TW 132:
Master connects three C3 Masters together to form a company-level (12 unit) C3 network; as noted above, the C3 network can never be extended beyond 12 units.
To designate a C3 network, use the following rules:
• A C3 Master can only control one to three C3 Slaves or one to three C3 Masters.
• While a C3 Master controls another C3 Master, it cannot control a C3 Slave.
Sounds fair enough! But this on its own seems to imply you can configure C3 networks fairly freeform.
However, TW 133 immediately puts some brakes on that:
The C3 Configuration Diagram illustrates the only four ways (see All C3 Master Network below for the exception) a C3 network can be created (while there are additional ways a network can be created, for Standard Rules gameplay these are the only four).
So my question is then, how strictly do the C3 network diagrams need to be followed?
What if you only have a partial force, e.g., a single lance with one unit with a C3M and three C3S units?
Is it valid to interpret it as "so long as your topology conforms to one of the diagrams, potentially with elements removed, it's acceptable"?
That's that.