OBT Forum

From my Alternate Timeline AU the Dragonlords are a "new" Brigade using the name of the original commands in AFFS 2765.

For purposes of assigning units to the Dragonlords any Mech or vehicle produced in the Federated Suns Draconis March can be used.  For unit's manufactured beyond the Draconis March use AFFS Assignment table "B" for Inner Sphere/Periphery general units "C" for Crucis March and "D" for Capellan March manufactured units.  Re-roll all OmniMech results - these commands were formed under the radar meaning that they bought what factories had to spare and what they could transport without causing too much interest from Federated Suns Intelligence services.

The Dragonlords Brigade

   The original Dragonlords were formed in 2572 during the downsizing of the AFFS to meet the Star League's desired levels.  Funded by the Davion clans from the five Golden Worlds (New Avalon, Argyle, Belladonna, El Dorado and Torrence) they were intended as temporary training commands to be used in exercises.  With some of the best equipment available to them the Dragonlords were rivals to the best equipped AFFS commands and were at the centre of some of the most important battles the AFFS faced during the First and Second Succession Wars.

   With Clan Snow Raven breathing down their necks and looking for inspiration for a new defensive force in the early 3090s the Dukes of Tancredi, Kennard, Bryceland, Conroe and Pitkin chose to work together to create a force that could defend their families and their planets from aggression as a supplemental force to the AFFS planetary militia forces.  The Duke of Tancredi Alexander Brazeau chose the name Dragonlords intending on using its connections to the Federated Suns past to bind the new unit together.  Combining their resources and money the five planetary dukes invested heavily in buying up BattleMechs and armoured vehicles using Draconis March based factories and posing as forming new mercenary commands of all the factories.  With the hardware available the dukes began recruiting additional personnel from their planetary populations and from several small mercenary commands by 3096 six company sized mercenary commands had been offered positions within the House Guards giving each unit a core group of trained individuals who could train further troops.

   Over the following two years the units moved between the five planets that were homes to the Dragonlord commands training with each other and the AFFS planetary milita units of the Bryceland PDZ who took a blind-eye to the formation of these armed units within the Federated Suns borders.  The local DMI and MIIO offices similarly paid little attention to the formation to the Dragonlords seeing them as guard units to their individual planets and rulers.  In 3098 all of this changed when the First and Second Dragonlords Regiments fought against and defeated a Clan Snow Raven incursion onto Kennard where both units had been training.  Although it cost them almost all their aerospace fighters and a significant amount of their ammunition reserves the Dragonlords handed the Snow Ravens a stinging defeat holding their position and claiming nearly an entire company of clan technology between them.

   This victory brought the attention of the AFFS, and the First Prince, fully onto these newly formed Dragonlords taking with him the Davion Heavy Guard RCT First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion found the five Dukes who had created the Dragonlords on Kennard waiting for him.  Surprised that such a well equipped force could be formed right under his nose through private ownership Victor was initially wary of these Dukes and their armed forces however they put up little resistance when he chose to dragoon these commands into the AFFS.  Each of the Dragonlords would remain on their baseworld for the foreseeable future until the DMI and MIIO looked more closely into them and they were assessed by the AFFS High Command.  Victor allowed them to keep their Clan Mech salvage although neither of the two units on Kennard were capable of fully supporting them.

   Since the public declaration of the Dragonlords presence and their subsequent adoption into the AFFS nobles on the worlds of New Avalon, Argyle, Belladonna, El Dorado and Torrence (home to some of the original Dragonlords commands) have begun to grumble that their legacy has been stolen by these "upstarts from the border" although none of these families have taken steps against the Dragonlords it is a situation that the MIIO and DMI are monitoring.  There is also a concern that the Robinson Rangers commands who fanatically hate the Draconis Combine may take issue with the name these commands have been given.  Fortunately there is currently no Robinson Ranger units near any of the five planets which are home to the Dragonlords.

Officers
Marshal Ben Hobert - officially he retired from the AFFS in 3085 but instead of retiring on his native Tancredi he was employed by Precision Weaponry on Tancredi and helped them develop the Rook BattleMech.  He rejoined the AFFS with the Dragonlords intending on retaining their command through their first formative years as an AFFS line unit.

Tactics
   Each Dragonlords unit is very knowledgeable of their home planets and the other worlds where Dragonlords commands have been formed.  Unfortunately due to the requirement of keeping a low profile none of them have experience beyond these five worlds or in formations larger than a Battalion in size.  On Kennard in 3098 this was proven several times as the First and Second Dragonlords got in each others way engaging the Snow Ravens.

Support
   Each command has significant tech support, much of which is provided by Precision Weaponry on Tancredi.  The First and Second Regiments took significant damage on Kennard but even with less units they are struggling to maintain 100% support due to the clan technology units they salvaged from Clan Snow Raven.  As the Federated Suns Intelligence commands begin to clear these units for active service each is expected to gain further support from the AFFS which should bring them up to full combat readiness and support.  None of the units have integral DropShip or JumpShip support nor do any possess a full aerospace fighter wing.

1st Dragonlords – Tancredi Dragonlords
2 Combined-arms Battalions/Regular/Questionable
CO: Colonel Lee Griffis
   Defended Kennard in 3098.  The unit has several Clan Mechs and two Clan aerospace fighters salvaged from the battle on Kennard.  Both units that fought on Kennard have enough equipment for two Battalions but do not have enough troops to man all the equipment.

2nd Dragonlords – Kennard Dragonlords
2 Combined-arms Battalions/Regular/Questionable
CO: Colonel Lynda Scmitt
   Defended Kennard in 3098.  The unit has a single Clan BattleMech and six Clan vehicles taken from salvage on Kennard.  Both units that fought on Kennard have enough equipment for two Battalions but do not have enough troops to man all the equipment.

3rd Dragonlords – Bryceland Dragonlords
CO: Colonel Henry Wallace
Combined-arms Regiment/Green/Questionable

4th Dragonlords – Conroe Dragonlords
CO: Colonel Jenna Simseon
Combined-arms Regiment/Green/Questionable

5th Dragonlords – Pitkin Dragonlords
Combined-arms Regiment/Green/Questionable
CO: Colonel Saigo Takamori