Merc Unit idea

[Drewbacca]

So here is what I am thinking. You have a Mechwarrior, pre-fourth Succession War, has service as a merc and before that a regular. Has a small group of techs who follow him to his own unit and recruits some former comrade Mechwarriors.

He has start up money. But this is not a Kell Hounds situation. He has just enough to get maybe six mechs. Then he gets an offer for a whole company for less than he expected. He takes his two top techs and they find themselves looking at the stripped down chassis of several beat up mechs. None of them have weapons, most are missing armor and some don't even have engines. Deciding this is the best he is going to get, he talks to his techs and they start trying to scrounge up armor and weapons.

After a longer period than he would like they have cobbled together a companies worth of mechs with some vehicle support to start the unit. All are some measure of customized and almost none have the weapons they should have.

[Daryk]

Sounds good to me!  Just don't forget the personnel support in addition to the vehicles.  Every 'mech and combat vehicle needs a full tech team (1 Tech and 6 AsTechs).  I usually make the infantry do double duty as AsTechs (though it's easy enough to see it as the AsTechs doing double duty as infantry).  That unit is going to struggle to make payroll, and that's exactly how it should be!  :thumbsup:

[Drewbacca]

Sounds good to me!  Just don't forget the personnel support in addition to the vehicles.  Every 'mech and combat vehicle needs a full tech team (1 Tech and 6 AsTechs).  I usually make the infantry do double duty as AsTechs (though it's easy enough to see it as the AsTechs doing double duty as infantry).  That unit is going to struggle to make payroll, and that's exactly how it should be!  :thumbsup:

At the start they will be hiring a merc infantry unit for security, but yeah, full tech support is one of the things they have planned to pay for.

[Daryk]

Perfect, I'll be looking for more as you post it!  :thumbsup:

[Drewbacca]

Now I have the crazy idea of having the only weapons that they could find being anything that weighs less than 3 tons or is obsolete like Rifles (Cannon) or some such.

[Daryk]

That will probably get you a ton of Medium Laser boats...

[Sharpnel]

That will probably get you a ton of Medium Laser boats...

and LRM-5 and SRM boats as well. Throw in MGs and Flamers for the necessary, sometimes, anti-Gropo work. I'm think Scorpions and Vedettes for tanks or missile-d up Heavy APCs (no troops, just MGs and Missiles.

[Daryk]

It'll certainly make any Large Lasers or PPCs worth their weight in germanium...  ^-^

[DOC_Agren]

Now I have the crazy idea of having the only weapons that they could find being anything that weighs less than 3 tons or is obsolete like Rifles (Cannon) or some such.

So for most part we are looking at a short range force of Frank Mechs

and I would bring professional inf with you, and not use your tech as PBI

[Daryk]

That would roughly double your payroll, but I suppose that just turns the challenge level up to 11!  :D

[DOC_Agren]

That would roughly double your payroll, but I suppose that just turns the challenge level up to 11!  :D

it comes from being the guy who used to use my Inf as a means inflitators other guys firebases who didn't have inf to secure it and play spoiler with their supplies.
this is why I'm not allowed to use my Scout/Sniper Teams anymore, even though you helped me update them to the current rules.

[Daryk]

I usually try to use professional infantry as squad leaders and above, so only the 6 basic troopers are doing double duty.  It's a small premium to do it that way, but I think it makes sense, and it makes it easier to purchase the infantry SPAs when using AToW.  Doing it that way, the troopers should be paid almost as much as their squad leaders.  If personnel numbers are really tight, the squad leaders are doing double duty as admin support.  That probably makes the most sense for a skin of your teeth merc unit...

[Daryk]

Insomnia is winning tonight, so...

Are you looking for actual players?  Obviously, more than one of us have actual ideas on how to work through this scenario...

[Daryk]

Character background-wise, I've always been a fan of veterans of Anton's Revolt.  His ""mechs for loyalty" scheme was an excellent opportunity to escape the FWL with a WVR-6M.  So figure regular service with one of the units that went over to Anton, then a mercenary tour of duty.  In the past, I've made that "regular" tour "Agitator", "Covert Ops", or "Organized Crime" to avoid double dipping on "Tour of Duty".  It seems to work remarkably well.  Salvage from the revolt also fits your story quite well, and might offer some things like a Dragoon Wasp as an option...  ^-^

[Drewbacca]

Currently testing the unit in an against the bot campaign. I started with 13 mechs armed with SRMs, medium lasers, LRMs (5s only) and in some cases Heavy Rifles. After 2 battles in the first contract I have a 4/6 Ostsol, only engine  could find, with a damaged torso structure beyond repair, I lost the Orion and had to sell the Ostroc after the Gyro proved unreparable and I could not find a new one. Luckily in the unit market I was able to get a Battlemaster for 65 percent the normal price as well as a Champion 2N for about 80 percent. The contract, a mission against the Oberon Confederation came with 90 percent salvage rights and a good payday, so I was able to add for vehicles a Bulldog, two Manticore and a Hetzer but need crews for them still. So I have actually been able to grow the unit. And the Heavy Rifles are not that bad against 3025 tech.

[Daryk]

Sounds like it's going well so far... please keep us in the loop!  :thumbsup:

[Drewbacca]

Had to retcon two mechs as the Bombardier and Merlin would not load in Megamek. Replaced them with a faster Galahad packing heavy rifles and a Crusader following the multi-LRM5 and multi-SRM2, though those may be replaced if I can salvage one of the SRM carriers that keep getting sent at me. 😂

[Daryk]

Dare I ask what you did with the extra two tons on the Crusader?  8)

[Drewbacca]

I have six LRM5s with four tons of ammo, six SRM2s with two tons of ammo and 2 medium lasers plus more armor or heat sinks can't quite remember.

[Daryk]

Sounds like extra LRM ammo...

[Elmoth]

Anton's revolt is certainly a good source of stuff. I have this idea of a small merc unit (i like those) with 2 wvr 6m and 1 wvr 6r (parts commonality ftw) along with some vehicles and infantry acting as raiders in the merc market. Being Anton veterans certainly would fit.

[Daryk]

It's especially easy for the units that switched sides to decide to not stick around for the treason trials.

[Drewbacca]

Abtons revolt is vertianly a good source of stuff. I have this idea of a small merc unit (i like those with 2 wvr 6m and 1 wvr 6r (parts commonality ftw) along with some vehicles and infantey acting as raiders in the merc market. Being Anton veterans certainly would fit.

That was in Brush Wars, wasn't it?

[Elmoth]

Yes. 3015 period. Then you have the option of the andurien wars in the 3030 as a source for mercs (ex anduriens, and excappie collaborators with the anduriens) as another source of merc units

[Drewbacca]

I have been thinking lately of making it a vehicle unit. Would make a bit more sense that way.

[Daryk]

If you keep a lance of 'mechs, that would make a great combined arms unit!  :thumbsup:

[Dave Talley]

you could also allow them to purchase salvage items by drop shipment

ie two planets over has a couple mech carcasses that were written off
buy them and UPS them to you, you get a Yang moment where you see what else the dealer threw in

[Drewbacca]

Going to be a while before I start on this. I have lost all interest in the game right now.

[Daryk]

Bummer... hope you come back soon!

[DOC_Agren]

Going to be a while before I start on this. I have lost all interest in the game right now.

I understand how this can happen...  we will be here hopefully when you come back