Is the 3139 Spider's Web Battalion understrength?

[Colt Ward]

Command Star
Guillotine IIC, Hellstar, Linebacker, Linebacker, Pack Hunter

Alpha Striker Company
Mech Star
5 Clan Omni

Cav Star
15 Donar VTOL

BA Star
25 Elementals

Bravo Striker Company
Mech Star
Nova, Summoner, +3 Clan Omni

Cav Star
15 Regulator

BA Star
25 Elementals

Charlie Striker Company
Mech Star
Cauldron Born, Summoner, +3 Clan Omni

Cav Star
15 Regulators

BA Star
25 Elementals

Aero Squadron
10 ASF?

All packed in what has to be a modified Overlord C to get the vehicle contingent.

It seems very light for a elite battalion 7 years after the Black Out started.

[Kojak]

No, that looks about right to me.

[Arkansas Warrior]

If you’re counting platoon/lance equivalents, it’s actually at roughly double strength.  So no, I wouldn’t call it understrength at all.

[Kojak]

Actually, now that I'm looking at it again: shouldn't the Cav Stars be 10 vehicles instead of 15?

[Colt Ward]

Sure for the Clans . . . BUT this 'striker battalion' formation has 15 in each vehicle star.  For instance, its stated they 'always' have Omni in the line company b/c they have to carry BA- the Clans would just lump them together and call them a Nova so they do not always follow Clan structure.  Reading further, while the BN command can strip the fighters from each company, they are organized down that far- sort of like the 4th Striker Cluster the Invasion Wolves had, which came about b/c of Vlad Dinour who helped train the Dragoons.

Yeah, its a vehicle battalion, mech company and short of 2 companies of BA.

So organizationally, yeah its nearly 2 battalions all crammed into a single Overlord C (love to get that RS! or at least spec'd out) but its very light on mechs though the Dragoons were clearly going for quality & speed . . . while the Command Star is 4/6 best speed, the mech stars are all 5/8 or faster.  Clan Omnis give the line companies a clear qualitative edge.

[grimlock1]

It seems very light for a elite battalion 7 years after the Black Out started.

Part of being elite means you don't need as much TO&E.  At least within limits of sanity.

But if you were picking teammates to go paintballing this weekend, would you take 3 SEALs or 10 Reservists?

[Arkansas Warrior]

Part of being elite means you don't need as much TO&E.  At least within limits of sanity.

But if you were picking teammates to go paintballing this weekend, would you take 3 SEALs or 10 Reservists?

Honestly?  It depends on how the game is set up and how much the actual numbers advantage will come into play.  If we’re playing 4 on 11, and I ge to choose the 4 or the 11, I’m picking the 11.  ...Unless the SEALs are defending a prepared position, in which case the 11 don’t have enough of a numbers advantage and I want to be on defense.

[Colt Ward]

Part of being elite means you don't need as much TO&E.  At least within limits of sanity.

But if you were picking teammates to go paintballing this weekend, would you take 3 SEALs or 10 Reservists?

Really?  In '56 before the Dragoon's Civil War they had Command Star, 2 trinaries of mechs, a supernova trinary of 2 stars of mechs & 1 nova of mechs/Elementals, 6 ASF & 1 Kommando Company.  Pretty sure they were Elite at that point as well.

Point is, it is 6+ years after the Black Out and they have spent the time since & before the Black Out fighting the Falcons (its where they got the DS).  While they might be elite & veteran troops under a experienced command team attacking Davion positions as laid out will negate a lot of advantages- heck one company got ambushed on a logging road where artillery drove off the 15 Regulators offering fire support from the road.  But they have had that 6+ years of the IS scrambling to re-arm, getting Falcon salvage, Arc Royal production, buying off the Foxes . . . and a premier unit is still mech short?

[Scotty]

It's not short on Mechs, there's a full Trinary worth of them here.  "I think there should be a higher proportion of Mechs" is probably a better thesis, albeit one that can be answered with "No" and that's that.

