1st Davion Guards

Insignia of the 1st Davion Guards
First Davion Guards RCT
Nickname The Strength of Alexander
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Davion Brigade of Guards


History[edit]

The homeworld of the First Davion Guards is New Avalon. After the events of the Davion Civil War, the entire Brigade of Guards was shattered by fighting Dmitri Rostov. The First Davion Guards were the first unit rebuilt by Prince Alexander Davion. Since that time the First Guards RCT was often seen escorting those Princes who took the field, including Ian Davion.[1]

First Succession War[edit]

In May 2787 the Draconis Combine launched a massive invasion of the Federated Suns. The invasion was so swift and targeted communications and JumpShips so effectively that many border systems didn't have a chance to transmit warnings or alerts, leading to widespread confusion on the part of the AFFS. Three days after the initial attacks another large wave of attacks was launched by the DCMS, based around two salients; one, under the overall command of Coordinator Minoru Kurita, struck into the Clovis Combat Region, beginning with invasions of Cartago, Clovis and Olancha. By the end of May almost all of the Clovis Combat Region was in Kuritan hands, along with half of each of the Robinson and Dahar Combat Regions and a chunk of the Fairfax Combat Region; Minoru Kurita himself stood on Cartago at the head of the Third Sword of Light.[2]

In February 2788 First Prince John Davion launched Operation SOLAR SHIELD, a desperate plan to try and disrupt the invasion of the Federated Suns launched by the Draconis Combine in May 2787. Prince John had been preparing to invade the Capellan Confederation when news of the Combine invasion reached him, and the forces he drew together for SOLAR SHIELD were based on those three 'Mech regiments nearby earmarked for the abortive invasion of the Confederation plus some six assorted regiments of armor and infantry provided by regional militias within the Marlette Combat Region. Prince John divided his forces into three groups and launched strikes at three occupied worlds on the Terran flank of the invasion, hoping to disrupt the thrust being led personally by Coordinator Minoru Kurita.[3][4]

SOLAR SHIELD proved to be flawed from the outset; the units assembled lacked time to train together, Prince John's forces were limited in number, and he had only a handful of WarShips available to use to escort his forces. Senior officers advised against the operation, but Prince John felt that speed was of the essence, and ordered that the operation go ahead. Cartago was one of the planets targeted by SOLAR SHIELD, and Prince John led the First Davion Guards to the system himself, escorted by the Davion II-class destroyers FSS Duke Henry and FSS Edmund Davion. The strike initially appeared to go well, with the First encountering a small naval picket consisting of two Baron-class destroyers in orbit above the planet that only briefly contested the Guards' landing before retreating.[3]

In the belief that his forces held the upper hand, Prince John landed in the valley near the capital city's spaceport along with the Guards, but became suspicious as soon as his troops had disembarked, just five kilometers away from the spaceport. When he observed that the majority of the DropShips sitting at the spaceport were civilian vessels in obvious disrepair, rather than DCMS military transports, he quickly ordered the Guards to fall back - barely ahead of a nuclear explosion that consumed the site. The Guards lost a company of 'Mechs and a squadron of aerospace fighters to the blast, but Prince John was able to board a DropShip before the blast hit, ordering his troops to evacuate rapidly. As the Guards and their supporting conventional forces lifted off, hostile fighters swept over the landing area, attempting to down the Guards transports, while above the planet the two Barons returned to attack the Duke Henry and Edmund Davion again, this time with the addition of the DCS Omodaka, a Narukami II-class destroyer that had been lurking in hiding on the far side of Cartago.[3]

The presence of the Omodaka turned an orderly retreat from Cartago into a bloody pursuit that only broke off after the Duke Henry and Edmund Davion managed to destroy the two Barons - an action that cost Prince John the Duke Henry. Operation SOLAR SHIELD was an abject disaster that cost the AFFS men and equipment it couldn't afford to lose, and the action on Cartago alone nearly saw the First Prince lost in action not once, but twice.[3]

Third Succession War[edit]

In 3000 the First Davion Guards raided the Free Worlds League system of Sirius. The First Guards captured several Spider BattleMechs that had been brought in for maintenance.[5]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

The First Davion Guards landed on Shensi, quickly overwhelming the militia forces there.[6][7] They then went on to take Tsitsang in the second wave.[8] After sitting out the third wave of attacks, they went to Kawich to defend the AFFS supply depots on that world. On that world they destroyed a Capellan task force based around the Third Confederation Reserve Cavalry during the Battle of Kawich (3029), part of Operation RIPOSTE. After fighting for several hours, the Capellan unit was destroyed.[9]

