OBT Forum

That is a great point Halvagor. You do hear about the ComGuards utilizing combined arms in a more extensive way than any other InnerSphere military. However I have never seen anything about mixed Level IIs or Level IIIs.

It's mentioned multiple times throughout FM: ComStar, FM: Updates, and a large number of the JHS Warchest tracks. It also gets some spotlight in a few of the novels dealing with Tukayyid.

On the Blakist side, the Manei Domini have that Choir mix of 2 level IIs as a specifically noted formation (1 Mech, 1 BA).

Interesting i have a divisional composition breakdown set but i'd like to see more about mixed level 2s and 3s. Where can i find canon examples and i'd love to here suggesrions.suggestions as well.

I was quoting CAT35203 "Every MAF regiment has at least one supporting armor battalion
permanently attached."

The Choir Formation sounds interesting guys and there is a lot of similarity between Clan style organizations and mixed units that ComStar has deployed. I look a few Clan sourcebooks over for some inspiration when it comes to Level III Battalion organization but right now I'm still focused on Level IIs. Think I'll call them Sections for now since they aren't a Lance or a Star but if anyone has a better suggestion I'll take it.

Halvagor you've once again beaten me to the punch with a very good post. Two books that I have found that detail ComGuard organization very well are Fall of Terra and Twilight of the Clans. Each gives you detailed looks at actual ComStar units and it is pretty interesting.

Exclusive or single unit type Sections (aka Level II) seem to make up the majority of ComGuard military organization. As Halvagor stated these same general unit types (all Mech, all Armor, all Infantry or all Fighter) helps bring a concentration of force to whatever situation you through them into. Out of the four types of units given Fighters seem to be the force which will appear in Single Sections the most (likely do to their very nature as an air unit) followed by Mechs which can be combined with other ground units. Armor and Infantry are a frequent pairing so appear the least (which is still a lot) in these exclusive formations.

Dual or two unit type Sections (aka Level II) make up a healthy portion of the ComGuards. As I see it there are three different ways to organize such a force. The 5 to 1 is possible but I haven't found any examples of such a standing force perhaps because of the diminutive size of the secondary unit involved make the benefits of such a pairing negligible. So you might see a 5 to 1 in a Provisional or Ad Hoc arrangement but the tactical advantages of such are not advantageous enough. Then there is the 4 to 2 which I really like. You can come up with a lot of pairings here for tactical advantage (Mech/Fighter, Mech/Armor, Mech/ Infantry, Armor/Infantry even Fighter/Infantry) that also feed into an InnerSphere like extended Lance (see the Leopard). The 3 to 3 is a little more even but less desirable in my opinion cause of the lack of buddy systems but

Triple/ Quad or three/ four unit type Sections (aka Level II) are possible but no such standing examples can be found in canon texts. Having a super flexible two Mech, two Armor and two Infantry force is pretty cool but how exactly practical would it be? A trifecta is nice but how often are you gonna need it on the battlefield. Even less likely is throwing in the Fighter for a superfecta. You really start cutting into your tactical effectiveness with such flexibility.

As the ComGuard force grows so does their combined arms approach. So Level IIs are only the tip of the ComStar combined arms iceberg.

Straight from the FM: ComStar

...use a system based on multiples of six that offers great flexibility in deployments. Both the Com Guards and the Word of Blake Militia make use of combined-arms forces, for which the system is ideally suited. 

...a Level II, contains six Level Is and is thus roughly analogous to a reinforced lance or demi-company. In many cases a Level II contains units of the same type (e.g., BattleMechs), but combined-arms groups are also possible at this level.

...a Level III, contains six Level II formations and is the ComStar equivalent of a battalion; it is frequently referred to as such. Level IIIs are almost all combined-arms formations. Level IIIs are usually the largest formations to operate together on a regular basis.

The "Approximate" ComStar Division Formation Composition Table is on pg. 9 and showcases that the vast majority of ComGuard Divisions were indeed combined-arms down to the Level II. It's easy to see which Divisions would be more mixed than others depending on the total number of BattleMechs available. (BattleMechs seems to be the determining factor since ASFs are a consistent number and total vehicle numbers are fairly low.)

In an Alpha Division for example, only a couple of Level IIs are likely to be mixed. In any divisions from Xi down that number increases considerably simple because the total number of available units would dictate the mix. Keep in mind, "Level IIIs are almost all combined-arms formations." So while a single BattleMech in any formation, or a mix of vehicles and infantry, or ASFs would make the statement true, I doubt its a very clean mix. After all, the ComGuards were deployed quite messily as garrison troops for the bulk of their existence. 

A complete composition chart is available on Sarna.net and it's accurate.

I would not be suprised if ComGuard formations posted to general areas were mixed to very low levels, where as those on active fronts could have more homogenous Level II's and III's.

What you're really asking is how Divisions were slapped together before Tukayyid and reorganized afterwards.

Guess I'm always good for a laugh. 

Exactly what I'm looking at is a post Tukayyid ComGuard. I'd like to simplify the organizational techniques for a more uniform standard.