Winfield's Brigade

Winfield's Brigade was designed by House Steiner as a mixed-weapon line unit. In 3025, the unit fielded two Battalions. Winfield's Brigade was destroyed during the first and second wave of Operation Revival by Clan Jade Falcon.

Unit description

Winfield's Brigade was a highly mobile mixed-weapons unit in service of the Lyran Commonwealth. Most of its 'Mechs were of medium weight.

History

Origin as Winfield Guard

The Winfield Guards were created by Alessandro Steiner as a mixed weapon unit in 2992. The 'Mechs of the Winfield Guards were usually of medium weight and high mobility. They were patterned after the Eridani Light Horse and one of the most famed Lyran units, The Stealths. In fact, the unit`s CO was a descendant of the former commander of the Stealths. The Guards quickly became one of the finest Lyran units, but they were decimated during the fierce fighting on the planet of Sevren due to severe intelligence failures in 3011. In 3011 the Brigade was cut down by Kuritan forces. Though the 2nd Donegal Guards arrived to reinforce the unit, the Guards didn't know the local terrain. Two scouts from the Brigade offered to lead the Guards into position even though they were wounded and in seriously damaged 'Mechs. To honor these scouts, the scouts of Winfield's Brigade wear the tartan of the Second Donegal Guards as a lapel device.

The unit was reorganized into a two-battalion-sized force and renamed to Winfield`s Brigade. Winfield`s Brigade was once more deployed to Sevren alongside with the 30th Lyran Guards and Hansen's Roughriders. The invasion succeeded in 3024, mostly because of the hard-striking Winfield`s Brigade. The battle for Sevren saw a company from Winfield's Brigade fend off attacks from two lances of MechBuster aircraft before pushing forward to secure a strategically significant bridge, cutting off a battalion of forces from the Dieron Regulars from reinforcements. This in turn allowed the 30th Lyran Guards to assault the isolated Dieron Regulars in force; the company from Winfield's Brigade lost a total of eight 'Mechs destroyed or immobilised in exchange for one downed Mechbuster in the push to capture the bridge, although the airfield from which the Mechbusters were operating was identified and captured during their attack on Winfield's Brigade.

Winfield's Brigade performed an important role during the so-called "witch-hunts" of Gypsum and Baker 3, an innovation of Archon Katrina Steiner. The top-heavy units of the LCAF had to hunt down the "witch", a highly mobile opfor-unit, which was usually displayed by Winfield's Brigade or the mercenary unit Mobile Fire.

Fourth Succession War

During the Fourth Succession War, the Tyr Regiment, the 4th Donegal Guards, the 3rd Lyran Regulars and Winfield`s Brigade were assigned to liberate the prefecture capital of Kirchbach. The defending DCMS units, the 5th Amphigean Light Assault Group, Helmut's Hermits and the 17th Rasalhague Regulars, were forced to retreat off-world soon after the first engagement. Hereupon, Winfield's Brigade was assigned to invade the world of Liezen, which was garrisoned by a veteran Combine 'Mech-Regiment, the 1st Altenmarkt Militia. Winfield's Brigade quickly seized control of the capital and other major cities. However, the larger Altenmarkt Militia 'Mech-Regiment faded away and staged a guerrilla war. Unfortunately, Winfield's Brigade lacked the man-power to garrison the cities and to hunt down the 1st Altenmarkt Militia at the same time. Thus, the Brigade was reinforced by the 4th Donegal Guards. Shortly afterwards, the Altenmarkt Militia had to retreat and Liezen was ultimatively considered secured.

Clan Invasion

Deployed on their homeworld of Winfield during the opening stages of Operation Revival, Winfield's Regiment was attacked by Clan Jade Falcon. Fortunately, the Jade Falcons underestimated the capabilities of Winfield's Regiment and the Lyran unit almost overran the landing zone of the Jade Falcon's Fifth Battle Cluster. However, they had to retreat from Winfield after the Jade Falcons deployed a massive force of Clan Elementals (which were completely unknown to the IS at the time). Before they retreated offworld in orderly fashion, they prepared the Winfield Militia to stage a guerrilla war. The survivors of Winfield's Regiment faced the Fourth Falcon Velites on Butler shortly after. Vastly outnumbered, Leftenant General Davis Winfield decided to challenge the Falcon CO in single combat. He managed to gain the upper hand against his opponent, Star Colonel Evak Mattlov, until a lucky hit destroyed his 'Mech's gyro and he fell unconscious. Enraged, the rest of Winfield's Regiment attacked the Falcon force in a suicidal charge, which left the regiment all but destroyed.

The few survivors reorganized themselves into the Winfield's Regiment mercenary unit.

Composition History

2992

Winfield Guards (2 Regiments/Elite/Reliable)

3025

Winfield’s Brigade (2 Battalions/Elite/Reliable)

• CO: Colonel Davis Winfield

3040

Winfield's Brigade (2 Battalions/Elite/Reliable)

3050

Winfield's Regiment (1 Regiment/Elite/Reliable)

• CO: Leftenant General Davis Winfield

Notes

Rules

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Mercenaries Revised
• Historical: War of 3039
• House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)
• Jade Falcon Sourcebook
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2
• Objective Raids
• Technical Readout: 3025
• Technical Readout: 3025 Revised
• Technical Readout: 3026
• Technical Readout: 3026, Revised Edition
• 20 Year Update