III Legio

Legio III logo.png
III Legio Limitanei
Formed Between 3048 and 3052[1]
Nickname Sentinels of the Reaches
Affiliation Marian Hegemony
Parent Command Marian Hegemony Armed Forces

The III Legio Limitanei, or Third Legion, was raised by Sean O'Reilly from a few mercenaries and conscripts.

History[edit]

Early supply problems and a lack of confidence from their High Command instilled a sense of defeatism and futility in the Third Legion. Though assigned to assist II Legio with their garrison duties of the Lothian District in 3059, it wasn't until Julius O'Reilly took command of the Second Legion that the Third's attitude started to change. They assisted II Legio with their conquest of the Illyrian Palatinate. Despite these successes, the Third Legion was assigned to garrison worlds in the Lothian District and new Illyrian District. Both areas featured a population hostile to the legions, and resistance movements inflicted casualties. This affected the morale of the Third Legion, and Caesar Julius O'Reilly reassigned them to garrison Ballalaba,[2] a rimward system in the Marian District. This allowed the unit to recover and rebuild, but didn't improve their morale much.[3]

The Third Legion was called on to launch the invasion of the Circinus Federation in 3066. Striking Maximillian, they had a wildly successful initial assault but were pinned in place by mercenary units. Later in the assault the Third suffered relatively heavy damage when a unit loyal to the Federation impersonated the IV Legio and attacked the Third.[4] The unit was transferred to Ballalaba and was garrisoning that system in 3067.[5]

In 3079 the Third Legion was recalled to the core of the Marian Hegemony to garrison Alphard and Pompey. The Third was enraged at the death of Caesar Julius, and eagerly awaited a chance to strike at the Word of Blake. Julius' successor Cassius steered new warriors into the unit in order to rebuild it. The Caesar also hoped to transfer the Third Legion's loyalty from his deceased father to himself.[6]

Post-Jihad Era[edit]

After the end of the Jihad III Legio staged a steady stream of raids in force against the Magistracy of Canopus and clashed repeatedly with the Magistracy Cavaliers who were based on the border worlds of Thraxa and Vixen.[7] The Third Legion was the garrison of Islington and Baccalieu at this time.[8]

Dark Age[edit]

III Legio was assigned to garrison three worlds taken from the shattered Free Worlds League in 3101. They were also authorized to raid other Free Worlds planets as long as their garrison worlds were protected. The Third Legion has raided into the League ever since, often returning with DropShips full of goods taken from the League and possessing valuable information about the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey.[9] The Legion still garrisoned Landfall, Huntington, and Hazeldean in 3145.[10]

In 3147 the III Legio squared off against the Third Battalion of the 7th Tamarind Regulars.[11] November of the same year found elements of II Legio and III Legio attacked Gibraltar. The 7th Tamarind Regulars' First Battalion was forced off the world.[12] The III Legio established a large supply depot for all the MHAF troops in the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey. They successfully defended this facility against a raid by the 7th Tamarind Regulars First Battalion. In fact the Regulars lost two companies of equipment to the Legio.[13] However by the end of August 3150, Prefect Mohamed Kilgore, leader of the Hegemony forces in the Duchy, knew they had been cut off by the FWLM and needed to break out. He sent elements of the II Legio to raid two systems, and sent the III Legion to attack Tormentine to cut off the League's supply lines and stage the breakout.[14] The III Legio forces, stationed on Huntington, were assaulted by the 1st Tamarind Regulars and the Seventh Tamarind Regulars. Heavy aerospace strikes by the FWLM destroyed many of the III Legio's transport assets.[15]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the III Legio
General Hallis Stepford 3058[16]
Prefect Nigel Reed 3064[3]
Prefect Talawar Marius 3067 - 3085[5][8]
Prefect Mohamed Kilgore 3145-3150[10][17][18]

Tactics[edit]

Most of the time, the III Legio fights in a disorganized manner.[3]

Composition History[edit]

3058[edit]

Third Marian Legion

1st Cohort (1 Cohort/Regular/Reliable)[16]
- Stationed on Baccalieu
2nd Cohort (1 Cohort/Green/Reliable)[16]
- Stationed on Lothario
3rd Cohort (1 Cohort/Green/Reliable)[16]
- Stationed on Islington

3064[edit]

III Legio (Regular/Reliable)[19]

Prima Cohors (1 Cohort/Regular/Questionable)[3]
  • CO: Legatus Jenny Walker
- A disorganized force of 'Mechs, Tanks and Infantry
Secunda Cohors (1 Cohort/Green/Reliable)[3]
Tertia Cohors (1 Cohort/Regular/Reliable)[3]
III Auxilia Limitanei (1 Legion/Regular/Questionable)[3]

3067[edit]

III Legio (Regular/Reliable)[5]

Prima Cohors (1 Cohort/Veteran/Reliable)[5]
Secunda Cohors (1 Cohort/Regular/Reliable)[5]
Tertia Cohors (1 Cohort/Regular/Reliable)[5]
Quarta Cohors (1 Cohort/Green/Questionable)[5]
III Auxilia Legio (1 Legion/Regular/Questionable)[5]
  • CO: Prefect Edward Nugent

3085[edit]

III Legio (Regular/Reliable)[8]

  • CO: Prefect Talawar Marius
Prima Cohors (Regular/Reliable)[8]
  • CO: Prefect Edward Nugent
Secunda Cohors (Regular/Fanatical)[8]
Tertia Cohors (Regular/Questionable)[8]
Quarta Cohors (Regular/Questionable)[8]
III Auxilia Legio (Veteran/Reliable)[8]

3145[edit]

III Legio (Regular/Reliable)[10]

Prima Cohors (Regular/Reliable)[10]
Secunda Cohors (Veteran/Reliable)[10]
Tertia Cohors (Regular/Questionable)[10]
Quarta Cohors (Regular/Reliable)[10]
Quinta Cohors (Veteran/Reliable)[10]
III Prima Auxilia Legio (Regular/Reliable)[10]
III Secunda Auxilia Legio (Green/Reliable)[10]
III Caelum Wing (Veteran/Reliable)[10]

Rules[edit]

3064[edit]

  • For the first three rounds of combat III Legio automatically loses the Initiative.[20]
  • Units from III Legio have a +1 penalty applied to all medium-range and long-range to-hit numbers.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ The Periphery, 2nd Edition, p. 56
  2. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 143
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 79: "III Legio Unit Profile"
  4. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 195
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Field Manual: Updates, p. 202: "Marian Hegemony Armed Forces Deployment Table - 3067"
  6. ↑ Field Report: Periphery, p. 15
  7. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 137: "Magistracy Cavaliers"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Field Manual: 3085, p. 150: "Marian Hegemony Deployment Table - 3085"
  9. ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. 196
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 Field Manual: 3145, p. 202: "Marian Hegemony Armed Forces"
  11. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 36: "Tormentine Is Burning"
  12. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 38
  13. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 71: "The Sword of Damocles"
  14. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 89
  15. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 89: "Let Freedom Ring"
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 The Periphery, 2nd Edition, p. 61
  17. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 90
  18. ↑ Empire Alone, p. 32
  19. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 143
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 153: "III Legio Limitanei (C)"

Bibliography[edit]

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