1st Dragonlords

Brigade Insignia of the Dragonlords
First Dragonlords
Formed ca. 2572
Disbanded Second Succession War[1]
Nickname Avalon's Silver Claws
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Dragonlords


History[edit]

Formation[edit]

The origins of the First Dragonlords - nicknamed "Avalon's Silver Claws" - lay in the formation of the Star League and the establishment of the Star League Defense Force. With the significant drawdown of military forces in the wake of the formation of the SLDF, large quantities of military personnel - including some of the best and brightest - found themselves unemployed. Many carried on with the only skills they had, engaging in piracy and brigandage; as a result, the Star League initiated the United Triumph Military Exercises (UTE) in 2572 as an attempt to deal with some of the problems.[2]

The Davion Brigade of Guards were due to be dispatched to take part in the UTEs; as the Guards were responsible for protecting the five core Golden Worlds of the Federated Suns - New Avalon, Argyle, Belladonna, El Dorado and Torrence - the Davion clans on those five worlds funded the creation of five temporary garrison units, supplying them with the best and heaviest equipment and recruiting the finest of the recently-discharged veterans from the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns as manpower. These five temporary units - of which the First was one - were never disbanded, as the outbreak of the Reunification War saw the AFFS in need of trained combat formations.[2]

Reunification War[edit]

The First and the other regiments of the Dragonlords were all deployed against various of the Periphery States during the Reunification War, with all of the brigade seeing heavy action. The performance of the various regiments earned them a fixed place in the AFFS as front-line commands.[2]

Star League Era[edit]

When the Star League Council issued the Council Edict of 2650 limiting the size of the military each Great House was allowed to maintain, the AFFS was required to drawdown in strength sharply, as were the other militaries of the Inner Sphere. The First was one of two regiments within the Dragonlords to remain at full regimental strength following the drawdown, although none of the First's sister regiments were deactivated, with the required reduction in size being met through reducing the other regiments to battalion-strength units.[2]

The First maintained a friendly rivalry with the Davion Assault Guards throughout the Star League era, something the AFFS High Command actively encouraged as the competition helped the First remain a highly-focused unit.[2] When the Star League Council repealed the Edict of 2650 in 2752[3] the Dragonlords quickly returned to full strength as a brigade, and as tensions in the Periphery rose almost the entire of the Dragonlords - including the First - were deployed to worlds along the border between the Federated Suns and the Taurian Concordat. Morale within the First and the other regiments climbed steadily following their deployment as a result of the prospect of fighting old enemies once more.[2]

Succession Wars[edit]

The First survived the First Succession War, but like its sister regiments the Fourth and Fifth Dragonlords, the First was destroyed during the Second Succession War.[1]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 1st Dragonlords

Tactics[edit]

The preferred tactic of the First Dragonlords was to engage the enemy with its three assault battalions having used their fourth battalion, which was equipped with fast-moving medium and heavy BattleMechs, as beaters.[2]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

First Dragonlords (Reinforced Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[4]

- The First were stationed on Hyalite at this point in time[4] and the first, second and third battalions of the First Dragonlords were equipped with assault 'Mechs with an average weight of eighty-five tons; the fourth battalion was equipped with fast heavy and medium 'Mechs.[2]

2786–2821[edit]

First Dragonlords (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[5]

- At this point in time the First was an assault-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Hyalite.[5] In 2821 the unit was just over a third of full strength.[5]

2830[edit]

First Dragonlords (RegimentVeteran/Fanatical)[1]

- At this point in time the First was an assault-weight unit operating at almost ninety percent of full strength, and was based on Hyalite.[1] The unit was destroyed during the war.[1]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Second Succession War, p. 94: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 15: "Dragonlords"
  3. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 3: "Strategic Update"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 15: "Regimental Status"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"

Bibliography[edit]