BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
Catalyst Game Labs => Ask the Writers => Topic started by: Weirdo on 17 April 2024, 11:46:12
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In this post (https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=36976.msg862069#msg862069), it is established that the Marian Hegemony organizes their fighters in the same way they do mechs or tanks, with five to a Century, ten to a Maniple, thirty to a Cohort, and 90-150 to a Legion. (I feel safe in assuming there are no Aero Legions, but feel free to prove me wrong on that front.)
With that in mind, what is an Ala Alba Wing or Caelum Wing? The terms show up in various Field Manuals and seem to describe the aero assets belonging to an entire Legion, but we have no idea how large any of those formations actually are.
For reference, the terms can be seen in the following:
Field Manual: Update pages 202-203
Field Manual: 3085 pages 150-151
Field Manual: 3145 page 202
Thanks!
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With that in mind, what is an Ala Alba Wing or Caelum Wing? The terms show up in various Field Manuals and seem to describe the aero assets belonging to an entire Legion, but we have no idea how large any of those formations actually are.
Info is a bit scant on this, but FM: Periphery p77 has some of the answers. Ala Alba (White Wing) is simply the name of the Praetorian Guard's aero contingent. They are listed as being a wing in strength. They get a brief mention in Handbook: Major Periphery States p158, too.
Caelum Wings also get mentions in Shattered Fortress p88 and 90, and TR:3150 p204. SF mentions that the II Caelum Wing is indeed a wing in strength, meaning the others presumably are as well, but the TR ref also mentions maniples.
That would suggest the Caelum is merely a name for the aero wings - its meaning in Latin appears to be "the sky, heaven'.
Its less certain that these Marians Wings follow the usual Marian naming schemes, with a Wing being the equivalent of a Cohors, and being comprised of three Maniples. Its unclear whether Maniples are broken down into further into Centuries.
Looking further back to The Periphery 2nd Ed p60, it states 2 fighters make a team, and 5 teams make an air maniple. Two air maniples then make a wing, with 5 wings making a squadron.
Chris
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Looking further back to The Periphery 2nd Ed p60, it states 2 fighters make a team, and 5 teams make an air maniple. Two air maniples then make a wing, with 5 wings making a squadron.
Yeah, I heard about that scheme, but assumed it had been overwritten by the more recent(and far saner) one. Possibly on the orders of some Caesar or another.