Alas, the MUL only has Goblins listed as available for a few Periphery states, and the MG version is outright extinct after the Jihad. That's why I went with the R10s, which are also OmniVehicles and able to be refitted into various forms. They also have four-ton infantry bays, which I'm wondering if I'm misusing by attaching platoons of foot infantry to them. If I switched to battle armor, that'd dramatically change the number of R10s I'd be using...and give me plenty of options to pick a suit from.
I've got 279 troops spread among 9 R10s and 9 foot platoons. If I go with BA suits, my per-vehicle headcount drops from 31 to 7, or just under ten platoons of R10s and BA suits. I'll round it off to 40 vehicles and 160 BA. That lets me break it up into one platoon in the capital and three platoons in each of three separate companies...you know what, I need to put this together a different way.
1st Shervanis Defense Battalion
4x Testudo Siege Tank (20)
4x Testudo Siege Tank (20)
4x Testudo Siege Tank (20)
4x Red Kite VTOL (8)
4x Red Kite VTOL (8)
4x Red Kite VTOL (8)
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
4x Thumper Artillery Vehicle (16)
4x Thumper Artillery Vehicle (16)
2nd Shervanis Defense Battalion
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Rashier Defense Battalion
4x Thumper Artillery Vehicle (16)
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Local Defense Company
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Local Defense Company
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Local Defense Company
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Local Defense Company
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Local Defense Company
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
Local Defense Company
4x R10 ICV, 4x Longinus Squad (28)
Motorized Infantry Platoon (28)
Horse Infantry Platoon (28)
That brings me to 1,168 personnel out of an 1,170 target. I'd stick with the fluff that the local defense companies are scattered around the planet. The intent is to organize guerilla forces in case of invasion and act as peacekeepers when not under attack, while the two mixed defense battalions are more of a standup-fight type of force. I'm not married to Longinus suits, but they seem pretty nice; I can be convinced to go with another transported BA unit for the R10 to carry.
I just can't wrap my head around the BattleTech infantry school bus paradigm, IFVs and APCs should only be carrying one squad of whatever - either infantry or battle armor, rather than shoving (multiple) platoons into their insides.
I also keep wondering if I should scrap the 3152 idea and rewrite it all for 3025, and get my grognard on - the tech is simple, I know most of the stuff involved, the setting is not crazy with a ton of factions, and it's what I grew up around. Nostalgia's a hell of a thing...it's not like I can't come up with 3025 versions of the 'Mechs involved. I could still put the Devil's Dozen on Astrokaszy, though that would make them a major player in the world's ongoing civil war after the Marians hit the place in 3025.
Maybe the Dozen is a Canopian mercenary group that ends up as part of the task force sent to rescue the world from the Marians in 3025, and stayed behind to try to keep the peace, ultimately failing in their mission but participating in the fighting nonetheless. Warriors on the wasteland, taking on the low-level fighting alongside an FWLM force that remained on the planet until 3038. Fighting stops after a peace deal is made, but the departure of the League forces is marked by a resumption in the war to rule the planet.
Check out
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Astrokaszy#Planetary_History for some more details.
It'd be the succession wars on a micro scale, each of the city-states trying to take over their neighbors, and the Devil's Dozen being a major force for one side - perhaps going up against the FWL troops at times, at other times fighting alongside them, with the planet's fate in the balance. Add in being at the far end of the supply train, and raiding for ammunition and parts, it's maximum Mad Max 2 in the desert wastes of Astrokaszy. The problem with that is that I'm using a number of Archer variants that aren't available then. I suppose I can switch them out for a bunch of other 'Mechs, but that'd make the Dozen an almost entirely custom force...not that that's stopped me in the past, and they'd be the end result of years of fighting on the world and replacing limbs and components.
I think I'll do that, jump back to 3025 and throw the Dozen into the meatgrinder of Astrokaszy's civil war. Their origin would be as Canopian mercenaries, that get sent to rescue the world from the Marians and decide to stay behind as their contract with the Canopians is fulfilled with their participation in the invasion. There'd also be the fun of fighting Feds and Dracs far from their home, since they apparently decided to use Astrokaszy as a testing ground for new tech; that'd make for some interesting Surprise OPFOR moments after 3025.
Game of Thrones in Space North Africa with giant robots. What's not to love?