Raven Alliance Ad Hoc Salvage Cluster

[tassa_kay]

So I’m working on a Dark Age/ilClan Era Raven Alliance Cluster that would be sent into the Outworlds Wastes on long-range salvage ops (especially anything left over from the Star League), and I wanted to show my rough draft/work-in-progress so far.

S-Team Triad (Space Ops)
- Star of BattleMechs: Dark Crow 3, Deimos S, Goshawk II 3, Warhammer IIC 7, Shadow Hawk IIC 7
- Star of Elementals: 25 Clan Space Marines in Space Elementals
- Star of OmniFighters: 10 Wusuns
Murder Triad (Ground Ops)
- War Crow
- War Crow
- Carrion Crow
- Carrion Crow
- Carrion Crow
- Star of Hippogriff ProtoMechs
- Star of Stormbird Battle Armor
Unkind Triad (Ground Ops)
- White Raven
- Vapor Eagle
- Stormcrow
- Kingfisher
- Blood Asp
- Star of Vehicles
- Star of Enhanced Sylphs
R-Team Star (Ground Ops)
- 2 BattleMechs (Devils from RecGuides)
- 2 Points of Aerie (Salvage)
- 1 Point of transport vehicles (Anhurs?)
- Technician Team
Salvage Binary (Space Ops)
- Mule or Behemoth DropShip
- Several small craft to serve as makeshift tugs and transports
- 2 Points of Corax Cs to serve as CAP
- 1 Star of Aeries (mix of Regular/Salvage)

Any suggestions are welcome. Especially looking for suggestions on Omni configs as well as naval assets (DropShips/JumpShips) to attach to this unit.

[RifleMech]

I'm guessing the R-Team would be either commanding the actual salvage operations and providing security or scouting locations for a more thorough look. To do most of the actual work, I'd add some IndustrialMechs, Engineering and transport vehicles, and Exoskeletions for work the Aerie isn't designed for.

The Gulon and Rock Hound Industrialmechs might be good additions. Both are manufactured by the Outworlds Alliance and would be useful in excavating and salvage operations. There's a Clan variant for the Gulon and Rock Hound has variants for different environments including the Space Hound.

The Burrower, Groundpounder and MuckRaker MiningMechs could be useful for excavating and any engineering that need to be done. A Vampyr would be good for salvaging. And a Crosscut or Heavy Forester would be good for clearing roads and work locations in forested areas. I'd also add a Uni cargomech salvaged/captured from the FedSuns to haul salvage to the dropship faster than the MuckRaker. The environmental sealing is also useful in hostile environments.

Other than the standard Engineering Vehicle, I'm not sure what's available in the Periphery. Maybe a Hesiod Utility Vehicle captured or salvaged from the FedSuns? I'm sure there's others. A Mobile HQ could also be useful for directing operations if the salvage site is a ways from the dropship.

If you plan on any salvaging in water some units that work in and on water would be good. Maybe just a mixed star?

[tassa_kay]

This is incredibly helpful, RM! I hadn't even considered the work vehicles for the technician-caste crews yet, and this saves me SO MUCH trouble. I didn't even know some of these existed.

[tassa_kay]

I plugged in as many of your suggestions as I could, RM, and here’s what I’m looking at now:

S-Team Triad (Space Ops)
- Star of BattleMechs: Dark Crow 3, Deimos S, Goshawk II 3, Warhammer IIC 7, Shadow Hawk IIC 7
- Star of Elementals: 25 Clan Space Marines in Space Elementals
- Star of OmniFighters: 10 Wusuns
Murder Triad (Ground Ops)
- 2 War Crows
- 3 Carrion Crows
- Star of Hippogriff ProtoMechs
- Star of Stormbird Battle Armor
Unkind Triad (Ground Ops)
- 2 Charger Cs
- 3 Merlin Cs
- Star of Gossamer VTOLs
- Star of Spectre Battle Armor
R-Team Star (Ground Ops)
- 2 BattleMechs (Devils from RecGuides)
- 2 Points of Aeries (Salvage)
- Team of Technicians
Salvage Binary (Space Ops)
- Mule or Behemoth DropShip
- Several small craft to serve as makeshift tugs and transports
- 1 Point of Corax Cs (CAP)
- 1 Star of Aeries (mix of Regular/Salvage)
- 2 Space Hound ProspectorMechs, 10 Ailette Zero-G Engineering Exoskeletons
Support Trinary
- 2 Exo HaulerMechs, 5 HeavyHauler Exoskeletons, 5 PowerLoader Exoskeletons, 5 Salrilla Exoskeletons
- Rock Hound ProspectorMech, Rock Possum ProspectorMech, Powerman HaulerMech, Uni CargoMech, Vampyr SalvageMech
- Rock Otter ProspectorMech, Crosscut LoggerMech, Burrower MiningMech, Ground Pounder MiningMech, MuckRaker MiningMech

[RifleMech]

Looks good Tassa. I'm glad I could help. :)

[Starfury]

If you want one jumpship I suggest the Odyssey. It's well armed and has room for 4 Dropships. You'll probably need a Carrier Dropship for the Wusuns, an Overlord C for the Mechs, a modded Mule with Protomech Cubicles, and a Sassasnid for the Battle Armor. Or leave the Mule as is, and get an Arcadia for the Battle carried by a Hunter Jumpship for scouting. It jumps in, does some sensor sweeps, drops the Arcadia off to secure the the site while the main pary jumps in behind them.  You could also swap out a Mech for one of the new specialized Sea Fox Gladiators from the latest Shrapnel that's used for salvage work. 

