Longwood's Bluecoats
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| |
| Longwood's Bluecoats | |
| Affiliation | Mercenary |
| Parent Command | N/A |
Longwood's Bluecoats are mercenary unit employed by the Taurian Concordat for the past 15 years.[1][2]
Contents
History[edit]
In 3064 the Bluecoats were attached to II Corps of the Taurian Concordat, but are no longer in the Concordat. The are currently serving in Capellan Confederation space, where there have been attempts to lure them into Liao service.[3]
Around this same time, a company of Bluecoats deserted the regiment after their captain was killed. They took the Bluecoats' Overlord DropShip with them when they left. During the late 3060s the unit faced off against multiple pirate and bandit raids. Though they repelled the attackers each time, the Bluecoats lost their few modern BattleMechs. At this same time, they were relying on the Trinity Alliance and an exchange program with the mercenary Lethal Injection unit to meet their support needs.[2]
Prior to their redeployment to the Capellan Confederation, they were negotiating with the Taurian Concordat for a new contract. The Concordat offered "special support discounts" as a contract benefit. The Bluecoats lacked enough technical support staff, so they agreed. The Concordat then rotated in their least experienced technical support engineers to help the Bluecoats, but these green techs were unable to keep up with the workload. The Bluecoats suspended negotiations and the tech support despite their contract coming due in 3072.[4]
Assigned to Jansen's Hold to protect a new armor factory, the Bluecoats drove off the expected pirates but also encountered a better-equipped and -trained group of raiders. These raiders arrived several times, always at the end of a production run in the armor plant. Instead of trying to find their inside source, the Bluecoats set a trap. Their infantry regiment and a company of 'Mechs were inside the plant while the remaining two companies were placed in hidden positions outside the factory. In November 3071 the raiders arrived again. Dropping directly on the factory, the raiders were quickly forced outside its boundaries by the infantry and 'Mechs. The hidden 'Mechs then revealed themselves and the raiders began taking losses. However a few minutes after the Bluecoats engaged, another battalion of fast heavy 'Mechs appeared behind the Bluecoats. By the time the rest of the Bluecoats arrived, half the Bluecoat forces committed to the factory defense were operational. Colonel Longwood has sent messages to the Concordat requesting support and reinforcements, but no action had been taken by 3072.[4]
In late July 3075 the Bluecoats were subverted by Hansen's Roughriders, a mercenary unit in the employ of the Federated Suns and engaged in conducting heavy raids against Concordat worlds as part of a counteroffensive against the second invasion of the Federated Suns by the Concordat. This allowed the Roughriders to raze the factory complexes on Perdition before leaving the world.[5][6] The Bluecoats' willingness to break contract and join with Hansen's Roughriders was later ascribed to disgust within the Bluecoats at the manner in which the Taurian Concordat had neglected them.[7]
Officers[edit]
| Rank | Name | Command | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commanding Officers of Longwood's Bluecoats | |||
| Colonel | Felix Longwood | 3025[8] | |
| Colonel | Moses Longwood | 3059 - 3064[1] | |
Tactics[edit]
The Bluecoats prefer urban combat and will go to great lengths to set up ambushes for hostile forces. This preference has led to some problems with open and swampy terrain. In urban settings the infantry are dispersed throughout the city to act as eyes and ears of the mech unit. In this way they can easily track the movement of hostile forces.[1]
Ratings[edit]
3059[edit]
- Dragoons Rating: B+[9]
3067[edit]
- Dragoons Rating: C[2]
Composition History[edit]
3025[edit]
Longwood's Bluecoats
- CO: Colonel Felix Longwood[8]
Hadrian's Hell-Raisers (Veteran/Questionable)[8]
- CO: Major Gerald Hadrian
Monon's Marauders (Regular/Questionable)[8]
- CO: Major Herbert Morton
3059[edit]
Longwood's Bluecoats (2 Battlemech Battalions/Veteran/Questionable)[1]
- CO: Colonel Moses Longwood
The Bluecoat Pikemen (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[1]
- Infantry Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Heiss
- The Pikemen deployed chiefly as security, they have been used in urban combat unit trackers, and at times for riot control.
Notes[edit]
The Bluecoats operate their own DropShips, but have no JumpShip support. Even with Concordat techs, the staff can only maintain about 70% of the units needed maintenance. As part of the attempt to lure away the Bluecoats to the Federated Commonwealth, they were sold refit packages. As such the Bluecoats have 20% upgrade rating.[1]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 75: "Longwood's Bluecoats Unit Profile"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Field Manual: Mercenaries Revised, p. 89
- ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 61.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 89
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 17: "Timeline of the Jihad"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 54: "The Jihad In Review"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 120: "The Condemned"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Periphery 1st Edition, p. 81
- ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 112: "Mercenaries Deployment Table"