The Sohei: O5P Warrior Monks

[Ice Hellion]

I did some more researches on air units and here is what I found (I hope I got it right).

IJNAS	IJAAS	Inner Sphere equivalent
Kantai	Hikoshidan
Sentai	Hikōdan	Regiment
Kōkūtai	Sentai	Wing
Hikōtai	Chūtai	Squadron
Shotai	Shotai	Flight

[Takiro]

Doc, I like the Sledgehammer Lance. Don't forget they are also a command lance for Battle Company as well. Tanaka is just an archetype bad ass with crazy skills and a quiet demeanor. I really picture him as respected or feared by all. Kind of an above it all attitude.

Ice, any thoughts on who should be Flight Lead in our Sais? Either Kim Mi Sun or Yoko Kijo? Very good with the Japanese unit names, is there a translation for Lance and Company?

[DOC_Agren]

Doc, I like the Sledgehammer Lance. Don't forget they are also a command lance for Battle Company as well. Tanaka is just an archetype bad ass with crazy skills and a quiet demeanor. I really picture him as respected or feared by all. Kind of an above it all attitude.

Yep, I got that about Tanaka, Jak ‘Two Guns’ Warren and Tomoe ‘Banshee’ Yoshinaka will have no problem dealing with him, but I see Jeremiah ‘Bulldog’ Bullton being hard for Tanaka to deal with because of his brash manner, like I said before they are 180 degree apart in personallity.  Now Jeremiah ‘Bulldog’ Bullton will try his hardest to bring out the inner Tanaka personality, you know he will want stories
(There I was odds 3 to 1, Battlemaster, Wolverine, and Enforcer.   Having no choice but to hold this line, so civilians could get out of the battlezone.  Reaching out with my LRM I slam into the head of Wolverine dropping it, ducking around the woods I was able to get a LL shot into the Enforcer torso soon there was a Explosion blowing the Enforcer in too.  Then I chased off the Battlemaster ripping parts off him.)


As for how to tie in the battle company, I can give some IMHO answers but I don't want to appear to be stepping on other peoples toes: 
Bravo lance tactics: This is O5P_Ghost Bravo lance will form with Gunma and Hiyashi in line with 90m between them. Wantanabe will be between them but 60-90 behind. Mertens holds a flank position depending on terrain and operate as a scout or flanker as needed. The lance prefers to mid range skirmish under the umbrella of Wantanabe’s LRM’s once the enemy closes they focus fire and create distractions for Mertens to jump and backstab. Often Wantanbe is inclined to close and then Hiyasha will fall back as a long range sniper.
As for the Battle Lance 3 (Four Claws of the Dragon)
They appear to be well design unit to close and bring heavy fire on directed enemies.

[Ice Hellion]

Ice, any thoughts on who should be Flight Lead in our Sais? Either Kim Mi Sun or Yoko Kijo? Very good with the Japanese unit names, is there a translation for Lance and Company?

I do agree with Doc, so let's make Yoko the Flight Leader.

And for the organisation, here is what I found

Section      Buntai or Han
Platoon      Shotai
Company      Chutai
Battalion      Daitai
Unit         Tai or Butai
Regiment      Rentai
Group      Dan
Brigade      Ryodan
Division      Shidan
Army         Gun
Area Army      Homengun

[Ice Hellion]

And here is my Convention Fighter Lance:

John “Diver” Tamura accepted to come out of retirement after On'na Ienaga visited him. A veteran Conventional Fighter Pilot (with his Inseki II Mimiaka) and former teacher at the Sun-Tzu School of Combat, John Tamura even after his retirement always sought ways of using his experience to better serve the Draconis Combine.
Drawing on his experience and what he could learn from the reports gathered on this new invasion, “Diver” saw potential for an unit made of Conventional Fighters acting in support of the ground forces while the Aerospace Fighters from both sides would try to win an edge.
Target focusing and training are his two mantras and he leads his unit of Inseki II according to this two principles without any break.

A Son of the Dragon like so many others, Byron Conrad comes from a long line of loyal servants of the Order of Five Pillars and was pleased to serve in the DCMS. An Aerospace Fighter specialising in ground support missions, he was assigned to the 9th Pesht Regulars. Injured in the gambit made by Tai-Sa Graham on Schwartz, he was however among the survivors that managed to escape Clan Smoke Jaguar.
Disgusted by the attitude of his superior, he agreed to the request of the Order of Five Pillars during his recovery and agreed to join their new Sohei unit (even if he feels a little frustrated that he couldn’t join an Aerospace unit and was “relegated” to a Conventional Fighter one). In spite of his efforts, his piloting skills are not back to the level they used to be and the sibilance caused by a mouth injury suffered on Schwartz complicates his relationships with the members of his unit.