[truetanker]

Titan Monitor would be better.

Also, Second on the Odyssey. carries both 2 Sm. Craft, 2 Points of Battle Armor and 4 Collars.

I would also Suggest an old Elephant Model 96:

She carried 4 Sm. Craft, 12 Mechs, 8 Heavy Vehicles, carries traditionally 4 Platoons of Jump Infantry, but that means 84 Bunks and then carries up to 2,178.5 tons in cargo.

So going with:

Odyssey
Titan Monitor
Elephant

You'll still have 2 more Dropships available.

TT

Also note, Technically BA need time, like 10 mins, to suit up into their 1 ton Medium suits, but a Bay would allow them instant ready for battle. If your ok to run with Troopers in an Un-augmented fiction, look up the Clan Heavy Foot Infantry details. Keshik Point. Also, any of the Clan Space Marine on the Ground as well.

It's all in the details...

[Shin_Fenris]

I was spitballing something similar, starting as the 97th Raven Striker Cluster during the WoR/Jihad & going into the Republic/DA eras, a few years ago. Didn't have the full layout as much as you do but I sure was excited to assign Enhanced Sylph BA to something and they seemed like solid R-Team escorts.

Got as far as painting a Shadow Cat II in CSR Beta Galaxy colors before setting it aside "temporarily," that added into my pile of shame lmao.

This looks pretty great though!

[Hellraiser]

1.  I wouldn't go Behemoth, the inability to land isn't something you want for Salvage Ops, IMO.
So Mule/Mammoth, and really Mule should be sufficient, don't want to tie up a Mammoth that could be doing more bulk movement.

2.  I also wouldn't go with the Odyssey or Titan-Monitor that TT suggested.
Both of them strike me as vessels assigned to Front Line &/or Warship Escort duty, not salvage ops.
What I would suggest is going w/ a pair of Merchants to get the same 4 DC's & allow for the unit to escape/survive if 1 JS breaks down out on mission.
Or maybe even Merchant+Invader to have an empty collar in case you find/rescue another DS.

3.  I do like that Elephant idea, you never know when a Tug might be useful on Salvage.
That said, 2 other dropships worth consideration as well.
An OG Overlord-2  (w/ the 12 Vehicle Cubicles) would be nice as would the Lion-Clan model w/ all the extra infantry bays it has for the Elementals & Techs to use.
It also allows you to deploy some units directly into combat if you should come across hostiles.

4.  Finally, since this unit is being sent on "non-warrior" duty, I'd think it might not be full Triads for everything.  Maybe scale some back to Binary level to show it's haphazard organization.

[truetanker]

I mentioned the Titan C as more of the bodyguard role...

Odyssey was because it is the most common Clan JS... Though an old SL-era Tramp could be used as well, Nova Cat entry.

It'll allow itself to defend in trials, if need be, protect the cargo from would-be raiders and provide a safe environment as well. It also has three collars as well. And a bit more Seeker feel to it, but still as part of a Secondline unit...

TT

[Hellraiser]

I mentioned the Titan C as more of the bodyguard role...

Odyssey was because it is the most common Clan JS... Though an old SL-era Tramp could be used as well, Nova Cat entry.

It'll allow itself to defend in trials, if need be, protect the cargo from would-be raiders and provide a safe environment as well. It also has three collars as well. And a bit more Seeker feel to it, but still as part of a Secondline unit...

I get it. 
I just find them to be far too useful supporting WS based formations w/ the LFBs

Where is the bit about most common from?
All I see is that it's absent from some clans.

I rarely see them mentioned & most TO&E are filled up with old SL designs.

[truetanker]

The few transports would have to be Odyssey because the SL-in-E would have upgraded their "local' economy...

If you take the projected number of items brought, how many passengers transports do you think they brought? Half the cargo was hauled in Warship bays. The Dropships that are dual purposes are not enough either.

And as is, most would have been repurposed.

TT

[Hellraiser]

The few transports would have to be Odyssey because the SL-in-E would have upgraded their "local' economy...

If you take the projected number of items brought, how many passengers transports do you think they brought? Half the cargo was hauled in Warship bays. The Dropships that are dual purposes are not enough either.

And as is, most would have been repurposed.

You lost me TT.

Are you talking about the Exodus?   400 WS,  2000 JS?

Odyssey wasn't invented till a century later.

[truetanker]

Invaders are lightly armed. And since Clans combat for all their raids, it means that any surviving Invaders would not be able to defend against the more common Aerospace Fighter. Ergo, the introduction of the Odyssey was a direct response to this. Most Invaders would have been scrapped and replaced by the Odyssey.

Because of the amount of armor, weapons and onboard facilities to house a ready anti-boarding parties, in the name of the clan.

TT

[Hellraiser]

Most Invaders would have been scrapped and replaced by the Odyssey.

Like I said above, the TO&Es we have don't show a lack of Invaders, on the contrary, they are fluffed as getting upgraded w/ HarJel IIRC.
And the Odyssey is directly fluffed as missing from several clans in the TRO3057 notes.