Why isn't jump infantry a more popular merc option?

[Alan Grant]

Of the infantry, jump infantry is depicted as this rare thing. In the Fed Suns Jump Infantry Regiments are rare outside of RCTs (as of the 3050s-3060s) which typically get 1 regiment. In the old SLDF jump infantry units were the prize infantry units of the Infantry SubCommand.

By my rough estimate, I'd say each Great House probably has about the same jump infantry regiments as they do 'mech regiments, give or take a few. They'd be especially rare among regional or planetary militia grade forces.

Other sources often note that jump infantry is expensive and difficult to train.

Then you go to the world of mercenaries and you rarely see jump infantry at all. A few platoons or companies referenced here or there, often mixed in within a larger infantry unit like Stalwart Support, the Kell Hounds deploy a highly trained jump infantry battalion with each of their 'mech regiments but that's among the biggest standalone jump infantry force (2 battalions) that I can recall being deployed in the merc field manuals.

I know mercs aren't as fond of infantry for front-line duty. FM: Mercs tells us that most merc units are unwilling to accept and are unable to afford the losses that occur when infantry are deployed in front-line combat. But we do see the odd merc formation here and there. The Dioscuri had a full infantry regiment, The Canopian Highlanders deployed 2 regiments, and many more battalion size formations. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn one to two massive units like Wolf's Dragoons or the Illician Lancers deployed more, but those kind of units are atypical in many ways.

Infantry specialists like artillery crews, commando squads and engineering teams get called out as exceptions to the merc squeamishness about using infantry. So highly trained, specialized infantry are desirable. Yet the Jump Infantry don't make that short list.

Circling to my point.... I'm surprised jump infantry didn't become a more desirable and more popular option among mercs. I don't mean every unit everywhere, but given their cost and rarity, of the infantry possibilities I feel like the Great Houses would love to be able to hire an extra jump infantry battalion or regiment or 5, especially when a big operation/war comes around. I feel like there would have been a market, a niche, for a few merc commands like that. If some mercs took the time to assemble a well-trained, well-equipped jump infantry battalion or regiment, I feel like it would have been in demand. The merc community in the BT universe always had a tendency to fill up every possible, desirable niche an employer might want.

I'm wondering what others think about this. Opinions welcomed.

[nerd]

The way I see it, is Jump Infantry is closer to Paratroopers and Airmobile forces in status. Good in some roles, expensive to train and equip, and really vulnerable in others.

Jump Infantry is specialized high mobility assault troops. Not much good for holding ground, but very effective in an attack role. If I'm running a mercenary unit, what is the mission I need infantry for? What is the most cost-effective form of troops?

Now, for training and equipping. Is there time and money to train soldier on how to use a jump pack while fighting, and integrating? Is there money for Jump Packs? Each one costs 3,100 Cbills in A Time of War. 21 for a platoon are 65,100. Take off and landing require skill rolls, and those could get painful in non-combat injuries as the troopers learn to use them. I may not be correct here, but they could also be limited on armor carried.

Also vulnerability. Infantry aren't as weak as they once were against anti-mech weapons, but all infantry tend to get chewed up in play. The casualty and equipment costs may not be what a mercenary unit wants to pay. They're specialist mainline troopers, and in a funny spot, if you ask me.

[monbvol]

Another factor to keep in mind is once Battlearmor rolls around to the merc market that becomes even more desirable as it can do more and survive more while doing everything Jump Infantry can do and then some.

[butchbird]

Moving them around.

When it comes to interstellar movement, infantry is a far more complex challenge then 'mechs. The sheer number of personnel, all the support weapons,  personnel for all that maintenance, FEEDING the personnel...

With only so many jumpships to go around, infantry quickly becomes a logistical liability on offensive operations. Add that Jump infantry has more complex equipment then the other kinds.

As for on-planet forces...well I'm not the most learned on the subject so my take ain't worth much, but I've never been under the impression that jump infantry was RARE per say in militias, at least the "non-anti-mech-trained" types. Less plentiful then the other kinds, but always in sufficient supply that you don't feel bad using them. I'd hazard the guess that militia deployment tends to be widespread so as to give a theoretical speed bump near any potential objective, but jump infantry would fit well with those inevitable elastic defense units that supplement as needed/allowed.