War of 3039[edit]

The First Davion Guards and the Seventeenth Avalon Hussars fought the Ryuken-roku on An Ting. Despite the fact that the First Guards were considered an elite, fanatical command and the AFFS units outnumbered their opponent 2-to-1, they suffered from severely low morale. When the Ryuken-yon reinforced the Ryuken-roku, the First Davion Guards ultimately retreated off-world.[10]

Clan Invasion[edit]

The First Davion Guards were one of the first units in the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth to receive salvaged Clan equipment. Though this annoyed some units, they kept it to themselves because the First was widely known as an elite command instead of a parade ground unit.[11]

Operation Bulldog[edit]

In 3059, as part of Operation Bulldog, the First Davion Guards RCT of the Federated Commonwealth was largely responsible for capturing the Clan Smoke Jaguar planet of Port Arthur. From there, they moved on to Yamarovka in the second wave.[12]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

The First Davion Guards RCT was assigned to New Avalon during the early part of the FedCom Civil War.

In late April of 3063, Marshal Bishop Sortek, commander of the Davion Brigade of Guards and titular commander of the First Davion Guards, ordered the First to engage the Loyalist forces threatening them, as the First refused to swear absolute loyalty to Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion. Field Marshal and Prince's Champion Simon Gallagher ordered the Loyalist forces - the Third Robinson Rangers, the Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry, the New Avalon CMM and several secondary units stationed on New Avalon - to forcibly disarm and disband the First, resulting in the First Battle of New Avalon.[13]

The First Davion Guards stumbled into two Loyalist 'Mech regiments and were destroyed almost to the last man on December 20, 3063 by the Tenth DLC and Third Robinson Rangers, or so the Loyalists thought.[14] It turned out that Sortek ordered an entire regiment of the Guards to hide in the mountains near Avalon City so that they could later assist in liberating New Avalon from Loyalist control.[15] The Special Forces troops of the First Davion Guards also survived by hiding among the civilian population, in order to carry out sabotage against Loyalist facilities and causing civil unrest.[16] These survivors often fought for years.[17]

Jihad[edit]

The First was one of the few units capable of combat on New Avalon when the Word of Blake arrived. They fought the Thirty-first Division to a standstill, then moved into stronger defensive positions. They held out until 3068, when reinforcements arrived.[18] In January of 3068, the last surviving regiment of the First Davion Guards merged with the remnants of the Tenth Lyran Guards, Fifth Donegal Guards and Second NAIS Cadet Cadre to become the new First Davion Guards RCT.[19][18] The re-formed First Davion Guards defended New Avalon from the Word of Blake occupation forces during the Jihad. This included fighting against Bronson's Horde.[20] After the Word withdrew from New Avalon, the First Guards were one of the first units to be rebuilt along the new "defensive pattern" units.[21]

Having been rebuilt as a light combat team, the First was then further rebuilt to full regimental combat team status before being assigned to the Coalition campaign against the Blakist Protectorate.[22] The first combat action the First Guards would see as a part of Operation SCOUR in early 3077 turned out to not be against the Word of Blake, but rather the CCAF. Operating on the Federated Suns front of Operation SCOUR as a part of Group II, the First Davion Aerospace Wing found itself defending the Group from CCAF forces that attacked them at the jump point in the Addicks system that the Group had emerged from, intending to liberate Addicks from the Word of Blake. By the time Group II was ordered to leave the Addicks system and allow the Capellans to tackle the Blakists, the First had already acquitted itself well against the Capellan forces.[23]

Still operating as a part of Group II, the First Davion Guards went on to fight on Fletcher alongside ComStar's Second Army under the command of Galen Cox. Led by Connor Sortek, the First Guards apparently worked well with the Second Army, the allied coalition forces crushing the Blakist resistance while inflicting far more damage than they sustained.[24]

When the Word of Blake used nuclear weapons to destroy the Marlette CrMM on Terra, the First Guards narrowly escaped destruction at the same time; despite avoiding the same fate as the Militia, the First Guards returned to New Avalon at well below their previous operational strength. By 3079, the First was rebuilding once more, this time largely through absorbing the First Albion Cadre en masse.[22] The First Guards lost some personnel to the new Republic of the Sphere; notable individuals include Captain Hareesh Hiraz, who joined the Republic's Black Torrent battle armor unit,[25] Major Caleb Downs, who became one of Devlin Stone's Paladins,[26] and Connor Sortek, who left the Guards to become the commanding officer of the Republic's I Hastati Sentinels.[27]

