Rasalhague Dominion: The voting will continue until morale improves!

[MarauderD]

I don't think it would be wise for the Dragon to go for Alshain.  I can see counteroffensives taking RasDom worlds, however, if any engagement lasts more than the few months necessary to communicate, plan, and counterattack.

Short engagement with limited objectives--Bear forces will sweep aside opposition.  If they dig in and prepare to hold, might have limited counter raiding.  If they go overboard, I think it get get ugly. 

[wantec]

Not to mention the Bears have a Navy that they can park over Alshain if they choose, making any run by the Combine prohibitively expensive.

[Minemech]

 That leads to a classic problem called economy of force.

[Jellico]

Remember a few months back I asked about Mercs?

Mercs have been a major problem in previous wars. Typically they are used for deep raiding which requires defensive counters. Clan Sea Fox is "selling" mercs in the Draconis Combine. That is a wild card I can't begin to guess at.

Ultimately I suspect there will be a lunge at Luthien. It is an emotional target that will both enrage the Combine and draw in and pin units. The problem for us is that it is a man power sink when half the touman will need to play defence. I have put forward a plan that will minimise troop numbers and make for interesting play, but who knows? If we don't take Schuyler I will be disappointed. Likewise the old Nova Cat factories, though CSF administer most. There are a few other factory worlds in striking and then we are stuck. We can occupy about five worlds. The DCMS will start coming over the border. We can defend our own factory worlds, but there is a lot that we can't. We will end up in a situation of harderned worlds, exposed worlds, the gaping sore of Luthien, and endless raiding on both sides. We don't win that war of attrition.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I really hope the Dominion isn't dumb enough to try assaulting Luthien.

[Minemech]

To make that strategy viable, you would need to evacuate all forces from any world Rimward of Orestes. They just are not defensible, Vega included. 

[Jellico]

You nearly have to.
What is the end game? How do you end the war?

You need to apply pain and exhaustion. Luthien is a major factory world, the only one in striking range. Nothing else will do. I  would love to get to places like Midway but it just can't be done.

[tassa_kay]

Bears better whip out that fancy new Leviathan, pray it doesn't eat a mouthful of ship-killer nukes, and then glass every factory on Luthien.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

Bears better whip out that fancy new Leviathan, pray it doesn't eat a mouthful of ship-killer nukes, and then glass every factory on Luthien.

I’d send both to make sure. Both Warships, the Valkyrie Clusters, a couple PWS Stars, and a Galaxy for a raid in force to mess up their capital.



But the DCMS trying another Alshain Avengers? I’d love to see that fiasco again.

[tassa_kay]

Personally, even being a RasDom fan as I am, I'm honestly hoping that they get their teeth kicked in by the Combine. They're long overdue for a real L, and the repeated references in DD about them not having lost a war against the Combine just smacks of overconfidence. I need to see them humbled.

[Metallgewitter]

Let's not forget the Bears lost nearly a thrid of their touman in the recent civil war. Replacing those looses might be easy but you are replacing veterans with green (as green as that for Clan trained troops goes) troops. Plus the supply situation is probably still shaky. An d as I said several times: the Bears can't let their border with the Horses left unguarded. Rasalhague is next to the Horses border and should they decide to pay a visit it might turn ugly. Of course on the Combine side is for one: a rather instable border with the FedSuns who might take the opportunity to snatch some old worlds back (Sakhara V comes to mind) And we have the Ravens who seem to have engaged in a small campaign under the banner of the new Star League. If that spills into combine territory it would be a distraction yori doesn't need at the moment unless she can sneak in some DEST to sabotage Raven Warships (Kanzaki incident 2.0 here we go)

[Kerfuffin(925)]

This again ties into clusters being far to small to fight modern set piece battles. If the bears (or clans that aren’t wolf) want to get anything out of the modern age they need to expand; either the size of clusters or the number of galaxies.

