OBT Forum

Good points Ice and Hessian. I looked up Infantry in the new rules books and it seems that BattleTech has made an important clarification regarding this type of infantry. Motorized and Mechanized are now two distinct types. Motorized Infantry that retains the same transport weight appears to be any troopers who are carried into combat in unarmored units like jeeps, dune buggies, bicycles, etc. Mechanized Infantry is transported via armored units like APC or IFVs.

So here is the question - In the year 2785 would any House field a Line Infantry unit that is not Motorized, Mechanized, or Jump type? I would say no but I'd like to get your thoughts.

Foot infantry might be the exclusive purview of regional powers, noble guards, system defense forces, home guard, planetary militias, and conscript formations. Foot infantry are the real grunts doing almost everything by hand. Little to no mechanized help doing the most basic tasks like moving or entrenching.

If every InnerSphere Infantry Line unit that deploys in combat circa 2785 is aided by some type of motive system it vastly increasing their movement which is key doctrine at this time. I think that makes sense and gives them a big advantage over their 3025 counterparts.

So here is the question - In the year 2785 would any House field a Line Infantry unit that is not Motorized, Mechanized, or Jump type? I would say no but I'd like to get your thoughts.

If foot infantry were found in the SLDF I don't see why they wouldn't be in the House Armies. Per SLSB p 133 Infantry Divisions were composed of 2 brigades of Grunt (i.e. foot) infantry and were not dependent on vehicles. These divisions were used in terrain that barred vehicles including heavy forests, mountains and cities.  Per the unit listing on page 139 the SLDF had 50 Infantry divisions, compared to 75 jump infantry divisions and 200 mechanized infantry divisions.

Darn, good points Irose. Hmm, well would you say that the motive systems used by mechanized infantry in 2785 were better than those in 3025?

Sure- there were probably more air mobile units and many of the units would be equipped with fusion powered IFVs (designs along the lines of the Goblin, Maxim or even Maultier but using a fusion engine) then ICE powered APCs armed with little more the MGs and very light armor.  I doubt the SLDF used a single version of the APC from TR3026- in fact those designs probably came back into vogue during the SW when they were the best that could be built.

This is me, catching up (computer and connection issues).....

As to TRO3085, I honestly don't know about that era as well as I do pre-3060, so I don't feel comfortable commenting on it.

I will have to defer to those with a better understanding of internal FWL politics, but as to the Lyrans, although there will be serious graft and corruption on a regular basis, as it becomes clear that that there is an impending dust-up after Kerensky's pullout, there will be a rapid movement to get things fixed, and quick.

In re infantry motive power, most of the main House infantry units will be motorized or mounted on hover vehicles at the very least...with the proviso that unless we're talking about elite units, most "infantry" are likely to be little more than glorified, heavily-armed police. (This will NOT be the case inside the TH.)

Other than commando's, very few units will use actual parachutes for insertion...but actual Jump units will be largely for show.

Certain specialist units - mountain troops, or jungle units - will almost certainly remained foot-bound.

A good resource for bicycle infantry is "The Bicycle in Wartime", by Fitzpatrick: http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Wartime-Illustrated-History/dp/1574881574  -- "Smart" infantry will use these. "Most" infantry will not.

I guess you can't motorize/mechanize every line infantry unit.

No Army ever managed or really intended to do so.