Rasalhague Dominion: The voting will continue until morale improves!

[Foxx Ital]

I would say that insignias trump colour schemes every time, because camo and colour schemes can be changed, for whatever reason

they don't need to have parade colours unless on parade

Every check a fortune every formation a parade,i love the touman!!!

[Alan Grant]

Hey do we know what nomenclature Clan Ghost Bear and/or the Rasalhague Dominion uses for vehicle and conventional infantry stars/binaries/trinaries?

The closest thing I can find is a reference to a vehicle "Tango Support Star" in Delta Galaxy's Keshik in FM: WC.  But we know they have them, vehicle units anyway, in those Phalanx Clusters.

If we don't know, educated guesses appreciated. Trying to put together a Phalanx Cluster or part of one, in the Pre-Jihad era.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

Support Star is used a lot. An Elemental Binary is called Support/Elemental Support binary (from sarna) atleast sometimes.

The new BoT book calls for Phalanx Stars, which basically means just not pure mech Star.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

New merc KS preview mentions we are gonna get a fiction crossover with Hansens Roughriders in April.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

Also I think it’s weird in the DD pictures that all the people who have been on Active service have the plain old Ghost Bear logo (emphasis on old) on their uniforms, while those in non-com roles use the RasDom logo.  I can understand it with the Khan and Galaxy Commander, but the Prince it doesn’t make as much sense, he’s officially a civilian.


Since it’s related to DD and to also make it so I don’t go 4 in a row, I was surprised we only had SuperNovas in our Keshiks. Well atleast the 2nd Tyr, they are a front line unit and should be able to run them without a problem.

[nova_dew]

Also I think it’s weird in the DD pictures that all the people who have been on Active service have the plain old Ghost Bear logo (emphasis on old) on their uniforms, while those in non-com roles use the RasDom logo.  I can understand it with the Khan and Galaxy Commander, but the Prince it doesn’t make as much sense, he’s officially a civilian.


Since it’s related to DD and to also make it so I don’t go 4 in a row, I was surprised we only had SuperNovas in our Keshiks. Well atleast the 2nd Tyr, they are a front line unit and should be able to run them without a problem.

I didn't notice, huh, well time to crack open DD again I guess.

Hopefully the next FM or FM series, (it might be worth TPTB following the ilClan era setting books idea of splitting them up into 3-4 books, each covering a slice of the clock and giving each faction more page count), will go into a bit of detail on how we run our units now, for eg, earlier sources said we have a Keshik for each front line cluster, but Rasalhague and Valkyrie have never been shown to have one, how are the Artic Galaxies set up? are they closer to Phalanx clusters? does it depend on the cluster? we have mention of at least one having Huey's and spotters, but it's noted as being unusual. I have questions! TPTB give me answers or I'll sulk quietly in the corner or something, maybe, I dunno  ;D

[Kerfuffin(925)]

All our front line galaxies had one, but the second line ones never seem to have had them. Also some of the galaxy command trinaries were called keshiks. But in FM3145 the Alpha Galaxy command trinary doesn’t get Keshik status. Only the units for the khans and lore master are given that.

Rasalhauge Galaxy doesn’t have one, but alpha galaxy has effectively two, the khans and the galaxy commanders. I assume the 2nd Tyr being raised relatively recently and taken over by the galaxy commander means it is the de facto Keshik of that cluster.

[Jellico]

You wouldn't believe the arguments around keshiks putting Roy in Rho Galaxy in FM3145 caused when it came time to do DD. I liked Roy a lot (I like to image Roy Fokker as a template) but killing him means if I get a chance I can put Silveroot back where it belongs.

The Galaxy write ups from FM3145 are pretty good for Galaxy theming. The old front line are old school. Most had listings by trinary in Invading Clans so why mess with that?
The second line are quietly padded with tanks to get numbers to play against regiments in a way you can't justify with the lead Galaxies. Supernovas hide a lot of sins.
The Arctic Galaxies are the same but allow for the fire support, artillery, or axe theming of the root Kungsarme regiments.

Maybe one day we can do actual structure again.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

IMO every Galaxy should have a Command Keshik (like the Wolves) and it should probably be a Supernova of some variety. It may attach ‘permanently’ to a Cluster by usually dragging that Cluster with it everywhere it goes, but they should be independent.

