5
which the Saxon proved a perfect compliment. Following the Front 35 5
Skye Guards’ success with the vehicle, the LAAF placed a large R/L Side
order for Saxons nationwide. Deployed to infantry formations Rear
engaged along the Marik and Falcon fronts, the vehicle has Turret
become an almost overnight success.
Weapons and Ammo Location
Duchess Hermione Aten of Skye recently began offering MG Turret
mercenaries interested in taking on contracts that bolster Skye’s Ammo (MG) 100 Body
defenses a discount on these vehicles as a sweetener. The Infantry Bay Body
Raging Horde was among the first to accept such an offer.
146
NEW VEHICLES
O-66 “OPPIE” HAZMAT the reopening of the B-C assembly plant along with the newly
built Martinson Armaments and Skobel MechWorks plants.
RECOVERY VEHICLE Additionally, the Word presented Raymond Brown, a direct
descendant of Brown-Corning CEO Shala Brown, the full engi-
The devastating usage of thermonuclear, chemical, and bio- neering schematics and blueprints for the Oppie HMRV. With
logical weapons during the First Succession War created a need some minor upgrades and the addition of a fully sealed infantry
for salvage and recovery teams to have a way to safely extract bay, the first new Oppie rolled off the rebuilt assembly lines in
materials from targeted “hot zones.” Brown-Corning, Limited uti- 3068.
lized the chassis of the Chieftain Mobile Headquarters platform
and designed an efficient, compact, and utilitarian vehicle capa- While most Oppies are being shipped to various
ble of traversing most broken landscapes to execute such dan- Protectorate Militia units as part of their support network, some
gerous missions. Designated the Oppenheimer—later shortened have been assigned to mercenary units that are under contract to
to “Oppie”—the Hazardous Material Recovery Vehicle (HMRV) the Protectorate. On Outreach, the mercenary command
exceeded engineering expectations. Able to lift up to 150 tons of Wannamaker’s Widowmakers boasts the largest number of
dead weight onto an attached flatbed trailer, the Oppie can sal- these, with sixteen in all. Major Cheryl Wannamaker uses these
vage almost any vehicle or BattleMech carcass left on contami- to scour the Blackwell and Dragoons ruins on both continents,
nated battlefields. Unfortunately, the primary Brown-Corning searching for any technology her command can scavenge. To
plant was destroyed on Caph after Combine raiders mistook the date, they have been extremely useful in extracting a large
industrial complex for a BattleMech line assembly plant. amount of BattleMech remains from Harlech, though the eigh-
Ironically, the raiders destroyed the plant after killing the entire teen tons of decontaminate solution used to spray down the
staff and the surrounding residential suburbs with a pair of chem- radioactive debris is not nearly enough to last a full patrol cycle.
ical weapons attacks. Thus, the Word has needed to refine and ship higher quantities
of the chemical cleansers to all their HMRV-equipped salvage
Caph remained a hostile world for centuries. The numerous teams. With the Oppies currently in service on worlds with little
nuclear hotspots—remains of cities shattered by the brutality of warfare, B-C currently has a surplus of their MASH-equipped
the First and Second Succession Wars—and the hostile native DeConAid trailers and is already behind in manufacturing more
fauna kept the inhabitants from rebuilding the planet to its former HMRV Salvage Beds.
glory. Ignored by most of the Great Houses, except for the occa-
sional raiders and tax collections, life on Caph quietly and stub- Type: O-66 HMRV “Oppie”
bornly continued. Then came the Word of Blake. Chassis Type: Tracked (Large, Environmentally Sealed, Tractor)
Tonnage: 150 tons
With billions of C-bills infused into its economy after the local Cost: 2,249,141 C-bills
government voluntarily signed a defense pact with the Word, Equipment Rating: E/D-X-E/E
Caph began to rebound. The Blakists arrived at several planetary
hot zones with equipment not seen since the final years of the
Hegemony, and—after two years of intense labor—announced
147
MERCENARIES SUPPLEMENTAL UPDATE
Equipment Tracked Mass Notes: Features Trailer chassis modification; 2 Lift Hoists (FRS,
Chassis/Controls: Fusion 76.5 FLS – 6 tons); Backhoe (Rear – 5 tons); 5 Mounted Searchlights
Engine/Trans: 22.5 (Front, FRS, FLS, 2 Rear – 2.5 tons)
2
Cruise MP: 3 0 Type: HMRV DeConAid Trailer
Flank MP: 0 13.5 Chassis Type: Tracked (Medium, Environmentally Sealed, Trailer)
Heat Sinks: 300 Tonnage: 60
Armor Factor (BAR 8): Armor Cost: 471,890 C-bills
Value Battle Value: 88
Front 100 Equipment Rating: E/D-X-E/D
Front R/L Side 40/40
Rear R/L Side 40/40 Equipment Tracked Mass
Rear 40 Chassis/Controls: NA 12.5
Engine/Trans: NA NA
Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage NA NA
None — — Cruise MP: 0
Flank MP: 122 0
Crew: 4 Heat Sinks: 5.5
Cargo Armor Factor (BAR 8): Armor
5 tons Value
Infantry Bay (Foot) 1 Door (FRS) 20 tons Front
Liquid Storage (18-ton capacity) R/L Side 30
Rear 31/31
Notes: Features environmental sealing and tractor chassis mod-
ifications; Minesweeper (Front – 3 tons); Bulldozer (Front – 2 30
tons); Backhoe (Rear – 5 tons); 4 Manipulator Arms (FRS, FLS,
RRS, RLS – 40 kg); 2 Sprayers (RRS, RLS – 30 kg); 4 Mounted Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage
Searchlights (Front, FRS, FLS, Rear – 2 tons); and Paramedic None — —
Equipment (Body – 250 kg).
Crew: 57
Type: HMRV Salvage Bed Cargo 20 tons
Chassis Type: Tracked (Large, Trailer) 5 tons
Tonnage: 150 Liquid Storage (18-ton capacity)
Cost: 763,532 C-bills Infantry Bay (28-man capacity)
Battle Value: 160
Equipment Rating: E/D-X-E/D Notes: Features environmental sealing and trailer chassis mod-
ification; 6 Mounted Searchlights (2 Front, Right, Left, 2 Rear – 3
tons); 2 Sprayers (Right, Left – 30 kg); MASH Unit with 11
Theaters (Body – 13.5 tons).
Equipment Tracked Mass V4-LNT-K7 VALIANT
Chassis/Controls: NA 25.5
Engine/Transmission: NA NA Mass: 30 tons
NA NA Chassis: Small Bug-B Modified
Cruise MP: 0 Power Plant: 210 GM Fusion
Flank MP: 244 0 Cruising Speed: 75.6 kph
Heat Sinks: 11 Maximum Speed: 118.8 kph [151.2 kph w/ MASC]
Armor Factor (BAR 8): Armor Jump Jets: None
Value
Front Jump Capacity: None
Front R/L Side 30 Armor: Valiant Gauntlet Standard
Rear R/L Side 40/40 Armament:
Rear 40/40
3 Diverse Optics ER Medium Lasers
54 1 BSW Light Hatchet
Manufacturer: VEST / Wakazashi Enterprises
Weapons and Ammo Location Tonnage Primary Factory: Dover
None — — Communications System: Olmstead 37
Targeting and Tracking System: Irian 511
Crew: 3
Cargo
Standard Cargo Bed (100 tons)
148
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