General

Inner Sphere Military Ranks
Enlisted
Field Officer
General Officer
For specific ranks see Military Ranks


As a generic rank, the General is responsible for command and control of entire armies above the regimental level. The Eridani Light Horse mercenary unit is unique in that the commanding officer of all ELH forces holds the rank of Brevet General. This reflects the officer's willingness to step down from command if they act in a manner inconsistent with ELH and SLDF tradition. (Normally multiregiment mercenary units call their commanding officers "Senior Colonel.")

Star League Defense Force[edit]

In the Star League Defense Force a General commanded Armies, Army Groups, or one of the various Administrative Commands. The commanding officer of the Star League Defense Force Navy held the rank of Admiral.[1] A general wore three three-dimensional stars on their epaulets as their symbol of rank. An Admiral wore three purple stripes on their cuffs to show their rank.

SLDF Rank insignia
Rank Insignia
General SLDF-General.png

Lyran Commonwealth and Lyran Alliance[edit]

A General in the LAAF commands a front line military theater or heads up a branch of the military. They can initiate combat operations on their own authority, but the operation is subject to an after action review by the Lyran High Command. A General commanding a theater typically receives the temporary noble title of Margrave, so the LIC and LAAF JAG Corps keep a close eye on them to make sure they're not abusing their authority. The Lyran navy's equivalent to this rank is an Admiral.[2]

Their rank insignia consists of four pips arranged in a formation known as the Third Steiner Cross, adding a silver orbit beneath the center of the Second Steiner Cross.

LAAF Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
General
(Admiral)
GeneralLAAF.png

Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery[edit]

The DCMS title for this rank is Tai-sho. Officers with this rank in the Draconis Combine Admiralty would have their rank translated as Admiral. (For the 'Mech, see Tai-sho (BattleMech).)

DCMS Officer Ranks by branch of service
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace fighter Infantry Armor Artillery Naval crew Technical
Service
Tai-sho
(General)
Tai-sho
(Admiral)
Taisho-mech.png Taisho-asf.png Taisho-infantry.png Taisho-armor.png Taisho-artillery.png Taisho-naval.png Taisho-tech.png

Armed Forces of the Federated Suns[edit]

In the AFFS, a Major General who proves able to coordinate multiple regiments across a wide area of space is often promoted to General. Frequently they are given command of a March Militia unit to develop their diplomatic and logistical skills. If the General proves to be a strong strategist, they are often assigned as the executive officer of a frontline RCT, where they can act as their commander's lead troubleshooter.[3]

The AFFS Navy uses the rank of Admiral for officers who hold this rank. The symbol of rank is an epaulet with three broad bands and one narrow band across the base.

AFFS General insignia by branch of service
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace fighter Infantry Armor Naval crew Technical
Service
Administrative Medical Legal Logistics/
Transportation
General
(Admiral)
GeneralMW.png GeneralASF.png GeneralInf.png Generalarmor.png Generalnaval.png Generaltech.png Generaladmin.png Generalmedical.png Generallegal.png Generallogistics.png

Capellan Confederation Armed Forces[edit]

For many years the rank of General didn't exist in the CCAF for important historical reasons. Once Sun-Tzu Liao came to power, that changed. He created the rank of Jiang-jun in the CCAF as part of the Xin Sheng reform package to make the CCAF run more efficiently. These officers were formerly known as "Senior Colonels." In addition to the new name, this rank uses a brass triangle as its new symbol of rank. The CCAF Naval equivalent of this rank is Kong-jiang-jun.

CCAF Jiang-jun rank insignia
Jiang-jun
Kong-jiang-jun
(General)
Jiangjun.png

Warrior House regiments do not have this rank, instead the leader of only Warrior House Imarra uses the title of Gao-shiao-zhang or "Lord General."

Free Worlds League Military[edit]

In the FWLM, General is the highest commissioned rank. Only the Captain-General and the Marshals outrank officers who hold the rank of General. Prior to Thomas Marik's military reforms of 3046, seniority among generals was determined based on time in grade. Therefore the generals who had served the longest were the most senior.[4]

A Free Worlds League general's rank insignia is a single strip of silver set into a single strip of gold, which is further mounted on a single purple stripe.

FWLM General's Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
General GeneralFWL.png

The Clans[edit]

The Clans use the rank of Galaxy Commander for officers who hold this rank; Star Admiral is the Clan Naval equivalent.

Clan Blood Spirit[edit]

Clan Blood Spirit Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander Blood-Spirits-Galaxy-Commander.png

Clan Cloud Cobra[edit]

Clan Cloud Cobra Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander CloudCobra-GalaxyCommander.png

Clan Coyote[edit]

Clan Coyote Military Rank Insignia[5]
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander Coyote-GalaxyCommander.png

Clan Fire Mandrill[edit]

As Clan Fire Mandrill uses Kindraa instead of Galaxies, there are no Galaxy Commanders in their touman. Kindraa Leaders are the officers who command the Mandrill Kindraa, each of which is roughly a Galaxy sized formation.

