Captain

(Redirected from Kapten)
Inner Sphere Military Ranks
Enlisted
Field Officer
General Officer
For specific ranks see Military Ranks


In most Inner Sphere and Periphery militaries, soldiers with the rank of Captain command companies. In the various naval forces, the rank (position) of Captain is usually a ship's commanding officer and is roughly equivalent to a Colonel of ground forces.

SLDF[edit]

In the first Star League, a Captain commanded a company of ground forces. In the SLDF Navy, they commanded DropShips. In any case, these officers were expected to demonstrate initiative.[1]

In the second Star League a Captain is the front line commander of a company of ground troops. Unlike their first Star League counterparts, SLDF Navy officers at this rank are called Commander and command a flight of aerospace fighters, a DropShip, or act as the Executive Officer of a JumpShip or WarShip.[2]

In both cases, the rank insignia for an SLDF Captain is two green bars.

SLDF Rank insignia
Rank Insignia (First SLDF)[3] Insignia (Second SLDF)[4]
Captain
(Commander)
SLDF-Captain-1stSL.png SLDF-Captain-1stSL.png

Lyran Commonwealth and Lyran Alliance[edit]

The LCAF and LAAF use the rank of Hauptmann for company commanders. These officers are the highest rank that routinely see combat. To honor these officers, the Lyran Alliance's first OmniMech was named the Hauptmann.

LAAF Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Hauptmann Hauptmann.png

Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery[edit]

The DCMS uses Tai-i to indicate company commanders. Their symbol is a royal blue "5". The Draconis Combine Admiralty rank is Chu-i.[5] A chu-i in the DCA frequently commands a flight of six aerospace fighters.[6]

DCMS Officer Ranks by branch of service
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace pilot Infantry Armor Artillery Naval crew
(DCA)
Technical
Service
Tai-i
(Captain)
Chu-i
(Lieutenant)
Taii-mech.png Taii-asf.png Taii-infantry.png Taii-armor.png Taii-artillery.png Taii-naval.png Taii-tech.png

Armed Forces of the Federated Suns[edit]

Captains in the AFFS use an epaulette with one narrow band across the base as their rank insignia.[7]

AFFS Captain's Insignia by branch of service.
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace pilot Infantry Armor Naval crew Technical
service
Administrative Medical Legal Logistics/
Transportation
Captain CaptainMW.png CaptainASF.png CaptainInf.png Captainarmor.png Captainnaval.png Captaintech.png Captainadmin.png Captainmedical.png Captainlegal.png Captainlogistics.png

Capellan Confederation Armed Forces[edit]

Prior to Sun-Tzu Liao's ascension to the Celestial Throne, the CCAF used the rank of Commander to indicate the commanding officer of a 'Mech lance or aerospace squadron, or the commanding officer of an infantry or armor company. They could also serve on regimental command staffs or midlevel managers in noncombat duties. After Sun-Tzu introduced the Xin Sheng reforms, the rank was retitled to Sang-wei or Captain.[8][9]

A Pai-zhang is the equivalent rank to Captain within the Warrior Houses, although it denotes the leader of a 'Mech lance or infantry platoon, or if senior enough a member of the command staff.[9]

The CCAF Admiralty rank uses the same insignia, but is named Kong-sang-wei.

CCAF Military Rank
Sang-wei
Kong-sang-wei
(Captain)
Sangwei.png

Free Worlds League[edit]

Like their counterparts in other Successor States, FWLM Captains are company commanders. They use two thick gold bars on a purple background as their rank insignia. In the FWLM Navy, an officer at this level is known as a Lieutenant Commander and commands a ship's watch or heads up a department aboard ship.[10]

FWLM Captain's Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Captain CaptainFWL.png

The Clans[edit]

Star Captain is the rank used by the Clans for the commanding officer of a Binary or Trinary. Commanders of DropShips and JumpShips are also given the rank of Star Captain. Clan Hell's Horses also uses the rank of Nova Captain, who commands a Supernova.

Clan Blood Spirit[edit]

Clan Blood Spirit Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain Blood-Spirits-Star-Captain.png

Clan Cloud Cobra[edit]

Clan Cloud Cobra Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain CloudCobra-StarCaptain.png

Clan Coyote[edit]

The Nova Captain rank used by the Coyotes could be considered equal to either a senior Inner Sphere Captain or a Major, depending on the holder's experience.

Clan Coyote Military Rank Insignia[11]
Rank Insignia
Star Captain Coyote-StarCaptain.png
Nova Captain Coyote-NovaCaptain.png

Clan Diamond Shark[edit]

Clan Diamond Shark Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain DiamondShark-StarCaptain.png

Clan Fire Mandrill[edit]

Clan Fire Mandrill Rank Insignia by service branch[12]
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace pilot Elemental
Star Captain FireMandrill-StarCaptain-MW.png FireMandrill-StarCaptain-ASF.png FireMandrill-StarCaptain-Elemental.png

Clan Ghost Bear[edit]

Clan Ghost Bear Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain GhostBear-StarCaptain.png

Clan Goliath Scorpion[edit]

Clan Goliath Scorpion Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain GoliathScorpion-StarCaptain.png

Clan Hell's Horses[edit]

The Nova Captain rank used by the Horses could be considered equal to either a senior Inner Sphere Captain or a Major, depending on the holder's experience.

