3145 Tech Showcase unit, "Kitsunebi" DCMS reinforced combined arms battalion

[ANS Kamas P81]

So, with discussions with other folks off the board, and plying carefully through the TRO, I wondered.  Would it truly be possible to come up with a viable combat force, portable, that can take on an opponent in a typical scenario.  I decided to go with a reinforced company to start with, so that I can cover everything together - ASFs, BA, 'Mechs, and AFVs.  Since I wanted to directly mechanize my BA, and because there were a lot of hovers, I went with an extra company of vehicles; that left me with a 'Mech company, two AFV companies, a BA company, and at the end of it all a flight of ASFs for air support.

Looking through the number of 'Mechs again, I went with a reinforced company - it'd be too many singles if I'd only taken 12 units, and they'd have been too much of a mishmash.  16 machines made it nice and easy to select to fit, and with three OmniMechs to choose from I knew I could mobilize at least part of my infantry that way.  So I put one Omni in each lance, which worked a lot better than attaching a Tenshi to some Avalanches and Wendigos.  Support units to round out each lance fell into place, and I even got to make an artillery pair make sense in their placement.  So far so good!

Is BA suits times!  Typical square organization of a platoon of 16 suits, with 64 suits to a company, yadda hoy yadda hey.  Well, one platoon is gonna be mechanized with the mechs.  So four Zou squads was easy, one squad for each lance (guess that makes them a Star).  And joyful!  There's not only an infantry carrier, but there's a MEAN infantry carrier with a snubby PPC and an MRM 40, and eight tons of space.  So that meant two full platoons of Onis, with a mix of weapons to both demonstrate tech and back up capabilities (it'd suck having to fight a few platoons of infantry with medium lasers...) as well.  And three ground MP means they won't be completely left behind by their carriers...so, what's left...ah hah!  Kishis.  One last platoon of Kishis, just for the "scout" concept as well as having that delicious HMG.

Which dropped a pretty problem into my lap.  That's gonna need six transports for the infantry movement...and those Narukami are fluffed as going around in platoons by themselves.  So the optimal mix of six Mamonos with a proper tank platoon of four Narukamis fell right into place, but what to give the Mamonos for backup - well, I'd only get two of them, but that's just fine for Sekhmets.  They're Clan tech, and I don't want to overuse that...even if they do mout two LPLs, grumble grumble.  I digress.  The Sekhmets split up and paired off with triples of Mamonos, and thus my heavy combat force is good.  Now for some speedies...wellll, there's that utterly delectable VTOL and its evil, evil variant.  Someone answer the phone, I hear an air lance calling!  Two of each gives a decently mobile popup firestorm, and look really cool as well.  (Seriously, two points on the awesome look.  Kamakirei!)  Which...left me with hovers.  Simple enough, even if I'm abusing my clan-tech access for two lances of mixed Cizins and Arkab hovers.  A little mix and match to provide critseeking and holepunching, and I've got more pairs than a Vegas wedding chapel.

Oh, and Koroshiyas for ASFs.  Because it's the only fighter in the book, the Flying BA Bus is silly, and damn if the Koroshiyas aren't gorgeous rides.  Also, twin HPPCs and 40 MRMs and the heat sinks to forget you were told to not waste ammo.  So yeah, six of those.

Final organization:

Command Lance
Tenshi
HTM-30S Hatamoto-Suna
DRG-11K Dragon II
DRG-11K Dragon II
Zou Squad

Cavalry Lance
HKZ-1F Hitotsume Kozo
EXR-2X Exhumer
AV-10 Avalanche
PXH-11K2 Phoenix Hawk L
Zou Squad

Cavalry Lance
HKZ-1F Hitotsume Kozo
EXR-2X Exhumer
AV-10 Avalanche
PXH-11K2 Phoenix Hawk L
Zou Squad

Headhunter Lance
Wendigo
PXH-11K Phoenix Hawk L
RKT-4K Rokurokubi
RKT-4K Rokurokubi
Zou Squad



Tank Platoon
NK-1C Narukami
NK-1C Narukami
NK-1C Narukami
NK-1C Narukami

Heavy Mech. Inf. Platoon
Mamono IFV
Mamono IFV
Mamono IFV
Sekhmet Assault Vehicle
Oni Squad
Oni Squad
Oni Squad
Oni Squad
Kishi Squad
Kishi Squad

Heavy Mech. Inf. Platoon
Mamono IFV
Mamono IFV
Mamono IFV
Sekhmet Assault Vehicle
Oni Squad
Oni Squad
Oni Squad
Oni Squad
Kishi Squad
Kishi Squad



Air Platoon
Kamakiri VTOL
Kamakiri VTOL
Shi Kamakiri VTOL
Shi Kamakiri VTOL

Striker Platoon
Cizin
Cizin Support
Saladin  Mk II HCV
Scimitar Mk II HCV 3136

Striker Platoon
Cizin
Cizin Support
Saladin  Mk II HCV
Scimitar Mk II HCV 3136



Aerospace Element
Koroshiya ASF
Koroshiya ASF

Aerospace Element
Koroshiya ASF
Koroshiya ASF

Aerospace Element
Koroshiya ASF
Koroshiya ASF

Yes, properly the BA should be in their own separate sections, but the layout's obvious - 4 Zou squads, 8 Oni squads, 4 Kishi squads. This organizes how they're deployed better, IMO.  I wasn't sure what to call a pair of ASFs, and I didn't want to use 'lance' because I like saving that for 'Mechs.  The cav units can either jump or maintain 90km/h; they have enough mobility to keep up and depending on the Avalanche fittings more than enough gunpower.  As for the OmniMechs, each would carry TAG; might as well have someone designate for those two DRG-11Ks after all.  Overall, I think it shows a nice little setup for what you can do with a single small TRO's contents and not going too big on the force.