Front Line or Second line Clusters should all have Aerospace, Vehicles, and Elementals attached in some form or another. Maybe as Novas, maybe as pure forces… but there is no good reason to exclude them from front line forces. Now second line might have a bit more than mechs, but that’s a nature of defensive, Harrison, or second line forces. Plus we need Valkyrie and Zeta back fully because specialization!

Not to say each Galaxy can’t specialize themselves, but if we are fully integrated into the Inner Sphere we should adopt everything we can to make us stronger if possible.

EDIT: Detach Silveroot and Ourse Keshik from Alpha Galaxy for logistical purposes. Again they could ‘attach’ themselves to a Galaxy, but I’d prefer if the Galaxy have its own Command Keshik and they would just ‘combine/override’ them if they took direct control. They’re supposed to be the big picture commander: let your subordinates do their jobs and don’t micromanage unless you’re REALLY REALLY good at it.

Just my two cents.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

Yeah I agree. Especially when FASA went through all the work to give us the bizarre command nova set up (which has carried over to our command keshiks) of mech/BA/arty. I like to think the keshiks designation of supernova binary is just two really big novas including a random extra support star in the nova.

The lack of supernovas in the line clusters was odd, we have enough elementals.

I would like to see the khans (and maybe the lore masters) keshiks to be detached. Even if it is only the front line galaxies.

[nova_dew]

Yeah I agree. Especially when FASA went through all the work to give us the bizarre command nova set up (which has carried over to our command keshiks) of mech/BA/arty. I like to think the keshiks designation of supernova binary is just two really big novas including a random extra support star in the nova.

The lack of supernovas in the line clusters was odd, we have enough elementals.

I would like to see the khans (and maybe the lore masters) keshiks to be detached. Even if it is only the front line galaxies.

From FM warden clans our Keshiks should be two supernova binaries, at least in size, "typically a reinforced Supernova Trinary of four Stars", so my idea, a supernova binary of mechs/BA, a supernova of vehicles/BA, a star of Aerospace and a star of BA, administratively attached to the Aerospace star but used as independent headhunters, so 10 mechs, each with a point of BA, 5 Huey's, 5 IFV's, a star of BA, 10 Aerospace fighters and an extra star of BA possibly airdropped or just running around on their tod.

[nova_dew]

You wouldn't believe the arguments around keshiks putting Roy in Rho Galaxy in FM3145 caused when it came time to do DD. I liked Roy a lot (I like to image Roy Fokker as a template) but killing him means if I get a chance I can put Silveroot back where it belongs.

The Galaxy write ups from FM3145 are pretty good for Galaxy theming. The old front line are old school. Most had listings by trinary in Invading Clans so why mess with that?
The second line are quietly padded with tanks to get numbers to play against regiments in a way you can't justify with the lead Galaxies. Supernovas hide a lot of sins.
The Arctic Galaxies are the same but allow for the fire support, artillery, or axe theming of the root Kungsarme regiments.

Maybe one day we can do actual structure again.

How many of those arguments where over people trying to say "Roy in Rho"?  :D

[Tyler Jorgensson]

Our Loremaster has typically been badass… they should get their own Keshik lol

Then again as I think about it: our Watch got a bit of a write up for forces and technically we have a lot of paramilitary forces too. A part of me wishes we had a phone book of all those listings of planetary militias/ paramilitary forces just because I’m OCD like that. Got a lot of time to think about all those things lol

Edit: also out Jumpship fleet too. Didn’t one of the older FM’s give listings of Jumpships (wildly out of proportion of course)? That would be cool updated…

I should stop thinking lol

[Kerfuffin(925)]

Our Loremaster has typically been badass… they should get their own Keshik lol

Then again as I think about it: our Watch got a bit of a write up for forces and technically we have a lot of paramilitary forces too. A part of me wishes we had a phone book of all those listings of planetary militias/ paramilitary forces just because I’m OCD like that. Got a lot of time to think about all those things lol

Edit: also out Jumpship fleet too. Didn’t one of the older FM’s give listings of Jumpships (wildly out of proportion of course)? That would be cool updated…

I should stop thinking lol

The lore master has beta galaxy command (shrill), shKhan (Silveroot) used to have alpha (although as Jellico pointed out they got moved to Rho), and the khans  (Oruse) is unattached.