Igor and Sophia Hisashi’s parents decided that the best for their latest children would be to become members of the Order of Five Pillars and gave them away to secure the best future for their twins.
During their training, something unusual happened as their masters soon found out that Igor and Sophia seemed to share a special link allowing them some extraordinary feats like shooting or jumping both exactly at the same place.
When John Tamura heard about them, he asked for them to join his unit as the capacity to strike twice at the same location was something that could be useful to support the ground forces of the Sohei.
The twins eagerly accepted, seeing this as an opportunity to repay the Order for all it had given them. As foreseen by “Diver”, even if their piloting skills are for now not really up to his standards, their precision more than makes for it.


John Tamura is an old Veteran that knew better days (P 5/G 4).
Byron Conrad is a Regular with some coordination troubles following his injuries (P 6/G 3).
Igor and Sophia Hisashi are Green with the ability to hit both at the same place (P 6 / G 4).

If you want you can change these skills (I just rolled them).

[Takiro]

I might improve the siblings to Regular and Conrad to Veteran otherwise I don't think they would cut it Ice. Nice job bud.

Yoko is locked in as Flight Leader of the Sais.

Any suggestions for a Battle Company rename or nickname?

Thanks for the Japanese unit names Ice, they will come in handy. ;)

[DOC_Agren]

I do agree with Doc, so let's make Yoko the Flight Leader.

Good Luck Yoko, keeping Kim on a leash when there are Clanners around to kill  ::)

And Ice Hellion I love the Conventional Air Force Unit, as it unexpected.  And well as a Conventional unit, even one assigned to a group like this I can see how their skill levels would work as is.  Byron Conrad, is struggling to regain his skill set as a pilot, following an injury.  I'm guessing when back to normal he would be a Veteran Pilot.  The Twins are project in training, that John “Diver” Tamura recruited to train up.  And John “Diver” Tamura, skills back when he was active might have been elite.

Battle Company Name: Tanaka's Tanegashima
Tanegashima (Japanese matchlock) = Used by the samurai class and their foot soldiers, within a few years the introduction of the tanegashima in battle changed the way war was fought in Japan forever.  What we will do for the DC, and they way fight.

[Takiro]

I like it Doc for a nickname, any thoughts on a formal designation? Battle Company is a little dry and especially if we can do something with a Japanese translation.

Gonna try to come up with a few more characters myself probably next week.

[Ice Hellion]

I like it Doc for a nickname, any thoughts on a formal designation? Battle Company is a little dry and especially if we can do something with a Japanese translation.

I would look at official names and samurai units.

[Takiro]

Okay guys I am working on two more Mechwarriors (Reika Sato and Gregory Kawamura) to help finish up that group. Hopefully have them up on Sunday for your review.

Ice I was thinking of something far more general. Strike, Assault, Battle, Dragoon, Light Horse, Hussar, etc designations are all western themed monikers applied to units describing their weight and capabilities. You see it for the Clans, the SLDF, FedCom, Mercenaries but are their Japanese themes we can do for companies?

[DOC_Agren]

Takiro,

Can we see the roster as it currently stands?

And instead of Battle Company what about: Raijin Gurūpu  or Raijin Group

[Takiro]

Sorry I was on weekend holiday. What would be the significance of Raijin? Here are the two new characters I promised....

Reika Sato – As a female commoner from Buckminster she had little chance of ever becoming a Mechwarrior despite showing an early natural aptitude. Recognizing that all things were possible to the Order of the Five Pillars she joined and soon became part of the Sohei after undergoing training. Not only has she become one of the best Marauder pilots in the InnerSphere but she is also a lance commander as well. She prefers to remain unrecognized and speaks fondly of the good old days not so long ago when the unit remained entirely clandestine. Many women in the Sohei look up to this thirty-seven year old as a role model a position she also realizes but states she has no desire to foster. While her devotion to House Kurita cannot be questioned, she is well aware of the contradictions of life.