Operation MATADOR[edit]

The First Guards took part in two major combat actions during Operation MATADOR, including going toe to toe with the First MacLeod's Regiment on Perdition amidst the ruins left behind by Hansen's Roughriders years before; while the First Guards were unable to force the Macleod's to leave Perdition due to the Macleod's parity in numbers with the Guards and the well-prepared defensive positions the Taurians had in place, the arrival of the Twenty-second Avalon Hussars gave the AFFS enough strength to push the Taurians back over the next ten days, leaving Perdition in the hands of the Federated Suns.[28] Having secured Perdition, the First Guards then went on to capture Logan's Land.[29]

Dark Age[edit]

By 3085 the First had settled back into its traditional posting on New Avalon, defending the First Prince and family; in anticipation of the future, the First Guards had already begun leaving an empty place at their Officers' Mess for Harrison Davion, heir to the throne. Other changes made by the First include the adoption of a blue-eyed phoenix as their unofficial insignia, in recognition of the number of times the Guards have been destroyed as a regiment, only to later re-form; the fact that a number of the troopers within the First paint the name "Yvonne" underneath the phoenix shows the close relationship between the First and those they protect.[30]

In common with the other regiments within the Davion Brigade of Guards, the First Guards no longer deployed as a reinforced BattleMech regiment at this point in time; instead, each had been reduced to a standard BattleMech regiment, but with the reduction in the number of 'Mechs compensated for by the addition of a complete regiment of battle armor to supplement the Guards' infantry strength and with the addition of reinforced aerospace fighter wings.[30]

After their near destruction in the Jihad they used a phoenix as an unofficial logo and became the bodyguard unit for Princess-Regent Yvonne Davion. Later they served the same function for First Prince Harrison Davion, traveling across the Federated Suns. During these travels, they found themselves engaging in exercises against units from the Raven Alliance, Republic of the Sphere, and even a battalion of the Second Taurian Pride during a diplomatic exchange with the Calderon Protectorate.[31]

However in 3110 they were assigned to guard the Davion estates on Markesan, which many of the First's soldiers saw as a slap in the face. Their skills and morale rapidly plummeted and by 3132 they were nothing like their predecessors. Julian Davion was given honorary command that same year, and he had them back in fighting form inside six months. After the creation of Fortress Republic the First was sent to Ronel. They would then escort Julian as his honor guard into the Lyran Commonwealth where they faced Clan Wolf. They naturally escorted Julian back to the Federated Suns as Julian returned to take the throne he had inherited.[31]

In 3135 the First Davion Guards, along with Julian Davion, deployed on Terra to face Senatorial Alliance forces. The Senatorial forces hoped to capture the leaders of the Inner Sphere in their Paris residences, but the Davion Guards, X Principes Guards, and X Triarii Protectors, successfully defended the city and forced the Senatorial Alliance troops to withdraw.[32]

The First Davion Guards were the escort for Julian Davion as he returned from the Lyran Commonwealth. The Guards were refitted when they stopped off in the Republic Remnant, and also gained new troops from former Federated Suns families that had joined the Republic of the Sphere.[33]

As part of Task Force Navarre, the First Davion Guards landed on New Aragon to conduct a raid against CCAF storage depots. However the Third Tikonov Guards were able to force the Davion Guards to fight their way through the Third's ranks and leave the world.[34]

In 3147 an honor guard of the First Davion Guards escorted Julian Davion to June for his coronation as First Prince. Later in 3147 the First Davion Guards took part in Operation PERCEVAL, which saw AFFS troops link up with resistance movements on former Draconis March worlds and raid DCMS formations on those same worlds. The First Guards raided Franklin and faced off against the Fifth Ghost. They inflicted moderate losses on the Combine unit in a series of high speed engagements before leaving Franklin.[35]

The First then landed on Sakhara V and drew the Seventh Ghost out of position so the First Kestrel Grenadiers and First Avalon Hussars could strike the rear areas of the Seventh. The Federated forces could've taken the world, but they were under orders to inflict damage and sow confusion rather than capturing worlds. The task force then returned to Markesan to refit and rearm before heading to Le Blanc and facing off against the Nineteenth Galedon Regulars. After this engagement, the task force entered the Clovis system at a pirate point. During this attack, the Forty-fifth Benjamin Regulars' aerospace wing was able to heavily damage two of the First Davion Guards DropShips forcing an emergency landing. The First was then able to use a distraction from the Kestrel Grenadiers to flank the Forty-fifth Benjamin Regulars position and attacked a massive DCMS supply depot. They were not able to destroy the depot before DCMS reinforcements arrived, forcing the Task Force to leave the world.[36]

