OBT Forum

I'm not 100% sure the US wouldn't survive the Alliance or not. Remember the throw away comment in 3075, about the US getting the best worlds close to Terra, and thus, not many of US decent surviving to 3025.

Think of it more as appeasement. Despite their social and cultural disinclination to wholeheartedly join the Alliance or Hegemony, the old U.S. of A was still rich in lots of what both of those governments needed. So enormous effort was (initially) spent on maintaining a happy America.

Not sure I buy that, Americans are a pioneering people and there's going to be those seeking their idea of paradise as far from Terra as they can get, so I suspect just as many Americans wound up in the Periphery as well.

You're right, groups of pioneering Americans would end up all over the place. However, concentrated colonization efforts were limited to the regions around Terra. So it wouldn't be strange to see American-esque cultural influences all over the place, but limited in scope and application as stronger, older cultures of other colonists became the overriding, or domineering influence. 

Remember, most people tend to think of themselves as XXX-American (like Irish-American, etc.), which draws on both the old worlds and new worlds influences. It's not hard to see the media and legally driven "American" culture supplanted by cultures that emphasize more societal and familial aspects.

This is just an overtly complicated way of say that American culture tends to be like a bunch of thieving Chameleons, but in parcel it tends to dissipate in relation to other cultures, or change so much it's no longer "American" as defined by the mainstream...which wouldn't really exist in the Periphery to begin with. 

a simple suggestion for the Lyran Commonwealth.  Given that they are a very officer heavy military, I think it would be interesting to use the extra officer format.  so instead of a single O-3 and a pair of O-2s typically expressed throughout Battletech History, you would find an O-3 and 3 O-2s on the company level.

Bulk this up to Battalion Level with an O-4, Four O-3s(company commanders Plus a command staff officer in the command lance), and 12 O-2s.  also make sure you have O-1's filling roles normally reserved for E-5 level and above.  Expand as necessary.

I do rather like the idea for the League, and it explains the League's problems. Non-standard equipment, non-standard doctrine, heck you could even say non-standard rank structures that don't have exact equivalents.

I'd always played FWL as a league of nations rather than as the interstellar empire it pretends to be. Thus leading a FWL military of any large task force is about as fun as being a very senior commander in British Empire in WW2. Essentially you'd have forces from dozen or so nations and all with their very own special wishes/needs and problems to deal with. A good FWL commander is thus primarily a politician and has excellent "ear on ground" on what is going on in Atreus. Add Captain-General's petulant wishes and political pressures from Parliament to boot. The military competence (if any) is purely of secondary value to such leaders to just keep the coalition from imploding in field.

Alliance warfare is also "fun" from pure military standpoint. Certainly FWL must have tons of "STANAG-equivalents" but still the administration, maintenance and logistics are going to be nightmarish...

a simple suggestion for the Lyran Commonwealth.  Given that they are a very officer heavy military, I think it would be interesting to use the extra officer format.  so instead of a single O-3 and a pair of O-2s typically expressed throughout Battletech History, you would find an O-3 and 3 O-2s on the company level.

Bulk this up to Battalion Level with an O-4, Four O-3s(company commanders Plus a command staff officer in the command lance), and 12 O-2s.  also make sure you have O-1's filling roles normally reserved for E-5 level and above.  Expand as necessary.

I think it is admirable that you just gave LCAF current lean and mean command staff which would make them best army of Inner Sphere. Was this your plan all along?

The original Lyran stick was that they have "too many chiefs and too few indians." Which means that they have top-heavy officer corps with too few troops. Current day US Army is perhaps easiest example on this. Unfortunately this was later mutated to idea that they have incompetent officers which is current "fan-wank". It is also very bad game design.

However, the real problems in real life military forces that have this problem are less flashy but all too familiar to those who know military:

-1) Muddled chain of command. This means that no one is absolutely certain of their tasks which means that preparations and planning tends to be awful. British Army does this all the time. This also leads to all kinds of problems when you need to do decisions fast as command loop tends to work slowly.

-2) Pressures from outside. One of the major problems of Israeli Defense forces is that retired officers come back during war time to sit in staffs to override hapless CO (who was their subordinate). This led to several failures in 1982. The tendency of these "experts" to reassert themselves further fragments the command authority. This must be very prevalent in LCAF because of above adds all kinds of lookers and liaisons you need to deal (please) with.

