Question about the forces of Fronc

[Weirdo]

Are the Colonial Marshals a mech and BA-only force? Do they have any aerospace or conventional fighters under their direct control, or do they rely on local militias or other Fronc units for their air support? I'm curious about both categories, but primarily conventionals.

(I'm looking for actual information, not wishes or do-what-you-want-at-your-table stuff, please.)

[Doc Swift]

They have fighters, whose pilots are called Aeromarshals, per "The Marshal Way."

[Sartris]

Jihad: Final Reckoning p116

It is worth noting that the Marshals have added massed numbers of non-’Mech forces to their TO&E, mainly home-built tanks tasked with static location defense, to free their ’Mechs up for more effective and aggressive actions against incoming raiders.

[Doc Swift]

Heheh, I wrote that, too. But that doesn't specify fighters, so people will say that it only applies to tanks. 

[Sartris]

ah, i saw "conventionals" and assumed vees too. oops.

i'm not sure if fronc even has domestic aerospace production

[Weirdo]

If they have tanks and they have ASFs, I feel absolutely no compunctions about assuming they also have conventional fighters.

Thanks to both of you, this is exactly the kind of info I was seeking!

[Fire Scorpion IIC]

Conventional fighters in BT are like Toyotas in real life militaries

Even if they don't have any right now they can get them in less than one work day so absolutely no issues there

[Doc Swift]

My real vision for the Reaches is that when some pirate jackholes show up to raid, a regiment of Hetzers starts their engines and tells them to go ahead and give it a try. Don't need the best gunnery when you have that many AC/20s! 

[rebs]

My real vision for the Reaches is that when some pirate jackholes show up to raid, a regiment of Hetzers starts their engines and tells them to go ahead and give it a try. Don't need the best gunnery when you have that many AC/20s! 

I wrote a poem on my old blog in 2007 using the term "jackhole" to express my view of critics.  Specifically the critics who only stay inside a comfort zone.   LOL takes me back...

But for the Fronc?  They are in a challenged area of influence.  They should have help from the bulls and the Magistracy.  Conventional fighters, 'mechs or ASF, the only limits are the narrative and its needs.

[Weirdo]

The narrative is "I had some good proxies for Katyas, existing plans to paint a Marshall or two, and was wondering if they'd go well together."

[rebs]

And they sound great with the narrative theme of the Fronc Reaches.  Especially when you consider that conventional forces are so inexpensive compared to ASF or 'mechs. 

You have my blessing, Weirdo.

[Stormlion1]

Let's not forget the Fronc Reaches are not rich. Most likely conventional forces make up a large amount of there forces. Quikscell would be a great seller in the Periphery states. I would think cheap APC's and Conventional Infantry or even Jump Infantry would fill those APC's.

[thesilverback]

We have to remember that while, Battlemechs are the most played units in the Inner Sphere, fluff wise conventional forces really make up the larger portion of an army - most of the time. Just look up a RCT or a LCT, and LCT is one battalion of mechs, 2 battalions of heavy armor, 2 battalions of cavalry, and an artillery company.  So the Fronc Reachs would be the same if not having a higher percentage of conventional forces. 

OMG, battalions of hetzers coming at Battlemechs, I like it.

[Lorcan Nagle]

My real vision for the Reaches is that when some pirate jackholes show up to raid, a regiment of Hetzers starts their engines and tells them to go ahead and give it a try. Don't need the best gunnery when you have that many AC/20s! 

[Starfury]

Hetzers are one of Colonial Motors main vehicles they produce on Rockwellan, so it's not impossible. However the Fronc Reaches has been busy building up Mech lines. They currently produce 9 mechs

Marshal (I'm iffy on this one but the Fronc Reaches does have their own variant)
Rifleman
Toro
Clint
Wasp
Stinger
Hunchback
Locust
Raider

The Colonial Marshals are a full Mech regiment by the time of Field Manual 3145, and the three Fronc Reaches Sebtinels are all brigades with 1 Mech regiment, one aerospace fighter wing, 1 infantry and 1 armor regiment. They also have one heck of an equipment list for one of the lesser Periphery powers,
ranging from Locusts to Pillagers.  They're pretty scary for such a young nation. 