Gregory Kawamura – This native of Midway is an ethnic Hawaiian whose family settled there before the birth of the Draconis Combine. Despite his homeworld’s oceanic environment and deeply ingrained naval traditions he joined the Order of Five Pillars becoming a Mechwarrior. Highly athletic Gregory has been blessed with fantastic reflexes and high level intuition making him a natural in the Sohei. Now in his mid-thirties he commands a lance which focuses on team work and the innovative new C3 system. While a born team leader he has had to become a technical expert in order to facilitate this equipment effectively. He regularly assists techs as they repair and maintain his lance making them part of the team.

And the updated roster....

SOHEI
(as of 3053)

Unit Status: Elite
Unit Insignia: the five ivory rings surrounded in three different shades of red set against a gray House Kurita crest itself circled in red
Uniforms: Standard traveling grab resembles that of other O5P members with certain exceptions. The hood and collar of their robes are lightly armored just in case they have to fight in unforeseen circumstances. Their trademark visors which appear to be one-way mirrors are rumored to be similar to DEST commandos. Also concealed beneath their robes are Ivory Blades which are rarely ever seen. The style of knotting the belt and collar tie indicate the rank of the Sohei. On the battlefield, they wear simple and relatively common combat apparel.
Unit Type: Heavy
Equipment Rating: A (Excellent)
Specialty: Dueling Masters

Command Lance
Daniel McAlister, Elite, Hatamoto Hi [Takiro]
Siriwan Kuna, Veteran, Grand Dragon [Takiro]
Hitomi Barca, Elite, Battlemaster [Takiro]
Walter Kato, Veteran, Ono [Gus]

      Mobile Assault Company
   Mobile Assault Lance 1
Takehiko Kurita, Elite, Highlander [Takiro]
Jirou Sainze, Elite, Shogun [Takiro]
Haruna ‘Katsuo’ Takahashi, Elite, Katana [Takiro]
Naomi ‘Chika’ Ishikawa, Elite, Katana [Takiro]
   Mobile Assault Lance 2
Hisoka Matsumoto, Elite, VTR-9K Victor [Daryk]
{open billet – VTR-9B Victor}
{open billet – CGR-3K Charger}
Kasia ‘U~izādo’ Derdowski, Veteran, GLT-5M Guillotine [Doc Argen]
   Mobile Assault Lance 3
Reika Sato, Elite, MAD-5D Marauder [Takiro]
Shiori Noriko, Elite, CTF-1X Cataphract [Ice Hellion]
{open billet – Grasshopper}
Arturo Santiago Guzman, Veteran, CRD-3L Crusader [Sharpnel]

      Battle Company (Tanaka's Tanegashima)
   Battle Lance 1 (Surejjihanmā Lance - Sledgehammer)
Tanaka ‘Shadow’ Nakamora, Elite, WHM-6Rk Warhammer [Takiro]
Jak ‘Two Guns’ Warren, Veteran, WHM-6D Warhammer [Doc Argen]
Tomoe ‘Banshee’ Yoshinaka, Veteran, ARK-5R Archer [Doc Argen]
Jeremiah ‘Bulldog’ Bullton, Veteran, TDR-7M Thunderbolt [Doc Argen]
   Battle Lance 2 (Bravo Lance)
Aika Gunma, Elite (2/3), WHM-7K Warhammer [O5P Ghost]
Hyi-joo Wantanabe, Veteran (3/4), ARC-5R Archer [O5P Ghost]
Leo Mertens, Elite (2/3), SPR-9K Venom [O5P Ghost]
George Hayashi, Veteran (2/4), CRB-27 Crab [O5P Ghost]
   Battle Lance 3 (Four Claws of the Dragon)
Ryu Shirou, Elite, Atlas [Bradshaw]
Jin Shirou, Elite, Flashman [Bradshaw]
Ryo Shirou, Elite, Lancelot [Bradshaw]
Wo Shirou, Elite, Phoenix Hawk [Bradshaw]

      Strike Company   
   Strike Lance 1 (Double Nickel, all Mechs 55 tons)
Iraho Tagai, Elite, Shadow Hawk [Takiro]
Tai Maeda, Elite, Ono [Calderon]
Katsumi Watanabe, Elite, Wolverine [Daryk]
{open billet - Griffin}
   Strike Lance 2 (upgraded with C3 network)
Gregory Kawamura, Elite, Kintaro [Takiro] swaps Narc for C3 Master
{open billet – Dervish}
{open billet – Grand Dragon}
{open billet – Wolf Trap}
   Strike Lance 3 (Herald of the Dragon / Ryuunosuke)
Daiki Jiro, Veteran, Stinger LAM [Takiro]
Makiko Itagaki, Regular, PHX-HK1 Phoenix Hawk LAM [Doc Argen]
Jay Paul Retilter, Veteran, PHX-HK1 Phoenix Hawk LAM [Doc Argen]
Takashi Mitsuko, Elite, Stinger LAM [Ice Hellion]

