Ryuken-roku

Ryuken-roku logo.jpg
Ryuken-roku
Formed 3026[1]
Nickname Flawless Victory[2]
Affiliation Draconis Combine
Parent Command Ryuken

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

In 3026, Takashi Kurita ordered the creation of a BattleMech unit trained in the tactics of the Wolf's Dragoons mercenary unit. The Coorindator later ordered that the Ryuken were to be split into several companies and each was to expand to regimental size. The Ryuken-roku, or Ryuken Six in Japanese, was the last of these units to be formed.[1]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

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 two-to-one, they severely suffered from low morale. When the Ryuken-yon reinforced the Ryuken-roku, the First Davion Guards ultimately retreated off-world.[3]

Ronin War[edit]

Clan Invasion[edit]

After the Battle of Luthien, the Ryuken-Roku, along with the rest of the Ryuken Brigade, were ordered to the world of Wolcott, which by that point was a Combine-held oasis deep behind enemy lines. There, they engaged in a policy of constant raids which aimed to resupply partisans fighting against the Clan occupiers of conquered worlds and destroy or disrupt the fragile supply networks of Clans Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat.[4]

Operation BULLDOG[edit]

As part of Operation BULLDOG, Ryuken-roku attacked Courchevel and Luzerne. After winning a gunnery contest against the Forty-sixth Nova Cat Cavaliers' Star Colonel Mill Watson,[5][6][7] the roku were initially held as a reserve force on Courchevel, but were able to land on Luzerne to support the 3rd Davion Guards and 208th Division.[8]

Arriving in August 3059, they positioned themselves so they were on one side of the Smoke Jaguar Fourth Provisional Garrison Cluster and Sixth Striker Cluster. The other SLDF forces were on the opposite side of the Jaguars, and the Ryuken and SLDF units pinched the two Jaguar units between them. The ComStar and AFFS troops took heavy losses before joining the Ryuken, but all the SLDF units inflicted such heavy losses on the Jaguars that the Clan unit couldn't maintain control of Luzerne.[9] Four days later, Ryuken-roku forced the remaining members of the Sixth Striker Cluster into a fight that resulted in only a Binary of troops escaping to Jaguar DropShips.[10]

They were successful in helping to capture both worlds, but were quickly reassigned to Ningxia.[11]

Federated Suns Incursion[edit]

Jihad[edit]

Ryuken-roku garrisoned Ningxia the capital world of Ningxia Prefecture for two years. The Black Dragon Society directed the remains of the Second Night Stalkers regiment, a unit sympathetic to the Black Dragon cause, to the world. Though they were a veteran unit, the Night Stalkers only lasted three months against Ryuken-roku. Shortly after this, Ryuken-roku was reassigned to New Samarkand to garrison the world and protect the Coordinator. The Coordinator loaned them to the Coalition for Operation SCOUR, where Ryuken-roku participated in the liberation of Genoa and discovered the Word of Blake bait and switch on Northwind.[12]

In mid-February 3078, Ryuken-roku were fighting alongside Devlin Stone's coalition on Terra Firma, only to discover that the capital city was a maze of booby-trapped buildings; mercenary forces (Cumberland's Missiliers) were brought in to help the Ryuken-roku clear the city block by block, but the fierce campaign against the Blakists and the Terra Firma Protectorate Militia forces saw the city effectively razed.[13][14]

On New Home, Ryuken-roku was the key in destroying the Forty-seventh Shadow Division, but they lost most of their equipment and warriors.[15] Survivors and equipment were transferred to rebuild other Ryuken units, but the High Command has promised to rebuild the unit as soon as the supply situation allows.[12]

Republic Era[edit]

After the end of the Jihad, the survivors of the Ryuken-roku were transferred back from the Ryuken-ni and Ryuken-san regiments to become the core of the regiment as it rebuilt using replacement personnel, although the personnel available were raw recruits. Despite the lack of experienced replacements, the rebuilding Ryuken-roku continued to train hard, and had rebuilt to a strength of nearly two battalions by 3085.[16]

Dark Age[edit]

In the invasion of the Federated Suns the Ryuken-roku attacked Rowe, facing elements of the Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs.[17] During this raid, the DCMS unit was able to capture several Sea Fox battle armor suits from the Chasseurs.[18][19]

Later on Barlow's End, the Ryuken-roku sustained heavy losses when trying to take the Princess Melissa Spaceport, which was defended by Destrier siege tanks.[20]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Ryuken-roku
Tai-sa Henrietta Bailey 3050[21]
Tai-sa Alexis Vanharobik 30593067[22][23]
Tai-sa Gratia Bernard 3085[24]
Tai-sa Kaoru Katayanagi 3145[25]

Other Unit Members[edit]