Invading clans has 27 jump ships and 2 warships, although that seems off by quite a bit. But it only cared about the 3 galaxies in the sphere by that point (Alpha, Beta, Delta)

I just assume each planet has a cluster of armed watch, and as many hidden agents as needed.
Other clans like the JF also count their solhama in their active forces, but that seems kind of silly.

In invading clans I count around 50% of the clusters having atleast one supernova, and a few others with a nova or two within the trinary. If we could at one point afford a galaxy of BA we can afford some supernovas. Zeta was nominally 7500 BA operators strong.

[Jellico]

The lore master has beta galaxy command (shrill), shKhan (Silveroot) used to have alpha (although as Jellico pointed out they got moved to Rho), and the khans  (Oruse) is unattached.

Invading clans has 27 jump ships and 2 warships, although that seems off by quite a bit. But it only cared about the 3 galaxies in the sphere by that point (Alpha, Beta, Delta)

I just assume each planet has a cluster of armed watch, and as many hidden agents as needed.
Other clans like the JF also count their solhama in their active forces, but that seems kind of silly.

In invading clans I count around 50% of the clusters having atleast one supernova, and a few others with a nova or two within the trinary. If we could at one point afford a galaxy of BA we can afford some supernovas. Zeta was nominally 7500 BA operators strong.

Loremaster typically gets Beta.
Ourse and Silveroot are for the Khan's.

How many of those arguments where over people trying to say "Roy in Rho"?  :D

Roy in Rho probably comes back to a MWDA source making Lars a Galaxy Commander in Alpha. That causes problems. Fixed now.

To give an idea how this is long term sculpture.
I hate the huge Horse Clusters. But facing the 36/36/18/infantry regiments of the DC the typical 45/20/125+ second line Cluster increasingly doesn't cut it.
So as the touman grew in FM3145 the opportunity arose to hang onto the tank Trinaries from the Dark Age.The purists can use the "traditionalist" front line units. If you want combined arms go secondary. The BA Trinary/Binary becomes a Supernova, and maybe hide more BA in Mech Novas. 45/30/20/125 looks a lot more balanced against a regiment.
But how do you transport all those tanks. Enter DD and one of the few known Clan tank transports shows up on the RATs to cheers everywhere. Thus slowly we get where we want to be.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

The lore master has beta galaxy command (shrill), shKhan (Silveroot) used to have alpha (although as Jellico pointed out they got moved to Rho), and the khans  (Oruse) is unattached.

Invading clans has 27 jump ships and 2 warships, although that seems off by quite a bit. But it only cared about the 3 galaxies in the sphere by that point (Alpha, Beta, Delta)

I just assume each planet has a cluster of armed watch, and as many hidden agents as needed.
Other clans like the JF also count their solhama in their active forces, but that seems kind of silly.

In invading clans I count around 50% of the clusters having atleast one supernova, and a few others with a nova or two within the trinary. If we could at one point afford a galaxy of BA we can afford some supernovas. Zeta was nominally 7500 BA operators strong.

Zeta was probably around 1,200 to 1,500: MAX 2,000 Elementals. I think people would be broken if we unleashed 7,500 Elementals (and other BA) on our enemies.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

Zeta was probably around 1,200 to 1,500: MAX 2,000 Elementals. I think people would be broken if we unleashed 7,500 Elementals (and other BA) on our enemies.

Yeah my math was wrong. 375 per cluster for a total of 1500. I threw in an extra 5 as I was mathing

[Jellico]

Zeta was probably around 1,200 to 1,500: MAX 2,000 Elementals. I think people would be broken if we unleashed 7,500 Elementals (and other BA) on our enemies.

Though to be honest we probably should. Clusters have a serious problem with lack of bodies for things like base security.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

I figured anything Not a direct combatant isn’t listed in any unit makeup.

If I had my druthers we’d come up with a RasDom unit organization. Even with a largest of second line clusters we can’t stand against a regiment of battle mechs plus all their support. The skill and tech level disparity is gone. Also there isn’t much ritualized warfare where we can bid down defenders or avoid bullshit amounts of stuff.
Even if we expanded everything (but planes) into a supernova, it would be 60 mechs, 30 planes and 300 elementals. Against 108+ mechs/300 vees/20+ planes/and any amount of infantry and atleast an equal amount of BA.