Clan Hell's Horses Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain HellsHorses-StarCaptain.png
Nova Captain HellsHorses-NovaCaptain.png

Clan Ice Hellion[edit]

Clan Ice Hellion Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain IceHellion-StarCaptain.png

Clan Jade Falcon[edit]

Clan Jade Falcon Officer Rank Insignia[13]
Rank Trueborn Freeborn
Star Captain JadeFalcon-TBStarCaptain.png JadeFalcon-FBStarCaptain.png

Clan Nova Cat[edit]


Clan Nova Cat (SLDF)[edit]

Clan Nova Cat Military Rank Insignia[14]
Rank Insignia
Star Captain NovaCat-StarCaptain.png

Clan Sea Fox[edit]


Clan Smoke Jaguar[edit]

Clan Smoke Jaguar Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain SmokeJaguar-StarCaptain.png

Clan Snow Raven[edit]

Clan Snow Raven Rank Insignia by service branch[15]
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace pilot Elemental Naval crew Armor Infantry Support
Star Captain SnowRaven-StarCaptain-MW.png SnowRaven-StarCaptain-ASF.png SnowRaven-StarCaptain-Elemental.png SnowRaven-StarCaptain-Naval.png SnowRaven-StarCaptain-Armor.png SnowRaven-StarCaptain-Infantry.png SnowRaven-StarCaptain-Support.png

Clan Star Adder[edit]

Clan Star Adder Rank Insignia by service branch[16]
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace pilot Elemental Naval crew
Star Captain Star-Adder-StarCaptain-MW.png Star-Adder-StarCaptain-ASF.png Star-Adder-StarCaptain-Elemental.png Star-Adder-StarCaptain-Naval.png

Clan Steel Viper[edit]

Clan Steel Viper Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain SteelViper-StarCaptain.png

Clan Wolf / Clan Wolf-in-Exile[edit]

Clan Wolf/Clan Wolf-in-Exile Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Star Captain Wolf-StarCaptain.png

ComStar/Word of Blake[edit]

The Com Guards and Word of Blake Militia don't use this rank. Instead their Level II formations are led by an Adept.

Duchy of Andurien[edit]

The Andurien rank system, which was used even while the Duchy of Andurien was part of the Free Worlds League, uses the rank of Force Captain for captains in command of field formations, but beyond that also features a special Captaincy called Flag Captain for liaison and other staff purposes.[17]

(It is noteworthy that "Flag Captain" is also an honorary rank for senior naval captains (Lieutenant Commander equivalent) in the Free Worlds League Military navy.)

Free Rasalhague Republic[edit]

In the KungsArmé officers with this rank are called Kapten, Swedish for Captain.[18] These soldiers wear a green patch with a vertical silver bar crossed at the base by a small silver bar as their rank insignia.

KungsArmé Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Kapten FreeRasalhague-Captain.png

Magistracy of Canopus[edit]

In the Magistracy Armed Forces, purchasing a company command means the officer holds the rank of Commander at a cost of 16,000 to 35,000 C-bills. They also used to be able to command battalions until the reforms brought about in the late thirty-first century. This rank is also used by the Magistracy Navy, where Commanders serve as department heads.[19][20] Commanders wear two gold edged blue-green diamonds set inside each other to show their rank.

Magistracy Armed Forces Insignia
Rank Insignia
Commander MagistracyOfCanopus-Commander.png

Taurian Defense Force[edit]

In the TDF, a Subaltern (not be confused with the AFFS rank) commands a battalion of conventional forces or a 'Mech company, or is a department head among the support branches. Among the aerospace branches the rank is known as Air Master, Junior Grade or Air Master, JG and either serves as a department head on a navy vessel or assistant commander of an air division.[21][22][23] In either case, their rank insignia is a single gold ring filled with a red dot.

Taurian Defense Force Insignia
Rank Insignia
Subaltern TaurianConcordat-Sublatern.png

Marian Hegemony[edit]

With the interest the Legiones Marianes have in recreating the Roman Empire, company commanders are known as Principes, a Latin word meaning leader or ruler. (To avoid annoying the Imperator and Caesar, the latter translation isn't used.)[24] A principes wears the silver triangle of a legionnaire with an inset black triangle to show their rank.

Marian Legions Insignia
Rank Insignia
Principes MH-Principes.png

Outworlds Alliance[edit]

In the Alliance Military Corps, company commanders are known as Section Leaders.[25] Their rank insignia is a pair of vertically stacked Supervisor's green bars.

Alliance Military Corps Insignia
Rank Insignia
Section Leader OA-SectionLeader.png

Hanseatic League[edit]

In the Hanseatic League this rank name is called Commander.[26]

Umayyad Caliphate[edit]

In the Umayyad Caliphate this rank name is called Amir kabir.[26]

Castilian Principalities[edit]

In most nations officers with the rank of Captain would command a Company-sized unit, however in the Castilian military this rank only commands a Lance-sized unit, making the rank of Captain the equivalent to a Lieutenant in most Inner Sphere and Periphery militaries.[26]

Aurigan Coalition Military[edit]

In the Aurigan Coalition Military, Captain is an officer that typically act as company commanders in BattleMech forces.[27]

Notes[edit]

  • Ranks, when not preceding a name, are not capitalized.[28]
Ex: The major stood and rendered a salute to General DeChavilier.
  • Non-English ranks, with the exception of those used by the Federated Suns or Lyrans, are italicized.[28]


References[edit]

  1. The Star League, p. 112
  2. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 80
  3. The Star League, p. 113
  4. Field Manual: ComStar
  5. House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 129
  6. Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 19
  7. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 126
  8. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 70
  9. 9.0 9.1 Handbook: House Liao, p. 110
  10. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 22
  11. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 48
  12. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 45
  13. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 97
  14. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 112
  15. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 127
  16. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 120
  17. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), pp. 83–84
  18. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 66
  19. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 25
  20. Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 86
  21. The Periphery, p. 74
  22. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 54
  23. Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 112
  24. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 73
  25. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 88
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 14: "Periphery Comparative Rank Table"
  27. House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition), p. 26
  28. 28.0 28.1 Per Line Developer Ray Arrastia, 02Aug2022 (screencap)

Bibliography[edit]