[tassa_kay]

The very last thing the Bears need to do is expand their touman, and they certainly don't need to do so for fight in set piece battles. The only time we were really seeing those battles involving Galaxies/multiple Galaxies was during ilClan. Tamar Rising and the like have done a fantastic job of setting their battles around regiment/Cluster-sized units.

[Church14]

Remember a few months back I asked about Mercs?

Mercs have been a major problem in previous wars. Typically they are used for deep raiding which requires defensive counters. Clan Sea Fox is "selling" mercs in the Draconis Combine. That is a wild card I can't begin to guess at.

Who’s paying the mercs? I though mercs are still hands off for clans

[Jellico]

In Dominions Divided it is revealed that the Sea Foxes are stepping into a MRBC role, acting as middlemen between mercenaries and clients. They are gaining a reputation for being honest (if tricky) brokers. It is specifically noted that Warlords are hiring through them. Ergo a number of mercenaries in the Draconis Combine will be operating on CSF contracts with whatever fine print the Foxes chose to include. That is a wild card that could go in a lot of interesting directions.

[CJC070]

Who’s paying the mercs? I though mercs are still hands off for clans

The times are changing.  At least two Clan Jade Falcon factions have either hired or worked with mercenaries.  There is even a story of a mercenary group dealing with the Ghost Bears civilian caste.  Wouldn’t surprise me if some Clan Wolf or Jade Falcons also go merc if Alaric really goes off the rails (or angers them).

Remember the members of Catalyst want the return of the Third Succession War.  A battalion can hold a planet, mercenaries running around, and plots and machinations around every corner.  And most important of all everyone faction is out for themselves no permanent faction alliance, no Clans vs. Inner Sphere (in a global setting), and no Jihad or Reavings where everything is wiped out.

[Metallgewitter]

In Dominions Divided it is revealed that the Sea Foxes are stepping into a MRBC role, acting as middlemen between mercenaries and clients. They are gaining a reputation for being honest (if tricky) brokers. It is specifically noted that Warlords are hiring through them. Ergo a number of mercenaries in the Draconis Combine will be operating on CSF contracts with whatever fine print the Foxes chose to include. That is a wild card that could go in a lot of interesting directions.

The Foxes don't include the fine print though. That's between the Merc unit and it's employer. The Foxes "only" mediate and if need be enforce the rulings. And here comes the tricky part: unlike the MRBC the Foxes have way more contacts in the business world. So if the employer has hidden accounts you can be sure the Foxes will know of it. Like this example of a Fed suns noble who didn't want to pay a Merc unit and when the Foxes pointed out "Hey use those slush fund you build up" he rfused. End of the story: the Foxes wrecked his estate and also told the March lord that there was a noble who embezzled funds.

[Church14]

The times are changing.  At least two Clan Jade Falcon factions have either hired or worked with mercenaries.  There is even a story of a mercenary group dealing with the Ghost Bears civilian caste.  Wouldn’t surprise me if some Clan Wolf or Jade Falcons also go merc if Alaric really goes off the rails (or angers them).

Remember the members of Catalyst want the return of the Third Succession War.  A battalion can hold a planet, mercenaries running around, and plots and machinations around every corner.  And most important of all everyone faction is out for themselves no permanent faction alliance, no Clans vs. Inner Sphere (in a global setting), and no Jihad or Reavings where everything is wiped out.

Jiyi didn’t want to hire them. It sorted worked out after the fact. AML is a weird beast. Foxes aren’t setting up contracts, just brokering them. Alaric made it clear he hates Mercs.

Who is putting out the contracts to do deep harassment against DC? FedSuns are gobbling up Mercs for border harassment. Ravens are still pretty hardline clan.

Basically, only group that would hire Mercs to help is the RasDom itsef to help with their war against the DC. A war championed by - for lack of better word - clan Crusader traditionalists. Not real merc friendly people.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Both factions that merged to form the Dominion had a longstanding hatred of mercenaries.