Tennyo
      Flight 1
   1st Lance
Noriki Sorenson, Elite, Slayer [Takiro] {Flight Commander}
{open billet}
   2nd Lance
Shizukana Kaze, Elite, Stuka [Bradshaw] {Lance Commander}
{open billet}
   3rd Lance
Zuzanne ‘Būmubūmu’ Agnika, Elite, D36b Thunderbird {Lance Commander}
Mariah ‘Pikushī’ Cassetti, Regular, D46 Thunderbird
      Flight 2
   1st Lance
{open billet – Flight Commander}
{open billet}
   2nd Lance
Haruka Uehara, Elite, SL-25 Samurai [Sharpnel] {Lance Commander}
Asuka Uehara, Elite, SL-25 Samurai [Sharpnel]
   3rd Lance
Yoko Kijo, Veteran, Sai [Ice Hellion] {Lance Commander}
Kim Mi Sun, Veteran, Sai [Doc_Argen]

Hand of Kannon
Command Elements
Miyuki Suzuki, Elite, Daimyo HQ 67-K [Takiro]
VTOL Company
   VTOL Lance 1
{open billet – Company Commander}
Patricia ‘Trish’ Roselyn. Elite, Cyrano VTOL [Bradshaw]
{open billet}
{open billet}
   VTOL Lance 2 (Kaze no Senshi)
Hehiro Sumitomo, Veteran, Warrior H-7A [Sharpnel]
Inara Fillion, Veteran, Warrior H-7A [Sharpnel]
Boris Kamarov, Elite, Warrior H-7C [Sharpnel]
Tae-jin Kwan, Veteran, Warrior H-7 [Sharpnel]
   Conventional Fighter Lance
John “Diver” Tamura, Veteran, Inseki II Heavy Strike Fighter [Ice Hellion]
Byron Conrad, Regular, Inseki II Heavy Strike Fighter [Ice Hellion]
Igor Hisashi, Green, Inseki II Heavy Strike Fighter [Ice Hellion]
Sophia Hisashi, Green, Inseki II Heavy Strike Fighter [Ice Hellion]
      Hover Company
   Hover Lance 1
{open billet – Company Commander – Pegasus}
Jasmine Auliya, Elite, Scimitar [Ice Hellion]
Mochi Chihiro, Elite, Beagle Hovertank [Ice Hellion]
{open billet – Pegasus}
   Hover Lance 2
{open billet – Lance Commander – Drillson}
{open billet – Drillson}
{open billet – Plainsmen}
{open billet – Plainsmen}
   Hover Lance 3
{open billet – Lance Commander – Saracen}
{open billet – Saracen}
{open billet – Saladin}
{open billet – Saladin}
      Artillery Company (Heavy Vehicles)
   1st Battery (Long Toms and Ballista)
{open billet – Company Commander – LT-MOB-25 Mobile Long Tom Artillery}
{open billet – LT-MOB-25 Mobile Long Tom Artillery}
Yoriko Detlefsen, Elite, Ballista Self-Propelled Artillery Tank [Sharpnel]
{open billet – Ballista Self-Propelled Artillery Tank}
   2nd Battery (Thumper)
Sakura Rei, Elite, Thumper Combat Vehicle [Ice Hellion]
Nao Deguchi, Veteran, Thumper Combat Vehicle [Bradshaw]
{open billet – Thumper Artillery Vehicle}
{open billet – Thumper Artillery Vehicle}
   3rd Battery (Chaparral)
{open billet – Lance Commander – Chaparral Missile Artillery Tank}
{open billet – Chaparral Missile Artillery Tank}
{open billet – Chaparral Missile Artillery Tank}
{open billet – Chaparral Missile Artillery Tank}   
      Special Recovery Force (Sparrow Bee / Suzumebachi)
Tamio Kamiya, Green, Karnov UR Transport (Bushmaster)
Sousuke Komori, Green, Ibex RV
George Yamamori, Green, Ibex RV
Coran Wimbleton, Green, Karnov UR Transport (Hercules)
Frank Chaney, Green, Karnov UR Transport (Thor)
Kai Shinobu, Green, SOAR VTOL (Red)

