(This is a bit of a lore/fluff entry expanding on the creation of the Air-Slip mech and the reasons for it as well as its consequences for Logan Prime.)
Logan Prime's Militia have very little in the way of Assault or Heavy Mech support, being part of a small periphery nation. Rather, they rely on their lighter mechs in a mix of Blitzkreig swarm and long range support. Their most common means of defense are a combination of their uniquily retrofitted Air-Slip mechs, and a retrofit of the ever reliable Urbanmech.
Logan's Longshots: The necessity for settlers on Logan Prime to defend themselves had been a struggle to meet for a time, having to rely on the rest of the Lothian League for help. It was the discovery of a Star League facility and LAM graveyard that kickstarted their military growth. Having very little in the way of Battlemechs to defend themselves and relying mostly on cheap yet easily destroyed vehicles such as tanks and fire-support trucks, the development of the Air-Slip Mech provided them the opportunity to turn their luck around.
After using a Demi-Company of Swallow Air-Slip mechs armed with various hand held weaponry to ward off invading pirate forces for the first time, the success of the design and concept kickstarted full blown mass conversions of the decomissioned LAM's in the graveyard. From the Swallow, to the Magpie, and eventually the Dire Hawk, Air-Slip Mechs became the initial primary defensive force on Logan Prime. That first unit of Swallow's, due to the odds of the modified frames working and the chances the unit had itself of succeeding, was known as Logan's "Longshots".
And since that day, the name was cemented in the hearts and minds of their new militia.
Their
Air-Slip Mechs are perfect scouts and patrols, usually as a Demi-Company of six mechs to make up for their lack of heavier hitting units, all while using their unique properties to cross over any terrain with swift ease while supported by home-made handheld weaponry for their lack of firepower. When an enemy is spotted, the strategy is to hit hard and fast, overwhelming them with superior numbers and surprise. After an initial assault, they tend to circle and swarm the enemies until defeated or driven off.
Logan's Longshots are made up of some of the roudiest, risk-taking adrenaline junkies on the planet. They tend to enjoy pushing the speed of their mechs into the redline and flying way to close to the ground, pulling crazy stunts even mid combat. Thats not to say they're reckless, however; each pilot was handpicked for their skill and potential, and heavily trained to the point that piloting an Air-Slip is second nature to them, so as to not waste the ones that they already have. In the early years of the units inception, days of boredom and scouting around without any enemy to hunt led to friendly bouts of competition, where other Longshots would bet on who could fly the fastest or pull the most insane stunts in their craft.
Though consistently chewed out for their actions, it became a tradition for locals to watch the Longshots race eachother across the tundra and through steep valleys. Eventually, this tradition grew into a full blown local sport; Longshot Races.
In short, Logan's Longshots not only defend the planet from pirate invasion, but are essentially filled with racing champs that entertain and lift the spirits of everyone else.
Notable Forces1st Logan's Longshots: [Consisting of the top aces of the Longshots and effectively their special forces, sent out on the most dangerous missions against the most skilled foes.]
2nd Logan's Longshots: [Second-most-capable Air-Slip pilots, and act as leadership and training experts for new recruits.]
13th Logan's Longshots: [The troublemakers and most reckless pilots, even amongs the Longshots. Either due to putting their equipment at risk or having commited a crime, they are seen as more or less risky bets. They are usually fitted with Sparrows, being light, fast, and inexpensive Air-Slip Mechs that can be fitted with harrasing weaponry until the ammunition dries up. Essentially, if they're going to risk their equipment or can't be trusted, might as well give them mechs that won't cost as much to fix or replace if crashed.]
Logan's Lancers: After years of Logan's Longshots growth as a local military force, one that didn't lose vehicles left and right to superior mech units, the militia eventually build up enough money to start financing Battlemech imports. Some argued that the Longshots and their Air-Slip mechs were enough to continue defending their home, but as fast as they were when it came to covering ground, there was still a heavy demand for grounded units to maintain a solid defense for cities and settlements. Though lighter military vehicles such as Strikers and Scorpions were still part of the militia, little by little they grew their own periphery Battlemech forces.
Thus, the start of Logan's Lancers.
Besides the Longshots, the Logan's Lancers act as a more stationary and immediate defense for cities and outposts on the planet, as well as supporting the Longshots with long range firepower. Though the militia employs a wide range of different Light and Medium mechs, their more common mech forces consist of a combination of Enforcers, Blackjacks, and a unique variation of the Urbanmech; the
UM-R61Y, which is an LRM-20 variant that acts as a more durable long-range artillery piece. Though for the most part inexpensive and less robust weapons platforms, the Lancers employ heavy bombardment tactics against incoming forces through an overwhelming rate of fire; sandblasting enemies before focusing fire at closer range to take down any survivors.
Though not the most dazzling or glorious of tactics, its effective, and the Lancers are more than happy to leave the razzle and dazzle to the flyboys in the Longshots.
The Lancers also have their own small expeditionary force, which act as mercenaries who use their talents to earn money to send back home to Logan Prime; Logan's Lancers C Company. Frequently they find themselves either providing services to other nearby periphery worlds, surviving bad contracts by the skin of their teeth, or performing joint operations with other Lothian League forces or Hamric's Hammers when in need of their services or Air-Slip mechs.
Notable ForcesLogan's Lancers A Company: [The most skilled Mechwarriors on the planet and the ones who are tasked with protecting the capitol city from invasive forces.]
Logan's Lancers B Company: [Heavily skilled Mechwarriors tasked with defending the Star League base/graveyard/manufacturing field where Air-Slip mechs are developed.]
Logan's Lancers C Company: [Expeditionary/Mercenary forces. Elite and most-likely-to-survive Mechwarriors when fighting off world. Mostly utilized for gathering intel on current events among the Inner Sphere and nearby nations. Sometimes sends money back home.]
Logan's Lancers D-P Company: [Various companies that are stationed around the planet, sometimes together in the same town/settlement, sometimes on their own. Each having their own unique personality or tactics.]
Logan's Lancers Q-T Company: [Auxillaries and trainees; not counted as part of the standard militia structure, though often time they are stationed alongside D throug P Companies to get rid of the green behind their ears and train.]
