Jarnfolk troops/mercenaries

[Piisami]

I'm trying to come up with the origins for My Dudes. I got them painted up with runes as identifiers, so Jarnfolk or Rasalhague-Dominion depending on era seem to be the natural choices for background. The Jarnfolk are noted as not having established troops or mechwarriors, but something of a culture of fighting nonetheless. What I'm wondering is would a Jarnfolk mercenary company operating in the IS make any sense whatsoever?

They seem to have the ability to build jumpships, so dropships of some sort should probably be doable as well for transport. They are mentioned as producing high quality laser pistols, so personal arms could justifiably be top-notch too. I'm thinking of adding a lot of conventional infantry on my lists with fewer and cheaper mechs, perhaps some combat vehicles, so the possible natively produced sneak suits as used by the Skåret and the hypothetical good laser rifles lifted off Shrapnel #9 perhaps could find a good use too if going custom. They might well have the capacity to produce the armor divisor 2 kinds of kits to use stuff from TRO 3085 too. They seem to have a healthy population which could supply new recruits.

[DOC_Agren]

I can see a small group Jarnfolk going merc.

something company size, might be interesting with Average Mech and Vehicles skills, Veteran Aerospace, and Elite Infantry.

I will say if you are looking to design Custom Infantry, lets summon Daryk in here for that.  But yes High End Laser Weapons.

I would guess most of their rides would be fitted if possible with JJ and energy weapons to limit need to get ammo reloads.

[Piisami]

Oh, I got a lot of custom infantry I'm doing. Maybe pick up the 3x10 deployment from the Concordat, if they have good infantry rifles they're good with no/lesser support weapons to retain the little mobility they have. Going for Shrapnel, the Sunraker has fluff that sounds about right, or the clan L-15 could be lifted, maybe they make carbines out of those sweet pistols they are said to make. That Taurian rifle too. Lyran sounds a little too finicky as do the self-destruct or easily breakable. ones. ER lasers or Blazers if ignoring those, probably. The 960/1200/IIC Mauser might be a little too much.

[glitterboy2098]

i'm not sure they'd have battlemechs at all, if they're pure jarnfolk. IIRC the jarnfolk left for the deep periphery in the 2500's.. if early on mechs weren't a thing, and if late in the century, the battlemech was still pretty much an exclusive Hegemony thing.. and their society is so heavily spaceship based i doubt they'd even have retained much of any industrialmechs they might have had when they left.

that said, i could see them perhaps having brought along a few age of war tanks that they've kept maintained as family/clan relics much like how they've maintained their dropships and jumpships.

that said, the group could easily have hired some IS mech pilots and bought some mechs.

[Piisami]

The mechs would not be natively produced, acquired through the usual means of salvage or purchase. Good chances to justify all my custom urbies too, put together as field refits from whatever parts have been scrounged. Combat vehicles, maybe something could have been produced but those could be much the same.

Infantry equipment, yes for native production, that seems supported by the lore. Battle armor, probably not, but they could likely have bought some of the cheaper variants. They'd be a mercenary company operating inside the Inner Sphere, just from the Jarnfolk. I'm thinking maybe a custom jumpship without a sail or a dropship too, as Jarnfolk build both. Maybe one of the nine clans is using them to try and train up a military force to make a play on taking control, maybe they're just a business venture. Thinking one specialized in defensive contracts, anti-pirate work, garrisons. Slow mechs, combat vehicles might be faster. VTOL even perhaps, the Jarnfolk are apparently good pilots so that might be justified too.

[Daryk]

Someone spoke my name in this thread, so here I am!

The Steiner DWS L5L costs the same as the Marik Sunraker, though it does consume more energy and weighs more.  The plus side is the range.  5/10/15 for 6 points of damage with the Heavy Burst special is nothing to sneeze at (and you can get it up to 7 with a single normal Support Weapon per squad, or 8 with a Bearhunter).

As for Divisor 2 armor, surplus Steiner or Davion Armor Jackets will do the trick.  So will Ballistic Plate vests (which aren't encumbering) or Tanker's Smocks.

[DOC_Agren]

My thoughts are the Mech's are either crewed by Inner Sphere "Mercs" or they capture/bought them.  Either way these are not "great warriors"
Same thing for your ground vehicles, we bought/captured them. 

Aerospace units, Veterans..  Scary..  Swifts and Eagles

It that scary Infantry Force that can pull Special Ops mission as standard force.

I can see them hired on to Hunt Pirates


These as Weapons choices..
DWS L5L Laser Sniper Rifle

BrightStar L-15 Laser Pistol
Quote from: Liam's Ghost on June 21, 2022, 20:01:22

The carbine conversion of the L-15 would have a base range of 4 and hits like a zeus rifle without the ammunition limit.

and if you are looking at armor..  Might I suggest "Real Spacer" Skin Suits

[Piisami]

Someone spoke my name in this thread, so here I am!