-3) Fearfulness. When you have lots of leaders who lose all the time in war you tend to be become ever more cautious. This means that plans are more conservative and movement more ponderous. Bold plans seem always go wrong so there is self-reinforcing tendency to avoid them.

-4) The top-heaviness has all kinds of other problems that cause problems in military system as whole. First it makes it hard to promote truly good officers. Second, here also seemed to be real inability to get rid of failures which further clogs up the promotion system. Third, it is very expensive and tends to reinforce ossification. Since Lyrans are rich they also should have admirable ability to throw endless amount of money at problems (better equipment and more of it until they suffer from too much too good equipment problems).

All this is also a bit funny when you think that actually LCAF is about as good as all the other IS military forces at all levels. Mariks can always explain their failures that they run an alliance of dozen arguing petulant children with roughly same cohesiveness. Kurita has its own weaknesses too...

What I'd suggest for the DCMS organisation is as follows:

1. The squad (of five infantry) or vehicle. In the case of mechanised infantry, squad and vehicle. Infantry squads are commanded by a Gunsho (sergeant) and conventional vehicle crews by a Go-Cho (Corporal) so a  mechanised infantry squad might be headed by the Gunsho, with a Go-Cho commanding the vehcle as his subordinate and the infantry and APC crew being Heishi (privates) with perhaps a Gunjin (lance corporal) or two among them. Mechs and ASFs are individual blocks of this level, with their mechwarriors/pilots ranked higher: Shujin (Master Sergeant) or Kashira (Talon Sergeant) but referred to as Mechwarrior or Pilot for politeness.

2. The platoon of five squads or vehicles. These will be led by a Chu-i (Lieutenant), probably with at least one Shujin or Kashira supporting him in an infantry or tank unit. These young officers are expected to be aggressive and wise commanders give them the chance to be: if they prove their mettle good, if they fail better that they do this commanding only a platoon than a larger force.

3. The company of five platoons. These are typically commanded by a Sho-sa (Major) and usually one of the platoons is led by a Tai-i (Captain). While officially combined arms units are not sanctioned at this level it is not uncommon for a Sho-sa to take three platoons under his lead along with the Tai-i and two platoons from a company of another regiment in their brigade, leaving his two platoons in exchange under the command of his own Tai-i. It is understood that these are two companies co-ordinating efforts not a permanent formation. The rivalry between soldiers from different regiments can inspire great feats... and dangerous feuds. Aerospace units are rarely deployed above company level.

4. The regiment of five companies. Conventional regiments are commanded by Tai-sa, but almost all 'Mech regiments are commanded by Sho-sho who also lead their associated brigades. A regiment will also have a Chu-sa acting as chief of staff and learning the art of regimental command. The Chu-sa will be far too busy to command his own unit and may not even be part of the combatant forces. Regiments not part of a brigade may have their own support arms.

5. The brigade of five regiments. Not all regiments are part of a brigade but it is usual that a BattleMech regiment will be part of one, usually with three regiments of infantry and one of tanks and/or artillery. This is the lowest level of combined arms and non-combatant arms such as military police, and medical support are usually formally attached to the brigade even if in practise regiments and companies may have semi-permanent assignment of these as needed. Brigades are led by a Sho-sho (Brigadier), who will usually be a Battlemech regiment commander.

6. The division of five (where possible) brigades. Due to the losses of the Succession Wars, these are usually only temporary groupings for a campaign led by a Tai-Sho (General) or even Tai-shu (Warlord). The Sword of Light are formally a Division with the Coordinator as their commander, although they almost never operate together.

7. The corps of two or more divisions. Even during the First Succession War this was rare but DCMS regulations are set in stone: should six or more brigades operate in a single campaign then they must be divided into divisions of no more than five brigades. Like divisions, these are led by Tai-Sho or Tai-Shu. Few Co-ordinators or Warlords trust a subordinate with this much force - Taragi Kurita's elevation to the command of a Corps on the Davion front in the 29th century led directly to his assuming the throne of the Combine.