Oniwaka
Kenji Minamoto (Battalion Commander) [Takiro]
Akane Oshiro (Platoon Commander) [Daryk]
Tetsujin (Platoon Commander) [Bradshaw]
Olgr Gangleri (Company Commander) [Ice Hellion]
{David Sakamoto} (Platoon Commander) [Calderon]*
Tanya ‘Xena’ Skrypnikova (Platoon Commander) [Doc_Argen]
Shizuko Lofgren (Company Commander) [Sharpnel]
Anna Sokolov (Platoon Commander) [O5P_Ghost]
{open billet} (Platoon Commander) *

Shuinsen
Terada ‘the Old Man’ Kitakazu (Captain Dakusaidoriri & Commander Shuinsen) [Doc Argen]
Noriko ‘Anjin’ Haruka (XO of the Dakusaidoriri and Second Officer) [Ice Hellion]
Johnny Semer (Navigator of the Dakusaidoriri and Third Officer) [Doc Argen]
Yasou Mutsu (Chief Engineer of the Dakusaidoriri) [Doc Argen]
Timothy Ellender Jr. (Bosun of the Dakusaidoriri) [Doc Argen]
Kenji “Kong” Araki (Dākusaidorirī Marine Commander) [Doc Argen]
Natasha Vasquez “La Llorona" (Dākusaidorirī Small Craft Commander) [Doc Argen]
Tamiko Yukimura (Captain of the Fukuryu) [Doc Argen]
Abishok Fonseca (Captain of the Kakusareta Tora) [Sharpnel]
Kaya Hishikari (Captain of the Yakaze) [Doc Argen]
Seiichi Tomioka (Captain of the Ninigi-no-Mikoto) [Doc Argen]
Kevin Sinclair (Captain of the Juraki Jakku) [Doc Argen]

Support Personnel

   Medics
Doctor Quincy Tsenovi, Elite Doctor [Doc_Agren]

   Technicians
Nishizo Hogogaya, Elite, Master Tech for the Surejjihanmā Lance [Doc Argen]

   Combat Sappers
Dubhlainn O’Malley, Regular, Hatchetman [Doc_Argen]
Aya Fujioka, Regular, FS9-K Firestarter [Doc_Argen]

Recon Commandos or the Burakkureidāsu (Black Raiders)
Kris ‘Hanta’ Stuer, Elite, Infantry Platoon [Doc_Argen]

[DOC_Agren]

What would be the significance of Raijin?

Raijin (雷神) is a god of lightning, thunder, and storms in the Shinto religion and in Japanese mythology.  You wanted something different then Battle Company.  Raijin Gurūpu or Raijin Group we bring the Thunder and the Lightning to our enemies

The Final Shuinsen Commander as I noticed we were missing one. 
Sho-sa (Commander) Seiichi Tomioka   Veteran Dropship
He was an experienced DCA Dropship commander, who loss his dropship to a Smoke Jaguar who cut the engine out and off his ship.  Shigemi  茂み (Briar Patch) was a sent spinning to the planet.  He and his command crew managed to barely control crash the ship.  Cost him his Left Arm and Leg but the Shigemi was done for.  Now back and serving with O5P Sohei force.  He has command of the Overlord Ninigi-no-Mikoto, and he is doing all he can to prepare it for the Clans.  If possible he would like to upgrade it to nearly the same as the 3056 upgrade model.

Tech Support
Nishizo Hogogaya   Elite Tech/Reg Inf
Is now the master tech for the for Surejjihanmā Lance - (Sledgehammer).  This man is a genius with keeping mechs functioning, and has been since 3020 serving O5P covert forces.  He has also been trained to act as a “Marine” while serving on O5P as both ground support and boarding operations.

[Takiro]

Got ya Doc, sounds pretty good.

Very nice, I will add your latest characters to the roster this afternoon.

[Sharpnel]

For the Tennyo:

Haruka and Asuka Uehara are cousins who were raised as sisters when Haruka's parents were killed n a car crash while returning from a second honeymoon. Haruka's father was Asuka's mother's brother and she was staying with the Uehara family when her parent's were killed. Haruka was adopted in short order and the girls forever joned. Haruka is one year older than Asuka and the two have been nearly inseparable over the last 20 years. Together they competed in gymnastics and synchronized diving were the collective nickname Tenshi no Megumi (Angels of Grace). Their father, Koji, was a test pilot and engineer at Wakazashi Enterprises and instilled in them a love of flying' He taught them how to fly his very own small single-engine plane. Once both girls graduated primary school they attended the Dover Institute for Higher Learning and then the Aerospace and Interstellar Institute and its fledgling fighter program. Upon graduation they were assigned to a Benjamin Regulars unit made up of Slayers. Shortly before being contacted by the O5P they did do battle with Clan Ghost Beat, barely escaping with their lives. Their Slayers destroyed, the O5P supplied them with refurbished SL-25 Samurai fighters.