The First was assigned to Remagen to rest and refit. Shortly thereafter they were assigned to lead Task Force Hydra. They landed on Atlas and faced the Second St. Ives Lancers. They were successful in driving the CCAF troops off Atlas. The First and its fellow regiments then landed on Narellan and fought Warrior House Imarra and the Second St. Ives Cheveau Legers. These troops were much more engaged, and the Ijori forces fought the First Davion Guards to a standstill. This strategy kept the AFFS in place while CCAF troops further in the Sian Commonality relocated.[37]

After the success of these operations, the First Davion Guards and other AFFS regiments reassembled at Taygeta. From there they launched the assault of New Syrtis. The First Davion Guards and Fortune Charlie (an ad hoc regiment of small mercenary commands) was assigned to take the Cave (The Capellan March's underground command center). Julian Davion led the First Davion Guards into the Cave complex, but were attacked by traitorous elements of Fortune Charlie. The Fifth Crucis Lancers were able to reinforce the First Guards and destroy the traitorous units. The First's command company then seized the Cave.[38]

The First Davion Guards remained on New Syrtis with the Fifth Crucis Lancers to act as the garrison. In 3148 Thuggee cultists set off two nerve gas strikes on New Syrtis. These and other CCAF/Maskirovka sponsored strikes led to the planet's situation rapidly degenerating. The First and Fifth were not able to keep things under control, even when Julian Davion returned. The First deployed to reinforce the Fifth when a group of CCAF 'Mechs attacked the Fifth's rear areas. As soon as this happened, three regiments of CCAF troops landed on New Syrtis. After fighting these troops for several weeks, the Prince and Sang-shao Danai Centrella-Liao brokered a ceasefire.[39]

In 3149 the First joined Task Force PERCEVAL's assault into the Dragon's Tongue worlds. The First landed on Coloma with the First Avalon Hussars and forced the Fifth Sword of Light to evacuate. The First Davion Guards then attacked Saginaw and fought the Wolf Spiders battalion of Wolf's Dragoons.[40]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the First Davion Guards
Marshal Stephen Davion 3021 - 3032[41][42]
Marshal Jackson Davion 3032 - 3036[42]
Marshal Bishop Sortek 3050 - Oct 3063[43][44][45]
Major General Wendy Adams Oct 3063 - 20 Dec 3063[45]
Marshal Robert Davion-Zibler 3067[46][18]
Marshal Conner Sortek 3077[24]
General Alana Zibler 3085[47]
Prince's Champion Julian Davion 3132 - 3145[31]

Tactics[edit]

The First Guards train constantly, which allows them to coordinate their units with a level of experience rarely seen outside the most elite units. Though they are very skilled they refuse to fight in cities because it inflicts too much collateral damage. They will instead move the battlefield to a site of their choosing.[1]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

First Davion Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[48]

- The First Guards were stationed on New Avalon at this point in time.[48]

2786 - 2821[edit]

First Davion Guards (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)[49]

- At this point in time the Guards were a medium-weight regiment and were operating at full strength. The Guards were based on New Avalon.[49] In 2821 the unit was reduced to just below forty percent strength and were located on Breed.[49]

2830[edit]

First Davion Guards (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[50]

- At this point in time the Guards were a medium-weight regiment and had rebuilt to almost full strength. The Guards were stationed on Marlette.[50]

2864[edit]

First Davion Guards (Regiment/Elite/Reliable)[50]

- At this point in time the Guards were a medium-weight regiment stationed on Alcyone, and had been reduced to just under half-strength.[50]

3025[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)[41]

  • CO: Marshal Stephen Davion[41]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on New Avalon. The 'Mech regiment contains mostly medium to heavy designs.[51]

3040[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)[52]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on New Avalon.[52]

3050[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)[53]

  • CO: Marshal Bishop Sortek[53]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on New Avalon.[53]

3054[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)[44]

  • CO: Marshal Bishop Sortek[44]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on New Avalon.[44]

3062[edit]

First Davion Guards (Reinforced Regiment/Elite/Fanatical)[1]

CO: Major General Wendy Adams
- The First fields four battalions.