[Church14]

Both factions that merged to form the Dominion had a longstanding hatred of mercenaries.

Yeah. I do see Mercs having the influence to be kingmakers in this era, I just don’t see it specifically costing DC during RasDom’s invasion.

If anything, I would see Mercs getting paid to hit the RasDom more. Say… a fresh batch of several regiments of very angry MAC looking to earn a penny

[Jellico]

Brokers charge fees. There will be a contract.
Say Alaric whispers to the Sea Foxes and they now refuse to broker contracts with the Draconis Combine? That is an effect. Say they agree to cover 10% of costs for working with the Combine? That is an effect. Say they pass on the details of mercenary deployments to the Dominion? Say they offer discounts on Sea Fox Mechs to anyone signing up?

The point being there are lots of ways they can put their finger on the scales for fun and profit, either for themselves or for Alaric.

[Metallgewitter]

Brokers charge fees. There will be a contract.
Say Alaric whispers to the Sea Foxes and they now refuse to broker contracts with the Draconis Combine? That is an effect. Say they agree to cover 10% of costs for working with the Combine? That is an effect. Say they pass on the details of mercenary deployments to the Dominion? Say they offer discounts on Sea Fox Mechs to anyone signing up?

The point being there are lots of ways they can put their finger on the scales for fun and profit, either for themselves or for Alaric.

And why would the Foxes do that? That would hurt their bottom line (not to mention their trust within the entire IS if this ever becomes public) so they will most likely not do that. And what leverage does Alaric have at this point? Being IlKhan? It doesn't make you very Ilkhan sitting behind a wall like a coward while your own realm gets devoured by the Mercs you angered. Alaric needs the Foxes more then the Foxes need him. He would have to give them some huge concessions to even think about breaking their own neutrality

[Church14]

Brokers charge fees. There will be a contract.
Say Alaric whispers to the Sea Foxes and they now refuse to broker contracts with the Draconis Combine? That is an effect. Say they agree to cover 10% of costs for working with the Combine? That is an effect. Say they pass on the details of mercenary deployments to the Dominion? Say they offer discounts on Sea Fox Mechs to anyone signing up?

The point being there are lots of ways they can put their finger on the scales for fun and profit, either for themselves or for Alaric.

This sort of tilting the scales is something that makes me leery of Foxes as a broker, but this is something that they can’t come back from. It’s something they’d only do when desperate or there is a reward worth it. Saving RasDom from embarrassment is not worth it.

Foxes’ sales pitch as the new MRBC is as a reliable, even handed, above board, and willing to enforce penalties if a contract is breached broker. They could start playing favorites, but the moment it comes to light that they are, that illusion of even handedness is gone and the MRBC IIC is gonna have trouble. People will look elsewhere for brokers that will give them a square deal.

[Foxx Ital]

Finished my pledge finally ^_^;;, cant wait for that grizzly! How bad of looks would yall give me if I said I wanted to paint a Pillager in GB camo?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The 3Z is probably available to the Bears (can't check the MUL right now as it seems to be down).

[wantec]

The 3Z is probably available to the Bears (can't check the MUL right now as it seems to be down).

MUL is working again.

The 3Z is on the Clan General lists from the Early Succession Wars (founding of the Clans) through the Jihad era.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

Finished my pledge finally ^_^;;, cant wait for that grizzly! How bad of looks would yall give me if I said I wanted to paint a Pillager in GB camo?

Well we are importing/ making Stealth Armor now…. Pillager 4Z -> C variant?

[Minemech]

 If the Foxes refused to broker contracts for a Successor State, other powers would grow leery of them. It is not like Comstar with the HPG system.

[DOC_Agren]

i expect the MRBC IIC, will be at least as fair and honest as the old MRB run by the Comstar.  But anyone who expects fully fair and honest system...   8)

[Jellico]

If the Foxes refused to broker contracts for a Successor State, other powers would grow leery of them. It is not like Comstar with the HPG system.

It is funny that you mention the HPG system...