SO!  The tricky part is transport.  Obviously one dropship would be nice.  An Overlord is always an option, but I'm not sure one could mount that many vehicles (8 light, 16 heavy) and BA suits even after pulling out twenty 'Mech cubicles.  Doable?  Need to pick something else?  Bueller?  Bueller?

As far as the unit itself, fluff will come.  Yes, in the pattern of the old Felis Domini idea and because kitsune and SPACE JAPAN, I'm stealing a foxgirl that a friend doodled as the "mysterious unit commander."  Carved polished ivory fox mask, hints she's once a member of O5P or Nekekami or ISF or really a spirit, suddenly funded with all the latest military hardware, etc etc etc yadda yadda you know how it goes.  Short kimonos are hot.  But a "foxfire" themed force, with the whole special operations 'phantom' idea...yeah it kinda floats together.

Hey at least I didn't put Keanu Reeves in it!

[worktroll]

Small point - normal DCMS battle armour formations are 4-man squads, 3-squad platoons. Nothing stopping what works on your table, though.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Small point - normal DCMS battle armour formations are 4-man squads, 3-squad platoons. Nothing stopping what works on your table, though.

Oh!  Well that just makes things easier and slightly less infantry loaded.  After all, it's supposed to be a DCMS showcase...then again it's pretty oversized as it is.  That would let me swap a Mamono or two with Sekhmets perhaps...

Edit: Nah, gonna leave it as-is.  It's a reinforced BA company and a reinforced Mech company making a "lightish" battalion, and then a short battalion of vehicles.  Bigger than I wanted overall for a unit, but it sets off the style, and makes the BA carriers more interesting - instead of going two-and-two with the Mamonos and Sekhmets, it's 3/1 with the heavier BA stocking.

Darnit, the DCMS should get on the 4/4 bandwagon, especially if they're going to have pretty spiffy 8-ton-capacity transports!  Two of those in a three-squad platoon is a waste of tonnage...

[Tai Dai Cultist]

Oh!  Well that just makes things easier and slightly less infantry loaded.  After all, it's supposed to be a DCMS showcase...then again it's pretty oversized as it is.  That would let me swap a Mamono or two with Sekhmets perhaps...

Say what you will about the Oozes, but they transport a handy company-sized batch of Battle Armor.. maybe you could find room for them to fly your troops around whilst being some non-Koroshiya air-to-ground fire support.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Say what you will about the Oozes, but they transport a handy company-sized batch of Battle Armor.. maybe you could find room for them to fly your troops around whilst being some non-Koroshiya air-to-ground fire support.

No argument there.  Tempting...buuuut I know how vulnerable Small Craft could be.  They're more transport asset, so I'll handwave it that way - this is just the primary fighting force.  Whatever small craft happen to...ooze their way aboard the DropShip they end up in, weeellll...don't look at me, I just work here.

That said - what DS WOULD handle this force well?

[Tyler Jorgensson]

A shot out in left field: but you could theoretically take a Conquistador . I mean I know their Davion designs but the DCMS has been tearing into the AFFS, and nothing better than a bit of misdirection. It might be a bit cramped, but you could swap some of the aero bays for more vehicles: or remove some of the excess infantry bays for more vehicles. Just my two cents.

[ANS Kamas P81]

A shot out in left field: but you could theoretically take a Conquistador . I mean I know their Davion designs but the DCMS has been tearing into the AFFS, and nothing better than a bit of misdirection. It might be a bit cramped, but you could swap some of the aero bays for more vehicles: or remove some of the excess infantry bays for more vehicles. Just my two cents.

You think outside the box.  I like you.

I can do it in a Nekohonker but I've got to pull two Kraken launchers and their missiles.  As it is, it's 6 fighters, 16 'Mechs, 16 heavy vehicles, 8 light vehicles, and 16 squads of BA.  Dropping 2/3 of the capital firepower (yikes) and keeping 4 small craft gives me all that and a 730 ton cargo bay; not so great but good enough for a raider.  I'll have to look up a

wait

Kitsune.  Fox fae basically.  What's the whole thing the FedSuns likes wrapping itself in?  Conquistador it is, and it's even the right shape for a kitsune mask.  Her name?  The Yako. (the 'trickster' foxes)

[Demon55]

I usually call my ASF units flights.  Say 3-4 ASFs in a flight and 3-4 flights in a squadron.  Just a suggestion.

[Dmon]

Fairly sure DCMS terminology is Flight > Wing > Regiment.

[Kitsune413]

Hmm

[ANS Kamas P81]

Hmm

Insightful and informative!