[Alan Grant]

I did find a bigger canon example of jump infantry use, the 21st Illician Lancers had a full regiment of Jump Infantry. The 21st was conceived as an airmobile/special forces unit. Later references note that they specialize in airborne operations and high-risk combat insertions. Their history included working with SLDF CAAN and Jump Infantry Divisions, they had once had some LAMs and trained for high-risk combat drops. Because of their specialty they took the greatest risk assignments and bore the highest casualties of any Lancer regiment.

Most of the unit's mechs have jump jets, and 2 battalions out of 3 of the unit's armored regiment field lighter equipment that's easier to airdrop or insert using other methods.

To me, I feel like such a force (jump infantry included, particularly before BA appear in-universe) would be highly desirable by an employer. I'm still surprised more merc units didn't try to emulate it. Even a much smaller unit with the same specialty would be useful as a puzzle piece in a larger invasion force, as another tool in the House General's arsenal, or as an independent raiding force (specializing in getting on-world and back off again very quickly, and being very mobile).

I hear the points you all are bringing up. I just think that if the incentives align (e.g. a Great House is willing to pay a lot for such a merc unit) it can overcome a lot of these difficulties and challenges. And I feel like a Great House would, for all the same reasons that they seek to hire some elite, highly trained, but expensive mercs. They could just not buy the services of mercs and run larger House militaries with bigger training budgets, but apparently, they appreciate what mercs have to offer. I'd think that would be the same with the often canon-cited expensive and difficult to train jump infantry. I'm still really surprised this niche is so unfilled by the merc market, with a fairly tiny number of exceptions.

When I flip through books like the 4th SW Atlas books, and the War of '39. I see these kind of high-risk combat drop tactics and airborne assault strategies being used a lot, often as some version of Wave 1 of the invasion. I'd think Generals and Field Marshalls would love to have more merc jump infantry that they can put down in Wave 1 to help secure a beachhead or some key strategic objectives as part of their invasion force.

[Metallgewitter]

I think there is one major point to consider: training. How many Mercs who work as infantry / look for outfits that hire infantry are actually trained in using the equipment? I get that the Merc unit might train them in that but let's say fresh on the market soldiers?  I somehow doubt that any house lets this specialized infantry leave. Unlike leg or motorized infantry I think Jump-Infantry requires more training and therefore is too valuable too simply let go. Plus I am not sure that especially in the rather tech starved days those soldiers can actually simply go and thake this kind of equipment with them (Soldiers who go AWOL / desert (get left behind might be different)

And perhaps another aspect: Jump-Infantry are often used as shock troops and have most likely high casualty rates. While the Great Houses can replace / rebuild such units with more troopers I feel that Mercs might have more trouble rebuilding Jump-Infantry units and therefore might stick to more conventional infantry. Of course big units with their deeper coffers and perhaps even own training units (You meant the Illician Lancers) might have less problems at that

[Gorgon]

On the flip side, outside of high-risk assault and insertion operations, jump infantry is more expensive to keep around and not more useful than regular infantry for garrison work and the like. Highly-trained, expensive specialists - something that can make sense to hire on a as-needed basis, especially for smaller entities (Periphery, local nobles, Chaos March, etc). So I do think there is a market for mercenary jump infantry.

But as Metallgewitter says, training could be an issue for mercenaries. You need a (semi) permanent base to train replacements, perhaps more than with Mech pilots, as Mechs have built-in trainer software, IIRC.

[Alan Grant]

I think there is one major point to consider: training. How many Mercs who work as infantry / look for outfits that hire infantry are actually trained in using the equipment? I get that the Merc unit might train them in that but let's say fresh on the market soldiers?  I somehow doubt that any house lets this specialized infantry leave. Unlike leg or motorized infantry I think Jump-Infantry requires more training and therefore is too valuable too simply let go. Plus I am not sure that especially in the rather tech starved days those soldiers can actually simply go and thake this kind of equipment with them (Soldiers who go AWOL / desert (get left behind might be different)