To compete in any sense of the word in a cluster on regiment
We need to utilize the command nova idea (mechs, BA, some ‘garbage’ like artillery/planes/vees) or expand trinaries to be up to 5 stars.

[GuyIncognito]

Let the Arctic Galaxies lead the way, deemphasize input from the stubborn traditionalists.

Also replace Dalia Bekker, she's not fit for service to the Touman or Dominion.

[tassa_kay]

If only he hadn't been ritually murdered, I'd have liked to have seen Lars Magnusson taking Dalia Bekker's place as Khan.

[Foxx Ital]

Though to be honest we probably should. Clusters have a serious problem with lack of bodies for things like base security.

You wont hear me say no to Zeta being reformed ^_^.

[nova_dew]

Loremaster typically gets Beta.
Ourse and Silveroot are for the Khan's.

Roy in Rho probably comes back to a MWDA source making Lars a Galaxy Commander in Alpha. That causes problems. Fixed now.

To give an idea how this is long term sculpture.
I hate the huge Horse Clusters. But facing the 36/36/18/infantry regiments of the DC the typical 45/20/125+ second line Cluster increasingly doesn't cut it.
So as the touman grew in FM3145 the opportunity arose to hang onto the tank Trinaries from the Dark Age.The purists can use the "traditionalist" front line units. If you want combined arms go secondary. The BA Trinary/Binary becomes a Supernova, and maybe hide more BA in Mech Novas. 45/30/20/125 looks a lot more balanced against a regiment.
But how do you transport all those tanks. Enter DD and one of the few known Clan tank transports shows up on the RATs to cheers everywhere. Thus slowly we get where we want to be.

All fitting into three Union C's or one Overlord C, A Polaris and an Aesir, so an Odyssey or an Odyssey and a Hunter minimum, considering during the RotS era we went into the jumpship production business we could have a few ships floating about just waiting to be asked to help.

4 to 6 jumpships to a Galaxy (at best) we can have a extremally mobile and hard hitting Touman depending on just what jumpships we have and in what numbers

[Tyler Jorgensson]

If only he hadn't been ritually murdered, I'd have liked to have seen Lars Magnusson taking Dalia Bekker's place as Khan.

Up until DD I probably would have agreed. His (and TBH everyone’s) actions in DD were…. Muddied at best. I think that some lower rank officers should challenge for leadership and we should get new blood in all around (some Galaxy Commanders included). Personally I think the Prince needs to be removed too but let’s not open that can of worms please.

As far as size formations…. Yeah I’ve got nothing ‘Clan-like’ to help there. Ghost Bear Combined Arms RCT’s? Sure sounds good to me but realistically probably not gonna happen. Not unless someone really drills Ceti Hussar or SLDF Organization into them… which ain’t gonna happen.

I mean TBH even Periphery Powers are building BA Regiments now

[truetanker]

If anyone wants to make a fuss over pineapple on pizza, I say they should go eat a Swedish banana pizza.

Those are great, I, know O:-), things. Pizza things one shouldn't know... after all I "" do "" Za for a living...

28 years and counting! ( God, I hate my job... but my passion for BT obscure... )

TT

[nova_dew]

I figured anything Not a direct combatant isn’t listed in any unit makeup.

If I had my druthers we’d come up with a RasDom unit organization. Even with a largest of second line clusters we can’t stand against a regiment of battle mechs plus all their support. The skill and tech level disparity is gone. Also there isn’t much ritualized warfare where we can bid down defenders or avoid bullshit amounts of stuff.
Even if we expanded everything (but planes) into a supernova, it would be 60 mechs, 30 planes and 300 elementals. Against 108+ mechs/300 vees/20+ planes/and any amount of infantry and atleast an equal amount of BA.

To compete in any sense of the word in a cluster on regiment
We need to utilize the command nova idea (mechs, BA, some ‘garbage’ like artillery/planes/vees) or expand trinaries to be up to 5 stars.