For the the 3rd Lance of the Mobile Assault Company, Arturo Santiago Guzman plots the Crusader which has been converted to the jump-capable 3L variant using parte made in the Combine wherever possible. Arturo is from Tabayama and s descended from a group of families that fled Santiago after Massacre. However, instead of heading into Alliance space, their Jumpship, through navigator incompetence or subterfuge, jumped in the opposite direction into Kuritan space. Detained by the DCA and later imprisoned, his ancestors would eventually be released after the Reunification War and would eventually become productive, if not loyal, citizens of the Combine. He's a twenty-year veteran having served n several of the Galedon Regulars mech regiments before retiring to serve in the O5P. His middle name honors his family's roots and he wears proudly. Arturo is an accomplished rifleman, especially with a bolt-action rifle (a modern version of SMLE Rifle No. 4 [Removable Box magazine, modern optics, and no wood anywhere)

[Takiro]

Very nice Sharpnel, three more excellent characters for the Sohei. I will try to add them tonight to the roster along with Doc Argen's.

Great job, please keep them coming!

Roster is updated!!!

[DOC_Agren]

I have one more who came to me tonight
Kasia “U~izādo” (Wizard) Derdowski   Vet Mechwarrior/ Vet Inf
Born in 3023, on Wheel. my mother was O5P, undercover as a buyer of rare items, assigned to watch over one of Chancellor Takashi Kurita's concubine.  Unfortantly in July 3028, an explosion killed both of them.  My father who served as government clerk, and unaware of my mother other life, was unable to handle me, so he sent my to my mother family {the O5P}.  I ended up being raised in O5P monastery, I have been taught the fine arts of be a shinobi to waging irregular warfare, both in and out of mech, in manner that were deemed "dishonorable" and "beneath" the Samurai.  My 1st Mech I used in combat was Stinger, it didn’t survive the 1st mission for O5P, but the mission was successful.  I have moved from 1 O5P Mech to the next, never keep one long enough to get comfortable in one.  Here current Mech is a GLT-5M Guillotine assigned to the Mobile Assault Lance 2.
In close in she prefers to use Rope Darts or if range allows a suppressed auto pistol.

[Takiro]

Very nice, Doc Argen! Adding her to the roster now. Thought I'd give you all a list of what is left opened. We are getting down there. Let me know if you have any planned.

Open billets for Mechasenshi (7 - 3 in Mobile Assault Company, 4 in Strike Company)
Open billets for Tennyo (6)
Open billets for Hand of Kannon (27 - 7 VTOL Company, 10 Hover Company, 10 Artillery Company)
Open billets for Oniwaka (1 - need one new contributor for this one)

[Ice Hellion]

Ice I was thinking of something far more general. Strike, Assault, Battle, Dragoon, Light Horse, Hussar, etc designations are all western themed monikers applied to units describing their weight and capabilities. You see it for the Clans, the SLDF, FedCom, Mercenaries but are their Japanese themes we can do for companies?

I will do some research on it.

[DOC_Agren]

Very nice, Doc Argen! Adding her to the roster now. Thought I'd give you all a list of what is left opened. We are getting down there. Let me know if you have any planned.

Open billets for Mechasenshi (7 - 3 in Mobile Assault Company, 4 in Strike Company)
Open billets for Tennyo (6)
Open billets for Hand of Kannon (27 - 7 VTOL Company, 10 Hover Company, 10 Artillery Company)
Open billets for Oniwaka (1 - need one new contributor for this one)

Takiro, 1st it is Doc_Agren not Doc_Argen   ::)

and well I didn't preclaim them but I have a "Mother/Daughter" team of Tennyo Pilots
Zuzanne Būmubūmu (Boom Boom) Agnika        Elite Pilot/Regular Dropship/Green Jumpship
She was born somewhere around the CC/TC/FS border to a O5P spacer clan back in 3001 or so.   She learned her way around space long before she ever saw land.  Still has a slight phobia about getting stuck on a planet, and prefers to keep the company of other spacers.  Tends to dress when not in a flightsuit, like a pin up model.  Is qualified to pilot anything up to a dropship in a pinch, and does understand why and how of a Jumpship operations.  Her callsign Boom Boom, is both from her off duty look and her habit of closing and giving the enemy all she got.  Her current ride is a TC made Thunderbird modified to D36b standards.

