Difference between revisions of "Able's Aces"
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==Composition History==
 
==Composition History==
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===3058===
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'''1st Able's Aces''' (1 [[company]]/Regular/Reliable)<ref name="TP,2Ep78">''The Periphery, 2nd Edition'', p. 78</ref>
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* CO: [[Major]] Parker Able
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'''2nd Able's Aces''' (1 [[company]]/Regular/Questionable)<ref name="TP,2Ep78"/>
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* CO: [[Captain]] Sherry Davy
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'''3rd Able's Aces''' (1 [[company]]/Regular/Reliable)<ref name="TP,2Ep78"/>
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* CO: [[Captain]] William Node
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In [[3058]], the 1st company were stationed on [[Gillfillan's Gold]], the 2nd were on [[All Dawn]] and the 3rd were on [[Waypoint]].
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===3059===
 
===3059===
 
'''Able's Aces''' (1 [[battalion]]/Regular/Reliable)<ref name="FM:Mp113"/>
 
'''Able's Aces''' (1 [[battalion]]/Regular/Reliable)<ref name="FM:Mp113"/>

Revision as of 16:38, 16 July 2011

Template:InfoBoxMercUnit

History

Able's Aces formed just prior to the War of 3039 and were employed for most of the next seven years by the Federated Commonwealth. Unfortunately, the Aces weren't a large enough unit to receive any of the large contracts or to operate independently. The Aces and the Federated Commonwealth parted ways after a company commander within the Aces refused an order that would have resulted in his entire company just to allow a Federated Commonwealth Regiment to position themselves for an ambush.[1]

The Aces arrived in the Rim Collection soon after a devastating pirate raid on Otisberg, and were still smarting from their bitter contract dispute with the Federated Commonwealth; unwilling to work for the Free Worlds League or the Capellan Confederation and unable to obtain a contract from the Draconis Combine, the Aces had decided that their future lay in the Periphery. The leader of the Aces, Major Jerry Able, was a native of Otisberg and many of the unit's members had come from worlds on the Periphery border.[2]

The Rim Collection's leader, James Moroney, so impressed Major Jerry Able that the Aces offered to train the Rim Collection's military and offered the Aces’ services until the Rim Collection Military was ready.[2] Able's Aces are signed on to a long term defense contract with the Rim Collection, but the contract is funded by Major Able's personal fortune,[3] and the Aces have were granted extensive lands on Otisberg.[2] The Aces have continually stonewalled against suggestions of hiring additional mercenary units to protect the Rim Collection and apparently view these efforts as unwanted encroachment onto what they consider their turf. [1][2]

The cadre duty the Aces provided to the six worlds of the Rim Collection rapidly bore fruit; by 3059 the Rim Collection military consisted of two BattleMech battalions in addition to militia units on each of the Collection's six worlds,[2] with the Aces garrisoning Gillfillian's Gold and All Dawn.[4] The militia units on each world were up and running, with each world fielding several combined arms formations. Their most noticeable triumph came in 3062 when they drove Morrison's Extractors out of the Collection.[5][6] Since that time several armed bands have travelled through the Collection, but not invaded.[7]

For the foreseeable future the Aces will likely remain in the Rim Collection. Now holding the rank of Colonel, Jerry Able serves on the Collection Council, the highest legislative body in the Collection. He also bitterly opposes the presence of Word of Blake troops and other mercenary units, confident in the ability of the Aces and the Collection Militia to defend the worlds of the Rim Collection.[5]

After joining the Rim Collection, Able's Aces changed their unit insignia to reflect their new affiliation; the updated insignia still shows the four playing cards, each an ace, but they are now surrounded by seven stars, one slightly smaller and further way than the others.[1]

Tactics

Able's Aces form a part of the Collection Militia, a combined-arms unit that has actively trained together across the worlds they've been assigned to protect. The Militia includes infantry formations and light armor support that are adept at distracting and bogging down large enemy forces while Militia BattleMech forces move in for the kill. They are also adept at city fighting, although they try at all costs to keep a battle from entering populated areas.[1]

Mercenary Rating

Dragoon Rating: B+[4]

Composition History

3058

1st Able's Aces (1 company/Regular/Reliable)[8]

2nd Able's Aces (1 company/Regular/Questionable)[8]

3rd Able's Aces (1 company/Regular/Reliable)[8]

In 3058, the 1st company were stationed on Gillfillan's Gold, the 2nd were on All Dawn and the 3rd were on Waypoint.

3059

Able's Aces (1 battalion/Regular/Reliable)[4]

3064

Able's Aces (Veteran BattleMech battalion)[1]

3067

Able's Aces (Veteran BattleMech battalion)[9]

In 3067, the Aces were operating at 115% of normal Battalion strength, with approximately 15% of the unit using Star League-era technology. The Aces are recorded as being based on the planet of Gillfillian's Gold[9][10] with sub-units on Otisberg and Hunter's Paradise.[10]

Rules

  • If Able's Aces outnumber their opponent at any point, they gain the Force the Initiative ability. In addition to this, equipment for the Aces may be generated using rolls on either the D or F columns of the Random 'Mech Assignment Tables from Field Manual: Federated Suns or Field Manual: Lyran Alliance.[11]

Notes

The first mention of Able's Aces appears to be in The Periphery, 2nd Edition[2] which doesn't provide any stats for the unit but does imply that the unit was roughly a battalion in size after arriving in the Rim Collection.

The 20 Year Update makes no mention of Able's Aces or the Rim Collection although based on the available unit history, the Aces would have left Federated Commonwealth employment shortly before the internal publication date of the 20 Year Update. Whilst this is probably due to publication of the 20 Year Update preceding a line development or editorial decision to create the Rim Collection nation, Able's Aces are also not mentioned in the much more recent Historical: War of 3039 as being employed by the Federated Commonwealth during this era.

Able's Aces have not received any detailed updates or entries in volumes such as the Field Manual: Mercenaries or the Mercenaries Supplemental series and appear to effectively be a part of the Rim Collection state military. The unit entry in the Field Manual: Periphery[1] makes reference to the Aces still forming the core of the Rim Collection military and indicates that the Aces lead the various planetary milities; Colonel Jerry Able is also listed as the Commanding Officer of the Rim Collection's four BattleMech battalions, consisting of Able's Aces and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Collection Armored Battalions.[10]

Although listed in the Mercenary Employment Roster of Field Manual: Mercenaries, the Aces are detailed as being lead by a Major Parker Able, not Jerry Able, and are listed as being based on All Dawn and "Gilfillan's Gold" rather than Gillfillian's Gold.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 121
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The Periphery, 2nd Edition, p. 72
  3. ↑ Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 174
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 113
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 175
  6. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 128
  7. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 198
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Periphery, 2nd Edition, p. 78
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 204
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 144
  11. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 155

Bibliography

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