DCMS 'Mech forces are usually divided into three groups: the light cavalry (fast light and medium battlemechs like the Jenner, Phoenix Hawk and Spider) to shape the battlefield as scouts and raiders, the heavy cavalry (fast medium and assault mechs such as the Dragon, Quickdraw and Charger) to smash enemy defensive lines and the horse archers (long-range mechs of middling speed like the Archer, Panther and Whitworth) to hammer soften up targets before the heavy cavalry charge. They have no real place in their doctrine for slow assault mechs like the Atlas, usually relegating them to prestigious command units which rarely see battle.

Armoured/Artillery forces in the DCMS (they're the same arm) are also divided into three general types: fast hover tank regiments using the Saladin, Scimitar and Saracen have verve and daring almost equal to mechwarriors while the Schrek PPC Carriers and LRM Carriers make backbone of their fire support. The Demolisher, Hetzer and SRM Carriers make for deadly city-fighters either on the defensive or pushed in to drive an enemy clear of their homes - even the threat of the latter, backed by thousands of fanatical DCMS infantry, has often been enough to lead to surrender by terrified defenders.

These BCTs sound awfully complicated and standardised at a very low level. I do agree that the AFFS needs a strong structure though. So how about this as an alternate view:


The history of the AFFS is one of trials and tribulations. For much of their history they have suffered poor co-ordination and a lack of professionalism, plagued by regional rivalries even after the Davion Civil War of the 26th century and hamstrung by the 'cult of the mechwarrior' well into the 30th century. The first armed forces of the Federated Suns, the Federated Peacekeeping Forces, were able to cope against the individual Capellan states but against the united Capellan Confederation or the Draconis March they were less effectual. Replaced by First Prince Simon Davion with the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns, the new AFFS was a collection of five armies, each answering to a different Prince and suffering accordingly. Only under Alexander Davion would it become a single unified force and even then it was underfunded and eventually decimated by transfers to the Star League.

The next major advance of the AFFS came after the War of Davion Succession in the early 28th century. Richard Davion and his nephew John Davion committed to strengthen the AFFS following the humiliation of its poor performance against the DCMS. SLDF soldiers retiring into the Federated Suns were actively recruited as consultants and the entire AFFS was reorganised on the pattern of the SLDF's regiments, divisions and regimental combat teams - notwithstanding that the much smaller AFFS might have benefited by a more flexible organisation. This was also the first time the the Federated Suns Army gained its own aerospace assets, which until then had been the sole preserve of the Federated Suns Navy. By the Amaris Crisis, the AFFS felt it was ready for another war.

The First Succession War proved the AFFS calamitiously wrong: the logistics of moving such cumbersome forces were beyond them and only the ability to raise massive numbers of reinforcements from the system of militia and reserves set up by Richard Davion prevented the collapse of the AFFS as DCMS forces fought their way almost to New Avalon itself. However with the presence of SLDF and SLDF-trained soldiers in the Crucis Lancers and the Deneb Light Cavalry, the pattern of large multi-regimental Divisions remained, although in practise these would be scattered across several worlds operating in effectively independent battle groups.

The experience of the First Succession War led to several improvements during the Second where the AFFS proved able to hold its own, particularly on the Capellan front, re-organising strategically to create the March Militias and the PDZ of the border marches. However these benefits were not applied systematically until the reign of Melissa Davion in the late 29th century and the reforms that created the modern AFFS.



Melissa's reforms acknowledged the fact that maintaining three regiment brigades of BattleMechs was not compatible with guarding the long borders of the AFFS. Instead, each division was reorganised around a single BattleMech regiment, from which it took its name and an armoured brigade was permanently assigned, supplementing the two infantry brigades, aerospace wing, aviation wings, artillery and other supporting arms. In addition, the informal Anglo-French rank titles used before Richard Davion's reforms were restored. Thus, the organisation became:

1. The 'block': a single vehicle or an infantry squad of 7 men and their transport. Squads and vehicle crews are led by a Sergent, usually with a Caporal to support him (more junior soldiers hold the rank of Soldat). Mechwarriors and Aerospace pilots who have risen through the ranks hold this rank, while Academy graduates have the title of Subaltern (and rank slightly junior to Sergents) until they have six months of active service (usually in an Academy Cadre) when they are promoted to Sous-Lieutenant, which outranks Sergent.