Mariah Pikushī (Pixie) Cassetti         Regular Pilot/Vet Aerospace Tech
Was born 3024, in orbit around Midway, 2 months early.  Her parents said it because she really liked space.  Since she was born she was fascinated by space and the stories of traveling or fighting in.  You named it she collected if it had to do with space, need someone to id a part of a Age of War spacecraft she might be the one person who can.   While still fascinated by space and tales there of, she has become a decent fighter pilot, but an even better tech.  She is currently piloting a Thunderbird that she has personally restored to the D46 standard.

Boom Boom recruited Pixie 6 years ago from a rundown group of Merc where she was flying a Sabre that well, had seen better days like 1000 years ago.  She kinda looks after her like a mother would her daughter, teacher her the art of a being pilot.  Woo be it to anyone who tries to sweep her off her feet, if Boom Boom doesn’t like them.
In combat Boom Boom flies in and unloads on enemy targets, she prefers to go hunting bigger things like enemy command sites, dropships, etc..  Pixie job as her wing woman is to sweep for Boom Boom and provide limited long range support.

and then the Sohei medical staff
Doctor Quincy Tsenovi      Elite Doctor
Born 3/23/2981 on Leiston, DC.  He was trained as a doctor, served the DCMS for 30 years.  Before he retired to Luthien, where he was building a good private practice.  Still while serving in the DCMS he had been recruited to make reports to O5P on the officers and soldiers he served with, and he continued to do so then he arrived on Luthien.  After the clan invasion attempt of Luthien, when O5P decide to bring Sohei to full combat status, they brought him in to the ranks full-time, was easy to do as his wife Lynda died on Luthien when a clan fighter hit the camp they were helping out at.  He now commands the MASH truck, and 4 other doctors, and 20 Nurses and assistants.  When in the field he carries a saw off pump shotgun, not killing the enemy but for protecting the wounded under his care. 

[Takiro]

I'll call you whatever you like if you keep cranking out these cool characters! ;)

Seriously though nice job and I am so sorry about that Doc_Agren.

By my count you have created over 25 characters for the Sohei and are blowing away the competition. I am slacking behind with only 15 created, Ice Hellion has done 12, Bradshaw has got 8, O5P_Ghost and Sharpnel have each contributed 5, Daryk did 3, and both Calderon (another in the works) and my buddy Gus (not on the forum, perhaps another in the works).

Plus I don't even think I counted your Sparrowbees in your overall count. I have to look through the bios again.

Great stuff!!!

[Ice Hellion]

I didn't find anything about the units names in the Japanese Army following the Meiji era.
They did name their units but not along the usual lines (and cavalry was always a small part of it).

Here are the names of the different arms:
Artillery   Yahohei
Cavalry      Kihei
Reconnaissance   Sobaku
Infantry   Hohei
Engineer   Kohei

A solution might be to look at Lo5R or take another look at Samurai armies and try to find similar units.

[Daryk]

Sorry I haven't been more active... I don't usually do Kuritans, and I'm trying not to repeat templates if I can avoid it (though the two MechWarriors are pretty similar under the hood).

[Sharpnel]

For the entirety of VTOL Lance 2 (Kaze no Senshi)

Commander Hehiro Sumitomo (Pilot) and Junipero Massa (Gunner) - Warrior H-7A
Inara Fillion (Pilot) and Rumiko Carmody (Gunner) - Warrior H-7A
Boris Kamarov (Pilot) and Tamara Kamarov (Gunner) - Warrior H-7C
Tae-jin Kwan (Pilot) and Nobuhiro De Witt (Gunner) - Warrior H-7

Commander Sumitomo is a veteran of the Fourth Succession War, the Ronin War and the War of 3039 and had retired from military service into the monastic life following the 3039 war. With the Clan invasion, Sumitomo knew it was time for him to once again to fight for the Combine and its people. Still wishing to serve the Order, Hehiro sought out those who were willing to take up arms for the Order and the Combine and that is when he discovered that the Order had already begun forming specialized units to take the fight to the Clans and other enemies of the Combine. Hehiro sent out messages to some of his former unit member and got responses from three of his former comrades,, Tae-jin Kwan, Nobuhiro De Witt and Junipero Massa. After the three completed their initial O5P training they began recruiting more VTOL pilots and gunners from within the Order to fill out a full VTOL lance.

