Iota Galaxy (Clan Hell's Horses)

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Unit Description

The Iota Galaxy is a Clan Hell's Horses military formation. It was created as a dumping ground for warriors designated as Solahma and political opponents. Iota is used as a pirate/bandit hunting unit, which despite its lack of discipline, it takes pride in doing.[1]

History

Hell's Horses Exodus to the Inner Sphere

In 3070, Khan James Cobb decided the Inner Sphere would be a better home for Hell's Horses than Clan space. He decided to invade Clan Wolf's space as part of payback for past transgression against the Clan.[2]

The galaxy would be split[3] with some Clusters being retained in the Homeworlds territories until last envoys would be completed. However, fighting among Homeworld Clans intensified and caused considerable damage to Iota and its fellow garrison force, Eta Galaxy.

A number of Clusters were disbanded and consolidated to other Clusters when the Galaxy finally arrived in Inner Sphere.[4]

Ice Hellion Invasion

Elements of the Galaxy noted in participating in the fighting against Clan Ice Hellion in 3071, where in November the Galaxy would noted in participation in taking the worlds of Von Strang's World, Bensinger, Apollo and Toland.[5]

The elements of Iota would be part of a joint Jade Falcon-Hell's Horses Task force to take Vantaa from the Hellions. Iota along with Jade Falcon Galaxies of Alpha and Gamma Galaxies would engage in heavy fighting with Khan Khan Montose and her forces for control of the planet. The battle to end the Clan Ice Hellion's Invasion would be successful. However, Iota suffered heavy damage from the Hellion WarShip, CIH Cage's Pride.[6]

The Dark Age

During the period of escalating warfare during the mid-thirty-second century the frontline forces of Clan Hell's Horses were actively deployed on expeditionary campaigns, leaving Iota Galaxy as the main coreward region defense against the Rasalhague Dominion. By this point Iota had been restructured to be a largely defensive organization rather than an offensive unit; the bulk of Iota consisted of three Ranger Clusters, Clusters intended to be fast, lightweight and long-range skirmishing units; Iota's intended role was to hold up an enemy long enough for a nearby frontline formation like Alpha Galaxy to respond.[7]

The Rasalhague Dominion evidently rather appreciated having Iota Galaxy nearby; Iota was unlikely to launch an offensive, and its location made it ideal for being engaged in Trials by the Dominion's Kappa Galaxy. The Trials were considered friendly, and actually improved the skill level of both Galaxies, although by 3145 it had been noted that by Iota that Kappa was receiving new 'Mechs, whereas Iota had yet to receive any new equipment despite the Hell's Horses capture of the former Clan Wolf worlds of Tamar and Weingarten. As a consequence Iota Galaxy began petitioning the Hell's Horses Khan for permission to begin staging Trials on Dominion worlds, although without success by 3145 because of the Khan's desire to replace former Falcon allies with allies from the Dominion.[7]

Officers

As of 3059 to 3067 the commanding officer was Galaxy Commander Zelda Lassenerra.[1][8]

In 3145 the commanding officer of Iota Galaxy was Galaxy Commander Jake Lankenau, with Star Colonel Debra Ravenwater acting as his military aide.[9]

Tactics

The units of Iota Galaxy follow none of the normal conventions observed by the Hell's Horses or other Clans, with non-existent bidding practices and no qualms about fighting in urban environments. Their success on the battlefield is often guaranteed by the use of headhunters, infantry tasked with seeking out and destroying the enemy's command structure, even while the main force is otherwise engaged.[1]

Composition History

3059

3067

  • Sixty-first BattleMech Cluster[8]
  • Sixty-seventh BattleMech Cluster[8]
  • Sixty-ninth BattleMech Cluster[8]
  • Seventy-fourth BattleMech Cluster[8]

3145

Notes

  • Conflicting Information: Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers and Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents. This due in part, the older publication, Jihad Secrets, would list Iota as part of the forces fighting Ice Hellion in Clan Jade Falcon's Occupation Zone. Where Iota, participated in the final battle of that conflict. However, later Masters and Minions would list the unit as part of garrison force in the Homeworlds. The Galaxy's clusters would be so damaged that they would be disbanded, however it unclear if the entire galaxy or fragments of it were present there. Technical Readout: 3085 would list one of its Clusters, the 67th BattleMech, as part of a garrison for on Toland in 3085. However, no mention if entire galaxy still exists or not.[10][11][12]
Writers would later confirm Iota Galaxy was split into two elements, with half the galaxy journeying to the Inner Sphere, while the rest would remain in Home Worlds, being mauled by the fighting there.[13]
“ Hello,


Yes, the Galaxy was split. Remember also that Iota is the dumping ground for troops; it is fairly easy to restaff as long as the Horses continue to have "problem" troops (such as captured forces from the Homeworlds and Clan Wolf).

Thank you,

Herbert Beas
BattleTech
Catalyst Game Labs

”
  — Herbert Beas, BattleTech Line Developer, 28 Jan 2011

Rules

3145

  • When randomly determining units from Iota Galaxy, rolls to determine random weight class or Star weights apply a -2 modifier with the exception of rolls made for the Sixty-first BattleMech Cluster.[14]
  • No unit in Iota Galaxy may deploy either assault weight BattleMechs or conventional vehicles; rolls that generate an assault weight 'Mech or vehicle must be replaced with a heavy unit.[14]
  • Any roll determining a unit randomly using the Hell's Horses RAT that generates a 'Mech or vehicle with a Walking or Cruise speed of 5 MPs or less must be rerolled.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 73 Iota Galaxy - Unit info to describe unit and its function in the Horses's touman.
  2. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 25 Time Line / November 3070 - Hell's Horses return noted in 3070.
  3. ↑ CBT Writers confirm that Iota Galaxy was indeed split for duty in the Inner Sphere and at Clan Space.
  4. ↑ Masters and Minions, pp. 144-145 - The Raging Horsemen - Iota Galaxy's history includes it being damaged in Clan Homeworlds as Hell's Horses left.
  5. ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Secrets, p. 29 - Iota Galaxy noted in the capture of Toland in November 3071.
  6. ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 30 Vantaa - final battle against Ice Hellions would severely damage Iota galaxy.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Field Manual: 3145, p. 155, "Iota Galaxy"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Field Manual: Update, p. 71, "Crusader Clans Deployment Table"
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 167, "Iota Galaxy (The Ninth Ring of Hell)"
  10. ↑ Technical Readout: 3085, p. 134 - 67th BattleMech Cluster list as garrison force in 3085.
  11. ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 28-30 Operation Ice Storm - Clan Hell's Horses Iota Galaxy noted in participation in capturing number of Ice Hellion held worlds and fighting the last battle of the conflict.
  12. ↑ Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 144-145 The Raging Horsemen - Iota Galaxy listed as part a garrison force during the Horse's exodus and Iota's Clusters being listed as destroyed and disbanded after their arrival in the Inner Sphere.
  13. ↑ Writers confirm that Iota was split to fight in both Inner Sphere and Homeworlds.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 208, "Clan Hell's Horses"

Bibliography

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