[Weirdo]

Don't forget that this thread isn't about the entire Fronc military, it's about the Colonial Marshals. What the Marshals field, with other stuff relevant only in mentioning that the Marshals leaves that stuff to the regular units.

[Elmoth]

From the above replies, conventional fighters yes (thery are CONVENTIONALS as well, after all, not just armor is). ASF? If the Sentinels have it, the more prestigious Marshals should have them as well. Especially as the Marshals are the firefighters of the Fronc Reaches, while the Sentinels are supposed to be location.based. At least initially. When they were created the Sentinels were based on mech jocks that were offered land in one of the planets, so they became nobility with the caveat that they had to collaborate with other Sentinels and face incoming raids and invasions. That always looked like a PERFECT "floating player" RPG system for battletech. Not the same mechs will be available all the time to face these raids and wars... A pitty their paint scheme is not something i like.

So yeah, full house regarding equipment for the Marshals.
 
Cheers,
Xavi

[Metallgewitter]

Hetzers are one of Colonial Motors main vehicles they produce on Rockwellan, so it's not impossible. However the Fronc Reaches has been busy building up Mech lines. They currently produce 9 mechs

Marshal (I'm iffy on this one but the Fronc Reaches does have their own variant)
Rifleman
Toro
Clint
Wasp
Stinger
Hunchback
Locust
Raider

The Colonial Marshals are a full Mech regiment by the time of Field Manual 3145, and the three Fronc Reaches Sebtinels are all brigades with 1 Mech regiment, one aerospace fighter wing, 1 infantry and 1 armor regiment. They also have one heck of an equipment list for one of the lesser Periphery powers,
ranging from Locusts to Pillagers.  They're pretty scary for such a young nation.

Funny enough per FM 3145 they actually sell a lot of military material to the Federated Suns and the Filtvelt Coaltion. So maybe as a way to appease the Confederation they use that money to buy Mechs from the Confederation? The Pillager is I think a pure Confederation Mech. Or is it also in production somewhere else? I know in that one Solaris novel it is mentioned that the Mech is in limited production on Kathil but that was pre FedCom civil war.

[Starfury]

The Marshals were also equipped by the Taurians, the Capellans and the Canopians, so they inherited those units from their former masters and whatever gets passed onto them from Fronc's own production/trade.  They're better equipped then the stock Fronc military according to the general RAT table rating in FM 3146.

Based on the MUL and the stuff from HTP Fronc Reaches and the various Field Manuals, the Marshals are a combined arms regiment heavily favoring Battlemechs and battle armor, with aerospace, tanks and transportation assets added at nodal positions. They're commonly battling pirates, so Mechs and battle armor offer more mobility/defense capability. Aerospace gets dropped in with transport assets.

[glitterboy2098]

When they were created the Sentinels were based on mech jocks that were offered land in one of the planets, so they became nobility with the caveat that they had to collaborate with other Sentinels and face incoming raids and invasions. That always looked like a PERFECT "floating player" RPG system for battletech.

also sounds a lot like the late sucession wars "landed mechwarrior and family mech" situation. no doubt that in setting, that was probably part of the reason they did it. it was a system that worked in the past.

[worktroll]

Quick question - CamoSpecs lists the Marshals as in existance from Invasion to Dark Ages eras. Is there a reason why they're not still kicking around in IlClan era, or just CSO catching up?

(You can probably guess why I'm asking ...)

[tassa_kay]

Quick question - CamoSpecs lists the Marshals as in existance from Invasion to Dark Ages eras. Is there a reason why they're not still kicking around in IlClan era, or just CSO catching up?

(You can probably guess why I'm asking ...)

They're still around, per the TinStar BA entry in RecGuide 28. And a mention in the Merlin entry as well, though I can't recall which RecGuide that was.

[glitterboy2098]

i suspect CSO is just catching up. the dark age and ilclan eras haven't exactly seen a ton of attention being given to the periphery, with so much of the action and narrative happening in the center of the IS, and in the clan OZ areas. so new info on them is scant. and CSO is slow to update even when we do have newer info.