First Davion Guards AeroSpace Brigade (3 Wings)[1]

CO: Rear Admiral Tabitha Steiner

First Davion Guards Armor Brigade (4 Regiments/Elite/Reliable)[1]

CO: Major General Terrell Chevalier
Aide: Leftenant Colonel Daru Klocke

First Davion Guards Infantry Brigade (6 Regiments/Elite/Fanatical)[1]

CO: Major General Stacy Garver
Aide: Leftenant Colonel Travis Nemoure

3067[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT (Regular/Fanatical)[46]

CO: Marshal Robert Davion-Zibler

First Davion Guards Aerospace Brigade (Regular/Fanatical)[46]

CO: Major General Linwood Hounchell

First Davion Guards Armor Brigade (Regular/Fanatical)[46]

CO: General Bryce Staten

First Davion Guards Infantry Brigade (Regular/Fanatical)[46]

CO: Major General Andrea Dockery

3077[edit]

The First Guards are rebuilt using the new "defensive pattern" philosophy.[21]

3079[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT (Regiment/Veteran/Fanatical)[22]

Note: Based out of New Avalon, the First Davion Guards were operating at roughly 60% of full strength, although the RCT was fully equipped with advanced technology.

3085[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT (Veteran/Fanatical)[47]

CO: General Alana Zibler

First Davion Guards Aerospace Brigade (Regular/Fanatical)[47]

CO: Rear Admiral Yavin Ostberg

First Davion Guards Armor Brigade (Veteran/Fanatical)[47]

CO: Major General Agapios McManus

First Davion Guards Infantry Brigade (Elite/Fanatical)[47]

CO: Major General Ambrus Lane

3145[edit]

First Davion Guards RCT

CO: Prince's Champion Julian Davion[31]

First Davion Guards Aerospace Brigade

CO:

First Davion Guards Armor Brigade

CO:

First Davion Guards Infantry Brigade

CO: Leftenant General Emmett Maldonado[54]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 79: "1st Davion Guards Unit Profile"
  2. First Succession War, pp. 38–39: "The Battle for Clovis"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 First Succession War, pp. 40–41: "Fighting the Tsunami"
  4. First Succession War, p. 41: "An Expensive Learning Curve"
  5. Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 18
  6. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 22
  7. The Fourth Succession War Scenarios Volume One, p. 7
  8. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 32
  9. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, pp. 92–93
  10. Historical: War of 3039, pp. 102–103
  11. Era Report: 3052, p. 26
  12. The Dragon Roars, p. 11
  13. FedCom Civil War, p. 60
  14. FedCom Civil War, p. 78
  15. FedCom Civil War, p. 156
  16. FedCom Civil War, pp. 61, 77–78, 156
  17. Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, p. 18
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Jihad Turning Points: New Avalon, pp. 6–7: "Combatants"
  19. Dawn of the Jihad, p. 55
  20. Jihad Turning Points: New Avalon, p. 8
  21. 21.0 21.1 Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, pp. 45–46
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Field Report: AFFS, p. 12: "Davion Brigade of Guards"
  23. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 36: "First Wave Complete"
  24. 24.0 24.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, pp. 39–40: "Ingress, Fletcher Fall"
  25. Field Manual: 3085, p. 7: "Black Torrent"
  26. Field Manual: 3085, p. 17: "The Paladins"
  27. Field Manual: 3085, p. 180: "Hastati Sentinels"
  28. Field Manual: 3085, p. 142: "First Macleod's Regiment"
  29. Field Manual: 3085, p. 54: "Operation MATADOR"
  30. 30.0 30.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 60: "Davion Brigade of Guards"
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Era Report: 3145, p. 51
  32. Shrapnel, Issue #4, Touchpoint: Ista Quidem Vis Est
  33. Shattered Fortress, p. 15
  34. Shattered Fortress, p. 18
  35. Shattered Fortress, p. 32
  36. Shattered Fortress, p. 33
  37. Shattered Fortress, pp. 40–41
  38. Shattered Fortress, p. 41
  39. Shattered Fortress, pp. 56–57
  40. Shattered Fortress, p. 69
  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138 (PDF version): "New Avalon Combat Region"
  42. 42.0 42.1 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 33: "AFFC Profiles"
  43. 20 Year Update, p. 22: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 Objective Raids, p. 15: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  45. 45.0 45.1 FedCom Civil War, pp. 77–78
  46. 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 46.4 Field Manual: Updates, p. 139: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3067"
  47. 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 Field Manual: 3085, p. 71: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3085"
  48. 48.0 48.1 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 14: "Regimental Status"
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns"
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 Second Succession War, p. 94: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  51. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 137
  52. 52.0 52.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 136
  53. 53.0 53.1 53.2 20 Year Update, p. 22
  54. Field Manual: 3145, p. 94

Bibliography[edit]