2. The lance or platoon, led by the Lieutenant, is made up of four squads or vehicles (except jump infantry platoons which only use three squads or aerospace lances which contain two fighters). While the AFFS is perfectly happy to group dissimilar tanks and mechs into lances, as long as there is a sound tactical justification and the logistical demands are bearable, usually they are at least similarly mobile - all Mechs can or cannot jump, all vehicles are tracked or are all hovercraft, etc. (Artillery lances usually contain three artillery pieces and a recon vehicle or squad to act as spotter(s).) Lieutenants are expected to maintain the cohesion of their force and utilise tight co-ordination.

3. The company, led by a Captaine, and made up of three lances or platoons. This is the standard mission force and its quite common for companies to operate on their own for raids or detached operations. While companies are not usually combined arms, they do usually include lances of complementary capability and it is quite common for additional platoons to be attached for mission purposes, creating combined arms Combat Teams.

4. The battalion, led by a Chef de Battalion, contains three or four companies and often a command platoon or lance (generally larger battalion sizes are found in the Capellan March and smaller ones in the Draconis March). Battalions almost always operate independently from their parent regiment and quite commonly exchange a company with a battalion from another regiment. These semi-permanent combined arms Task Forces are the largest units where the commanding officer is likely to be directly fighting and not operating from a command centre and the Chef de Battalion is therefore considered the height of the fighting soldier's aspirations with all others being mere staff officers. Several First Princes have been killed or seriously injured fighting at the head of Task Forces, to the detriment of the Federated Suns.

5. The regiment, led by a Lieutenant Colonel, is an administrative unit responsible for the logistical demands of supplies, personnel and training for the troops in the battalions. An officer who seeks high command must serve as a Lieutenant Colonel to get this experience. Most regiments include three or four battalions, but it is rare to see more than one at the regimental depot at a time. Regiments are critical to a soldier's identity however: transfers between regiments are rare and a Lieutenant Colonel probably knows every officer and most NCOs personally. This can be important as the Lieutenant Colonel has the 'final word' all recommendations to award a medal to a soldier in his regiment (political pressure can be applied at times).

6. The Combat Command, led by a Colonel, contains up to nine battalions or Task Forces. This is the highest tactical unit of the AFFS and usually contains units from all arms along with permanently assigned support elements. Sometimes these units are referred to as Regimental Combat Teams, usually when they are not assigned to a Division. Academy Cadres are usually in the latter catagory as are regiments 'loaned' to the AFFS by powerful nobles (e.g. the Capellan Dragoons).

7. The Brigade, containing several regiments, is of relatively minor importance to the AFFS and the term has come to mean all regiments of a given type within a brigade. They are each headed by a General de Brigade and these officers act as senior staff officers within a brigade, assigned responsibility at the whim (or preferably careful deliberation) of their commander. A General de Brigade not entrusted with any duties beyond notional command of the regiments is being seriously snubbed and unlikely to advance further.

8. The Division is the main strategic unit of the AFFS, containing a BattleMech regiment, a brigade of two or three armoured regiments, a brigade of five or six infantry regiments, at least two aerospace battalions and usually an artillery battalion. The General de Division will then divide his forces into three or four Combat Commands, although usually these are a matter of tradition and only altered as needed. All PDZ have a permanently assigned Division of the March Militia

9. The Corps is a regional designation: all Divisions and independent regiments or RCTs in a PDZ or CR are part of the region's Corps and answerable to its General de Corps. The Corps is primarily a staff responsible directing the defense of the region and with the administration of military matters.

10. The Armee, led by a Marshal, is made up of all armed forces in an operational area or all armed forces assigned to a major campaign. Marshals also head major departments in the administration of the AFFS and are subject only to the First Prince, his or her Champion, or to the Marshal d'Armee should one be appointed.

In what you are all writing, would the bigger units be of any real use or would they just be there for administrative purposes?

The DCMS Corps or the AFFS Armee would be very rare and probably not seen except for major multi-world campaigns. Even Theodore Kurita's Operation CONTAGION or the Battle of Crossing during the 4SW wouldn't have constituted a Corps of the DCMS.

On the other hand, Operation RAT and possibly the Galtor campaign of the early 3020s might very well have involved deployment of an AFFS Armee.

So the AFFS, which clings to larger unit operations, probably does make effective use of the Division or even the Armee, while the DCMS runs into problems above the level of a Brigade and it's a notable event when a Division or Corps is fielded.