What we need to do is stop thinking of Clusters as our main go to, we need to start using Galaxies and just use Clusters as slightly over strength Battalions with support elements attached, Ok we'd have to expand past our 12 Galaxies to do anything but turtle, the whole Cluster as our main fighting unit and our years of sleeping have left us so under strength to face anyone but an OAP with a bread stick and even then we'd be lucky, we're half the size of the Capellan Confederation in planets and about a fifth it's size militarily, we really should have had our furs handed to us in both Combine-Dominion wars

[CJC070]

What we need to do is stop thinking of Clusters as our main go to, we need to start using Galaxies and just use Clusters as slightly over strength Battalions with support elements attached, Ok we'd have to expand past our 12 Galaxies to do anything but turtle, the whole Cluster as our main fighting unit and our years of sleeping have left us so under strength to face anyone but an OAP with a bread stick and even then we'd be lucky, we're half the size of the Capellan Confederation in planets and about a fifth it's size militarily, we really should have had our furs handed to us in both Combine-Dominion wars

Hopefully we won’t see that for a while.  Remember most factions in the Inner Sphere have taken a serious pounding.  With mixed-tech becoming more of a thing we may see a reevaluation of Clusters where it goes from approximately 75 points to 90+. 

Please note the following thoughts are in my head cannon: We also might see the Supernova formation becoming more common especially if the writers and developers wish to create situations where most planets are only protected by a battalion of troops.

[Jellico]

What we need to do is stop thinking of Clusters as our main go to, we need to start using Galaxies and just use Clusters as slightly over strength Battalions with support elements attached, Ok we'd have to expand past our 12 Galaxies to do anything but turtle, the whole Cluster as our main fighting unit and our years of sleeping have left us so under strength to face anyone but an OAP with a bread stick and even then we'd be lucky, we're half the size of the Capellan Confederation in planets and about a fifth it's size militarily, we really should have had our furs handed to us in both Combine-Dominion wars

By 3145 we had turned Binaries to Trinaries and replaced* the tank Stars with Mechs. God knows what the navy has done. It has been kept deliberately vague. Even with the 30% losses of DD, we are still stronger than 3130.

While I fundamentally agree with the point about the size of Clusters I am not sure how you could go about increasing their number. Even the DC is running low in regiments because the story line doesn't support them.

Personally I would be looking at Claws, Valkyries, and Phalanxes to boost numbers by attaching them to Mech Clusters. They are a little less obnoxious than more Mech Clusters.
Likewise based on DD I suspect the DC and RD will be activating 3rd line units which should improve defences.



*remembering the 2nd line Clusters often kept their tanks in addition to the new Mechs.

[nova_dew]

By 3145 we had turned Binaries to Trinaries and replaced* the tank Stars with Mechs. God knows what the navy has done. It has been kept deliberately vague. Even with the 30% losses of DD, we are still stronger than 3130.

While I fundamentally agree with the point about the size of Clusters I am not sure how you could go about increasing their number. Even the DC is running low in regiments because the story line doesn't support them.

Personally I would be looking at Claws, Valkyries, and Phalanxes to boost numbers by attaching them to Mech Clusters. They are a little less obnoxious than more Mech Clusters.
Likewise based on DD I suspect the DC and RD will be activating 3rd line units which should improve defences.



*remembering the 2nd line Clusters often kept their tanks in addition to the new Mechs.

Well we had early graduation of Sibko's in IlClan, increased recruitment in DD, so we can make up numbers, in what form the new unit's take who knows, well I assume some of TPTB..., the introduction of Claws, Phalanxes, and Valkyrie clusters to existing Galaxies is one way, new Galaxies is another, if TPTB want the Horses to keep their thing, the DC has already activated their Ashigaru regiments and have even started (on paper) rotating DC/FC Vets to their training camps as instructors, so they're more of a speed bump and less of a unique road colorant. I don't know if we're going to get early rapid gains and then bog down like the DC did in the FC, I hope not, mainly because recycled plot device, or something else.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

When I was reading about the claw clusters it was said they often combined with regular clusters to from nova clusters.

I also wouldn’t mind even our front line clusters getting a vee trianry or two added in. In my head canon units I keep as many vees tracked and at one speed higher than the mechs they nominally support. That should let them keep up. And we have access to some pretty good (clan) tanks.