Battle Magic

An elite group of technicians, the Battle Magic mercenary unit specialized in upgrading and refitting military hardware. The unit was destroyed fighting the forces of Wayne Waco on Outreach, but their development of the advanced Multi-Missile Launcher ensures their name lives on.

History

The future mercenary unit started as Mech Magic Inc, an BattleMech customization and refit shop on Outreach in 3047. Quickly acquiring a reputation as miracle workers, the elite techs of Mech Magic Inc. began training with the staff of Wolf's Dragoons on how to work with New-tech and Clan-tech in 3051.

In 3054 the group formed its own mercenary command, Battle Magic, to acquire equipment to modify their customers' equipment. The bulk of their missions were made up of militia training and refit or tech extraction raids. Shortly after its formation, the unit was notable for its willingness to engage in the particularly high-risk but highly lucrative field of Clan-tech extraction raids, before the large volume of Clan-tech flooding the market after Operation Bulldog and the Jade Falcon Incursion made it more cost-effective, not to mention much less risky, to pay the market price.

The unit stayed out of the FedCom Civil War, instead making a healthy living selling its technical expertise to broken mercenary forces that streamed back to Outreach to rebuild. Not sitting still during this combat lull, Battle Magic underwent training on the still relatively rare field of Battle Armor maintenance and repair, as well as working with Blackwell Corporation to develop an inexpensive and reliable battle armor design for the mercenary market.

The unit also took advantage of the higher availability of Clan-tech to investigate modifying or reverse engineering the newer Clan weapons such as the Advanced Tactical Missile system. Deciding to ignore the three ATM missile types in light of the variety of missile munition types developed by various Successor States, Captain-Tech Nakitsu directed the unit to focus on the launchers and the possibilities of a single launcher capable of firing both LRM and SRM missiles, the Multi-Missile Launcher. | Battle Magic's innovative new MML racks had just reached the working prototype stage in late 3067 when Wayne Waco and his followers launched their sneak attack on Harlech. Several of these prototypes saw action as the unit fought and died supporting the Dragoons, attracting the eye of the Word of Blake who recovered the technology. Battle Magic never lived to see their innovation spread across the Inner Sphere.

Officers

The Unit-CO was Captain-Tech Jena Nakitsu, a vetran MechWarrior sidelined by a spinal injury. Though confined to a wheelchair, Nakitsu continued to direct the daily activities of her command, even from the cockpit module of a BLR-4S BattleMaster modified to accommodate her wheelchair in the passenger position.

Tactics

In combat, the unit favored using it's 'Mechs to create a diversion, then send in the vehicles and infantry to raid enemy bases or salvage equipment from downed machines.

Composition

• Battle Magic Support Group - 1 Company - CO/Support Commander: Captain-Tech Jena Nakitsu

• Battle Magic ’Mechs - 2 Lances - BattleMech Cmdr: Captain Sloan DeVries

The unit's 'Mech compliment consisted of advanced Inner Sphere designs, one lance of modern BattleMechs and one of Inner Sphere OmniMechs. All 'Mechs have been extensively modified and rebuilt to showcase advanced Clan-manufactured components.

• Battle Magic Air Support - 2 Lances - Wing Commander: Captain Simon Klause

The unit's air support primarily consisted of venerable heavy AeroSpace Fighter designs modified with Clan and advanced tech, though prior to the units destruction a pair of Lockheed-CBM Corporation's Eisensturm OmniFighters replaced two of the patchwork upgraded designs.

• Battle Magic Tech Raiders - 2 Companies - Armor Cmdr: Captain Regina Quaid

The Tech Raiders company of hover vehicles, a mixture of classic designs along with several of the Dragoons' Bandit OmniVehicles, are configured for speed and cargo duty as much as combat, while the infantry unit contained a number of Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor Suits.

Notes

• Battle Magic's uniforms and equipment used a gold-on-black color scheme. The unit’s insignia was a black lightning bolt spread over a circular

gold field, worn as a shoulder patch on uniforms or painted on ‘Mechs, vehicles and battle armor wherever the warrior or his crew desired.

• Battle Magic possessed no transport assets, preferring to hire DropShips and JumpShips to avoid tieing resources on expensive ships.

References

• Field Manual: Mercenaries - pg 37
• Field Manual: Mercenaries Revised - pg 43