And perhaps another aspect: Jump-Infantry are often used as shock troops and have most likely high casualty rates. While the Great Houses can replace / rebuild such units with more troopers I feel that Mercs might have more trouble rebuilding Jump-Infantry units and therefore might stick to more conventional infantry. Of course big units with their deeper coffers and perhaps even own training units (You meant the Illician Lancers) might have less problems at that

By that logic the Houses would never let mechwarriors and aerospace pilots leave. Perhaps the same with dropship and jumpship crews. As they spend years training those, typically expensive academy level training. But they do go, and they do become mercs. So that logic doesn't hold up. Jump infantrymen for all their expense, don't hold a candle to those other military professions in terms of cost and investment and they leave all the time. Also, it's hard to MAKE someone stay if they truly want to leave and have completed all of their military service requirements and obligations.

But I get your point on the casualty rates, and that's probably the best argument I've seen that I can understand and agree with. The relative cost of a human being, in a Great House military, with a Great House that intakes thousands of soldiers every year, is probably very different math than it is for a merc unit. And of the infantry unit types, jump infantry are probably among the fastest to get chopped to pieces by intense combat action in the kinds of situations they get dropped into. A Great House military is going to be quicker to react with a sigh and a "it is what it is, and in the name of our nation and our Great House Leader, it is necessary" to that reality, while a merc unit might decide they just can't stomach it.

That argument I get, and it does jive with the canon-statement from FM: Mercs as to how/why mercs are unable to accept the casualties that occur when infantry are employed in front-line combat.

Even then, even with that, we have seen infantry-centric merc units, and so it still surprises me that at least one merc unit didn't pop up centered on this niche. In a universe that has units like Kraken Unleashed, and Stalwart Support, and Thor's Hammers, an artillery-centric unit (again very niche units). I'm genuinely surprised that no jump infantry battalion/regiment centric merc unit has popped up. I think the Great Houses would love to be able to hire on additional jump infantry. Considering their rarity, difficulty to train and so on.

It might take a Wild Geese-esque situation (House unit masquerading as mercs) to make it happen, to have a unit that can justify the human casualties and sustain them with some House-supporting infrastructure and a House-supported pipeline of personnel or training infrastructure, but I'm honestly surprised it never did happen. But with the advent of battle armor, I can see that the appropriate era(s) for such a thing are now historical to the BT-universe.

[paladin2019]

Jump infantry are great for getting into position for forward observer duties. Being able to deploy from airborne VTOLs is a plus. But tactically, BT infantry are not designed, within the game engine, to be able to meaningfully participate in the kind of maneuver warfare the game means to simulate, some specific scenarios requiring clearing objectives to mash a button notwithstanding. Thus, regardless of the real world implications, they aren't really present in the fluff.

Regarding an increased need for techs, they're infantry. Fix your own gear. The reality is that they might have 2 semi-dedicated jump pack techs per platoon, based on how modern armies operate. A battalion probably has the same number of weapons techs. Food, sure, there's about the same number of mouths to feed in a jump platoon as a 'mech company, and you can fit a lot more of them in a dropship.

(FWIW, I'll almost always find ~120 points in a list for a couple of platoons.)

[Iron Grenadier]

For years we used Jump Infantry a lot with our merc commands. The old original Mercs handbook had a unit called "Cameron's Highlander's" - it was under the Unit Organization section about Battalions - and they had 2 reinforced 'Mech Companies (4 lances each), an Aerospace 'company' and a jump infantry company. I think this was the one and only mention ever of this command. We still actually favor that reinforced 'mech company org.

The Eridani used a lot of jump infantry mixed into various lances. I think there might have been a dedicated company or two as well?

Later the Kell Hounds had/used a jump infantry battalion. We loved Richard O'Cieran's write up.

So yeah some of that early literature we saw jump infantry being used by mercs and we copied it.


The later Merc FM's the following notable commands used jump infantry - 21st Centauri Lancers, Ramilie's Raiders and Richard's Panzer Brigade.

[Alan Grant]

Interesting catch on Cameron's Highlanders, had never heard of that. I like obscure BT references, those are fun.  :)

I'd seen the other units you mentioned, but good catch on Ramilie's Raiders, didn't realize they had a jump infantry-centric infantry battalion.