Inara Fillion was a pilot of civilian VTOLs that were used to ferry various Order dignitaries on New Samarkand prior to her being accepted into the Sohei, while her gunner, Rumiko Carmody, was a technician who kept her VTOL flying and in good working order. Boris and Tamara Kamarov are a husband and wife team that flew humanitarian supply and rescue missions for the Order along the Federated Suns border. Both are qualified pilots, with Boris being the more skilled of the two. Tamare has turned into a proficient gunner under the tutelage of Junipero Massa.

All members of the Kaze no Senshi have all had training in dismounted combat to include small arms and unarmed combat, courtesy of some members of the Oniwaka.

[Sharpnel]

This is for one of the Ballista Artillery Tanks.

Yoriko Detlefsen was once a commander of a Behemoth tank during the War of 3039, but it was lost to a Davion Dervish in combat on Proserpina. Descended from a Rasalhagian that had emigrated to the Galedon District in the early 30th century. Her family has provided soldiers to the DCMS for better than three centuries and she's just one of many in a long line of servants to the Combine and the Order. The crew of the Ryoshi no Taiyō have served their commander since the War of 3039, but crewing the Ballista is a relatively new experience for them. However under the stern instruction of Yoriko the crew has become masterful in the employment of the Sniper artillery piece.

Yoriko Detlefsen - Vehicle Commander/Gunner
Hector Genda - Secondary systems Gunner/Loader
Kazuo Shigeta - Loader
Satoru Nakajima - Driver

[Takiro]

More good stuff -

Ice are there any BattleTech sources were Draconis units are broken down into their component units (battalions, companies, lances, etc.) in detail??

Daryk don't worry about it. I really appreciate your additions to the Sohei. Again I go back to the good old days of MechWarrior 2 RPG when all your characters had 6 Reflexes and 6 Intuition with Build, Learn, and Charisma being the only variables. If you'd like to contribute more please do. Perhaps if you tried a vehicle commander things might change a little bit by the numbers.

Awesome Sharpnel! I will have to incorporate these new characters this afternoon.

[DOC_Agren]

I'll call you whatever you like if you keep cranking out these cool characters! ;)

Seriously though nice job and I am so sorry about that Doc_Agren.

By my count you have created over 25 characters for the Sohei and are blowing away the competition. I am slacking behind with only 15 created, Ice Hellion has done 12, Bradshaw has got 8, O5P_Ghost and Sharpnel have each contributed 5, Daryk did 3, and both Calderon (another in the works) and my buddy Gus (not on the forum, perhaps another in the works).

Plus I don't even think I counted your Sparrowbees in your overall count. I have to look through the bios again.

Great stuff!!!

Never considered it a contest your unit just happened to come along when my mind was having PC design work and ideas.   And don't think the Sparrowbees have bios.  Just a design plan for operations.

Dark, I have to be honest, I have just 1 time to play of a DC PC, normally as loyal son of House Steiner, they are my enemies, and I don't want names just their stuff. O0

[Takiro]

Well just think of your worst possible Kurita enemy and we are sending them up against the Clans. ;)

With the latest five character units by Sharpnel we have created over 80 characters for the Sohei and their supporting assets! Quite an impressive job folks.

Gonna update the roster above after this post. So the remaining open billets we have are 7 Mechasenshi (3 Mechwarriors in Mobile Assault Company, 4 Mechwarriors in Strike Company), 4 Tennyo (1 Flight Commander and 3 Aerospace Pilots), 22 Hand of Kannon (3 VTOL Company, 10 Hover Company, 9 Artillery Company), and 1 Oniwaka (need one new contributor for this one). That is a total of 34 Sohei characters still needed to complete the initial unit so please keep them coming.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

...
Ice are there any BattleTech sources were Draconis units are broken down into their component units (battalions, companies, lances, etc.) in detail??
...

The only sources that go into that level of detail are the very early FASA stuff.  A dozen or so DCMS regiments are spelled out down to the lance in the NAIS Atlases of the 4th SW.  Albeit, those rosters are more of a BattleForce (1st ed) resource than a fluff "phone book", so lance/company/battalion names aren't always given.  The sources that do come to mind list DCMS forces as having names much like the rest of the House Armies: So and So's Battalion, Insert Role Here Company, etc.

[Daryk]

Thanks Takiro... I'm away from my books until Tuesday night, but I'll take another crack then!