[Arkansas Warrior]

Indeed.  In the Dark Age, combined arms is the norm.

[snakespinner]

I agree with Arkansas Warrior, the Dark Age is supposed to be combined arms with less mechs.
So the Spider's Web is set up specifically for the Dark Ages.
For that era it is probably overstrength.

[Colt Ward]

One, they were not operating in the Republic . . . ever

Two, its 6+ years after the Black Out was initiated . . . everyone has spent the last six years trying to build, buy or steal as much military material as they can get.  Folks who have not (FS & Rep), or did not have the option for much (MSC) have been getting rolled.

[Lyran Wolf]

I seems to depend on exactly when, and what faction.  If I recall some of the Wolf Empire galaxies are specifically called out as being all or mostly 'mech.  Granted they are implied to be an exception of sorts but I think by 3145-3150 the ratio is swinging back.  I don't think it will ever reach previous levels but I think the later portions are focusing on 'mechs with a heavy dose of combined arms.

Dark Ages does seem to be somewhat lighter on Omni's though.  But since this is an elite unit omnis make sense.

[Onion2112]

Each company has a squadron of fighters according to Redemption Rift - given its called a squadron not a star I’d suggest 6 each

This Company (or Trinary or SuperNova) organization has similarities to the Snow Raven second line Trinarys - star of mech or AFVs star of infantry/battle armour and a star of ASFs.

[Colt Ward]

Yeah, I started this post when they gave a company roster and it was not clear if 'their' Aero support was to the company or BN- but later on it says each company has its own attachment.  6 ASF per company for squadron per battalion.  Further the command break down seems to have the 15 vehicles each divided into a 'star' of 5 with a- for lack of a better term, branch commander- just like the BA has . . . but its a Sgt for the tanks unlike the LT for the BA.

Its the 4th Striker (hey, there is that name) Cluster's Mixed Trinaries with vehicles added.  To be fair, I think that cluster is understrength in mechs too.

[Scotty]

18 ASFs is a Wing everywhere but the DCA, not a squadron.

[grimlock1]

Idle question... I thought Clan structure has 2 vehicles to a Point, not 3.

[Colt Ward]

They do . . . but its not a strict carry over.  The Dragoon striker battalions, and apparently the organization carries over to the line regiments- of which they only have 1 field force?  with Alpha being a repple depple?- has the companies made of up 5 stars.  Mech (Company Com/Majo or Capt) Star, 3 vehicle stars (1 star will have the vehicle stars commander, can be Lt but we mostly saw Sgt), BA star (Lt) is the organizational make up.  Difference between Line & Strikers is the Line BNs have slower mechs & vehicles along with regular infantry in their mix.

By 3140 the Dragoons have . . .

Alpha Regiment
1st BN (Black Cats)- functional
2nd BN- training command
3rd BN-  Personnel reserve

Gamma Regiment (45 mechs, 135 veh, 54 ASF, unknown BA/Inf)
Command formation?
1st BN- (15 mechs? 45 veh, unknown BA/Inf, 18 ASF)
2nd BN (same)
3rd BN (same)

Striker Battalions (Independent, 50 mechs, 135 veh, 54 ASF, 75 BA)
Striker Command Star (5 mechs)
Spider's Web
Tarantula (stood up 3129)
Wolfsbane (stood up 3139)

They are definitely a shadow of their former selves, and for all the Falcon salvage, access to Warden Wolf factories, access to Arc Royal MechWorks, Sea Fox merchants, and the Lyran supply chain . . . its a sorry state.  They had to go challenge the Falcons for four Dropships 'because they needed them.'

[Apocal]

But if you were picking teammates to go paintballing this weekend, would you take 3 SEALs or 10 Reservists?

Ten reservists, assuming they've already gone through work-up training and aren't the nastiest of the nasty.

Indeed.  In the Dark Age, combined arms is the norm.

It makes sense too; a lot of what mechs do, VTOLs, BA, and vehicles do just as well, at a lower cost.