[Iron Grenadier]

Yeah Cameron's Highlanders really shaped how we organized our forces all those years ago. Jump Infantry has always been prominent for us, especially in merc units as a result. The last big campaign we ran was the exception and switched to motorized (then battle armor).

Been working on a AU where the FedSun's re-organize some RCT's using a reinforced 'mech regiment, aero regiment, a single combat 'auxiliary' regiment, and a full brigade of jump infantry.  :D ;D :))

[Elmoth]

Ww use that.

From fluff we like them. From mechanics (alpha strike) we find them useful given their cost and capabilities. Not the kost durable thong, but as we tend to mix and match BT and RPG-ibh ot suits us. Having a trm able to capture human-sized targets (computers, persons of interest, jail breakouts, enter buildings...) have always interested us. They are specialist troops within the company, not something you need hubdreds of. But they are useful. And as part of a raiding force, they are way more useful than leg infantry. We tend to build our forces qith 1 leg platoon with transport (the sentries of the company), one specialist platoon of shock infantry in VTOLs or other rapid deployment methods, and maybe a third platoon of something else.

[Calimehter]

Purely headcanon . . . but my thoughts on it are that mustered-out merc jump infantry exists, but rather than sign on with the big-name Mech regiments and get ground up in frontline combat, a lot of them hire out as COIN-type combatants.  They are cheaper than Mechs and can get into forested and rough terrain a lot better than vehicles can, so are just the sort of things a smaller lord would hire to clear out Sherwood (so to speak) on an as-needed basis. 

Their ability to cover a lot of rough ground, and then subsequently be able to quickly converge on any discovered enemy bandits would make them great for this sort of thing.  You just don't hear about it much because it wouldn't be the sort of thing featured in Mech-centered publications (both in-universe and in real life).

[Gorgon]

Yeah, I can see that happening. A good way to employ highly trained light infantry forces. Perhaps throw in a Wasp or Stinger for muscle and the local resistance is in for a bad time, unless they get outside sponsoring.

[Broken_Metal_Dreaming]

Only other reference to a Cameron's Highlanders I know of at this point is as a nickname to a destroyed SLDF Mechanized infantry Division the 105th, listed as destroyed after The Amaris Civil War. Their first mention is from the FASA days 1988s "The Star League" Modern source says they gained the nickname from a friend of one of the Cameron's as they fought like "highlanders of old" and it became tradition that command of the unit would be awarded to a close friend of the Cameron Family.

Can speculate that the Merc Unit was possibly formed from the survivors. They were as a Mech Inf Div- at least 2 brigades of mechanized infantry, 1 of mechs, and a Ground Aero Wing. They weren't a Jump infantry division, but maybe they had a jump regiment or company? Again pure speculation, but thanks for keying me into the merc unit because now I have a whole headcannon backstory for them which fits into my plans for a sub unit of the NWH.

[RifleMech]

I think Jump Infantry are probably more prevalent than we think. They're just not usually the main infantry force. They're scouts and rapid deployment forces. Yes, Motorized and Mechanized are just as fast or faster but Jump Infantry can go places they can't.

With garrison forces, jump infantry can bound from roof top to roof top while motorized and mechanized take the city streets and foot guard the base, clear buildings, and secure the area.

In forests and jungles jump infantry use their speed to get in first while foot infantry move in to reinforce them.

In drops they go in first to secure the LZ while Parachutists follow to reinforce.

We always tried to keep at least a platoon of Jump infantry for these types of missions. Even before we had all the infantry types we do now we used Jump Infantry for their speed. Motorized we used to carry MGs and SRMs.

[Elmoth]

They are the rapid forces. Shock troops. they are not designed to hold ground, only to capture it and then leave the holding to foot infantry.

So, IMO they are likely to be the pre-battle armor unit accompanying a mech force. Probably deployed from cheap VTOLs or similar fast vehicles. GO in, help the mech do the job, get the hell out of dodge FAST once the job is done or the reinforcements arrive. Lick your wounds. Rinse and repeat. We use them quite usually in our forces. Out of a company, one platoon is usually jump and the other 2 PBI. Pre-BA, of course. Once BA enters the equation they are more efficient than jumpers all around.