The Steiner DWS L5L costs the same as the Marik Sunraker, though it does consume more energy and weighs more.  The plus side is the range.  5/10/15 for 6 points of damage with the Heavy Burst special is nothing to sneeze at (and you can get it up to 7 with a single normal Support Weapon per squad, or 8 with a Bearhunter).

As for Divisor 2 armor, surplus Steiner or Davion Armor Jackets will do the trick.  So will Ballistic Plate vests (which aren't encumbering) or Tanker's Smocks.

Switched over to looking at the Tirbuni, actually. They provide a bonus to repair, so they sound like something frontier people would really appreciate. Or the L-15 again, maybe those fancy pistols'd convert to great carbines. The DWS is definitely looking the best for tabletop stats.

My thoughts are the Mech's are either crewed by Inner Sphere "Mercs" or they capture/bought them.  Either way these are not "great warriors"
Same thing for your ground vehicles, we bought/captured them. 

Aerospace units, Veterans..  Scary..  Swifts and Eagles

It that scary Infantry Force that can pull Special Ops mission as standard force.

I can see them hired on to Hunt Pirates


These as Weapons choices..
DWS L5L Laser Sniper Rifle

BrightStar L-15 Laser Pistol
Quote from: Liam's Ghost on June 21, 2022, 20:01:22
and if you are looking at armor..  Might I suggest "Real Spacer" Skin Suits

That spacer suit might be cool. Can you get it in sneaksuit version too, I wonder. Would cover the full range then.

[Daryk]

I designed the Skin Suit so you could just wear a Sneak Suit over it without penalty... :)

[Piisami]

Perfect. Squad size 9 perhaps, 9 being something of a holy number in Norse mythology. 1 support weapon probably at all types to allow for mobility, the SRM, rocket launcher and grenade launcher all have only 1 crew required and light weight which are preferable for fluff reasons. Jump troops are excessively expensive, favor having APCs or IFVs of some sort. Could be marines or mountaineers, both do raise the cost rather high though. Deploying with either sneak suits or armor kit, depending on situation. With the Tirbuni (or rather, a Jarnfolk produced variant using the stats. Perhaps called the Gungnir?) they have respectable stats on TT, reaching out to touch the hearts and minds of the enemy at 11 hexes and around 10-15 pips damage.

[Daryk]

One way to keep your platoons at 30 is to add three leadership/staff positions (Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant, Medic, perhaps).

[Piisami]

Looking through the techmanual infantry bays are 28 men per bay, so for deployment directly from the ship you're wanting 28 men at most per platoon. Unless I misunderstood something.

Takes a lot of tonnage on the ship to have steerage quarters for the infantry but I think it's probably worth it. Saves on tonnage for food/water/air and for fluff ŕeasons you're wanting the comfort too.

[Daryk]

That was errata'd to 30 a while back (after some prodding, TPTB accepted that the Taurians exist!) :)

[DOC_Agren]

Remember the JàrnFòlk's Skåret assassins

are known to wear something like this https://www.sarna.net/wiki/DEST_Infiltration_Suit
might I suggest calling it the Skjold "Shield"

Also, would the JàrnFòlk's be able to get the Belter Infantry Augmentation package

[Daryk]

I don't see why not... :)

[Piisami]

Remember the JàrnFòlk's Skåret assassins

are known to wear something like this https://www.sarna.net/wiki/DEST_Infiltration_Suit
might I suggest calling it the Skjold "Shield"

Also, would the JàrnFòlk's be able to get the Belter Infantry Augmentation package

Yes, a sneak suit with all three components is the standard gear for the Skåret. I reckon a mercenary company/warrior brotherhood inspired by norse myth. Heavy infantry use with natively produced sneak suit/armor and rifles.

Throwing in the belter augmentations does probably add a nice bit of BV to help wield them in limited models games, not sure whether it'd be the best fit for them though, seeing as they are somewhat of a backwater nation. Belters are pretty advanced in their cybernetics if I understand correctly.

[Daryk]

They might be backwater, but they left early enough to not be subject to Holy Shroud... ;)

[idea weenie]

I'm trying to come up with the origins for My Dudes. I got them painted up with runes as identifiers, so Jarnfolk or Rasalhague-Dominion depending on era seem to be the natural choices for background. The Jarnfolk are noted as not having established troops or mechwarriors, but something of a culture of fighting nonetheless. What I'm wondering is would a Jarnfolk mercenary company operating in the IS make any sense whatsoever?

If a Jarnfolk Mech was equipped with a Beagle active Probe, would that be a Rune with a view?