Clan Fire Mandrill Rank Insignia by service branch[6]
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace fighter Elemental
Kindraa Leader FireMandrill-GalaxyCommander-MW.png FireMandrill-GalaxyCommander-ASF.png FireMandrill-GalaxyCommander-Elemental.png

Clan Hell's Horses[edit]

Clan Hell's Horses Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander HellsHorses-GalaxyCommander.png

Clan Ice Hellion[edit]

Clan Ice Hellion Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander IceHellion-GalaxyCommander.png

Clan Jade Falcon[edit]

Clan Jade Falcon Officer Rank Insignia[7]
Rank Trueborn Freeborn
Galaxy Commander JadeFalcon-TBGalaxyCommander.png JadeFalcon-FBGalaxyCommander.png[8]

Clan Nova Cat (SLDF)[edit]

Clan Nova Cat Military Rank Insignia[9]
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander NovaCat-GalaxyCommander.png

Clan Smoke Jaguar[edit]

Clan Smoke Jaguar Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander SmokeJaguar-GalaxyCommander.png

Clan Snow Raven[edit]

Clan Snow Raven Rank Insignia by service branch[10]
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace fighter Elemental Naval Crew Armor Infantry Support
Galaxy Commander SnowRaven-GalaxyCommander-MW.png SnowRaven-GalaxyCommander-ASF.png SnowRaven-GalaxyCommander-Elemental.png SnowRaven-GalaxyCommander-Naval.png SnowRaven-GalaxyCommander-Armor.png SnowRaven-GalaxyCommander-Infantry.png SnowRaven-GalaxyCommander-Support.png

Clan Star Adder[edit]

The Loremaster of Clan Star Adder uses Galaxy Commander insignia to indicate their position.

Clan Star Adder Rank Insignia by service branch[11]
Rank MechWarrior Aerospace fighter Elemental Naval Crew
Galaxy Commander Star-Adder-GalaxyCommander-MW.png Star-Adder-GalaxyCommander-ASF.png Star-Adder-GalaxyCommander-Elemental.png Star-Adder-GalaxyCommander-Naval.png

Clan Steel Viper[edit]

Clan Steel Viper Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander SteelViper-GalaxyCommander.png

Clan Wolf/Clan Wolf-in-Exile[edit]

Clan Wolf/Clan Wolf-in-Exile Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
Galaxy Commander Wolf-GalaxyCommander.png

ComStar/Word of Blake[edit]

This rank isn't used by either the Com Guards or the Word of Blake Militia. Instead the commanding officer of these armies is known as the Precentor Martial.

Though informal, there is also a Precentor Naval position which is used by the highest-ranking naval officer in the Com Guards and Word of Blake Militia. The Precentor Naval reports to the Precentor Martial.

Free Rasalhague Republic[edit]

In the KungsArmé officers with this rank lead one of the larger departments, like Intelligence, Quartermaster, Strategy and Tactics, and ComStar/Mercenary Relations. The Överbefälhavare's chief of staff is always a General. KungsArmé generals are rarely field officers.[12] These soldiers wear a green patch with a silver Roman numeral "2" to show their rank.

KungsArmé Military Rank Insignia
Rank Insignia
General FreeRasalhague-General.png

Periphery Powers[edit]

Magistracy of Canopus[edit]

In the Magistracy Armed Forces, the rank of General was recently created as part of the new reforms. Costing anywhere between 60,000-70,000 C-bills, Generals commands one of the Combat Formations (Magistracy Royal Guards, Chasseurs á Cheval, Canopian Fusiliers, Magistracy Highlanders, and Raventhir Cuirassiers), and serve on the Magestrix Command Center. Generals also serve as department heads within the MAF bureaucracy, but these do not have a seat on the MCC. While available for purchase like other MAF ranks, potential Generals in particular fall under MIM security before the Magestrix gives her approval for their appointment. Their naval equivalent is Admiral.[13][14]

The insignia of a MAF General is three small diamonds. An Admiral of the MAF adds a gold wreath around the General's insignia.

Magistracy Armed Forces Insignia
Rank Insignia
General MagistracyOfCanopus-General.png
Admiral MagistracyOfCanopus-Admiral.png

Marian Hegemony[edit]

A Legiones Marianes General is the commanding officer of an entire legion of Marian Hegemony soldiers.[15] As most legions are spread across Hegemony worlds as individual cohorts, they spend most of their time on Alphard. The rank symbol of a general is a small gold triangle mounted on a black triangle, surrounded by another gold triangle.

Marian Legions Insignia
Rank Insignia
General MH-General.png

Outworlds Alliance[edit]

In the Alliance Military Corps, there are no Generals. There are only two ranks above those of Chairman: The President of the Alliance is the supreme commander of the Alliance Military Corps, and his deputy is known as Senior Chairman. This individual could be considered the equivalent of a General.[16] The Senior Chairman wears the same two vertically stacked brown bars of a Chairman as his rank insignia.

Alliance Military Corps Insignia
Rank Insignia
Senior Chairman OA-Chairman.png

Aurigan Coalition[edit]

Prior to Lord Espinosa's coup, in the Aurigan Coalition Military, each Council Lord elevated a senior colonel to the rank of General to command their House forces. After the restoration, there is a single General, Lord Madeira.[17]

In a similar way, prior to Lord Espinosa's coup each Council Lord was the commander-in-chief of their house troops. After the restoration, the single commander-in-chief became High Lady Arano.[17]

References[edit]

  1. The Star League, p. 114
  2. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 32
  3. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 130
  4. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 84
  5. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 48
  6. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 45
  7. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 97
  8. Theoretical rank insignia. No freeborn has ever held this rank in the Jade Falcon touman
  9. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 112
  10. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 127
  11. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 120
  12. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 65
  13. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 25
  14. Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 87
  15. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 73
  16. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 88
  17. 17.0 17.1 House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition), p. 26

Bibliography[edit]