Tactics[edit]

All warriors are skilled to find weak spots in enemy formations. The sub unit open the line and the superior officer send reinforcement when necessary. These unit is also known to stay longer in battle as other units can do. The COs set often a trap for the opponent with devastating effect.[22]

Composition History[edit]

3040[edit]

Ryuken-roku (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable)[29]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Misery.[29]

3050[edit]

Ryuken-roku (medium 'Mech Regiment/Veteran/[2]Questionable)[21]

  • CO: Tai-sa Henrietta Bailey
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Misery[21] and support units included a medium aerospace fighter wing and a regiment each of combat vehicles and conventional infantry.[2]

3054[edit]

Ryuken-roku (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[30]

  • CO: Sho-sho Sung Kim II

3059–3067[edit]

Ryuken-roku (1 Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[22][23]

- All 'Mechs are upgraded and the regiment contains also 36 OmniMechs.

Ryuken-roku Aerospace (2 Wings/Veteran/Questionable)[22][23]

- These skilled pilots provide escort in double strength to any landing force and are also adept in securing air superiority.

Ryuken-roku Armor (2 Battalions/Regular/Questionable)[22][23]

  • Armor Commander: Chu-sa Jase Nagiia
  • Armor Commander (3067): Chu-sa Horace Vassilay

Ryuken-roku Infantry (1 Regiment/Veteran/Questionable)[22][23]

- The command is always supported by the 'Mech and tanks of the other sub unit.
- In the unit are, 24 artillery pieces and 6 battle armor squads.

3079[edit]

Ryuken-roku (Regiment/Veteran/Questionable)[12]

Note: Assigned to garrison Benjamin, the Ryuken-roku was only at 20% of their pre-Jihad strength.[12]

3085[edit]

Ryuken-roku (Veteran/Questionable)[24]

Ryuken-roku Aerospace (Wing/Veteran/Reliable)[24]

Ryuken-roku Armor (Regular/Reliable)[24]

Ryuken-roku Infantry (Veteran/Reliable)[24]

- At this point, the various units within Ryuken-roku had rebuilt to between forty-five and seventy percent of full strength, with high levels of advanced technology present in each of the units.[24]

3145[edit]

Ryuken-roku (Regular/Reliable)[25]

  • CO: Tai-sa Kaoru Katayanagi

Ryuken-roku Aerospace (Wing/Regular/Reliable)[25]

Ryuken-roku Armor (Veteran/Reliable)[25]

Ryuken-roku Infantry (Regular/Fanatical)[25]

Color Scheme and Insignia[edit]

The standard Ryuken paint scheme was charcoal gray,[31] with red the accent color of the Ryuken-roku.[22][32]

The Ryuken insignia was a detailed dragon curling around a katana. All units applied the Kurita dragon crest to the left thigh of BattleMechs and near the exhaust ports of aerospace fighters.[31] The roku regimental insignia is a katana blade being held by a hand.[22]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. a b Wolves on the Border, ch. 29
  2. a b c d Combat Manual: Kurita, p. 65: "Other Ryuken Sub-commands"
  3. Historical: War of 3039, pp. 102–103
  4. Invading Clans, p. 61: "Luthien"
  5. Era Report: 3062, p. 66: "Factions - Clan Nova Cat - Forty-Sixth Nova Cat Cavaliers (Fateful June)"
  6. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 117: "Clan Nova Cat - "Delta Galaxy: Ways of Seeing - 46th Nova Cat Cavaliers (Fateful June)"
  7. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 126: "Clan Nova Cat - Omega Provisional Galaxy - 1st Garrison Cluster (A Thousand Year)"
  8. a b Historical Turning Points: Luzerne, p. 9
  9. Historical Turning Points: Luzerne, p. 16
  10. Historical Turning Points: Luzerne, p. 17
  11. Field Manual: Updates, p. 115
  12. a b c d Field Report: DCMS, p. 17
  13. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, pp. 84–85: "Chaos Eternal: Trick or Trap"
  14. Total Chaos, pp. 184–185: "Trick or Trap"
  15. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 74
  16. Field Manual: 3085, p. 47: "Ryuken-roku"
  17. Technical Readout: 3145 Draconis Combine, p. 12
  18. a b Technical Readout: 3145 Federated Suns, p. 6: "Sea Fox Amphibious Armor"
  19. Field Manual: 3145, p. 61: "Ryuken-roku"
  20. Technical Readout: 3145 Federated Suns, p. 28
  21. a b c 20 Year Update, p. 41
  22. a b c d e f g h Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 131: "Ryuken-roku Unit Profile"
  23. a b c d e Field Manual: Updates, p. 119: "DCMS Deployment Table - 3067"
  24. a b c d e f Field Manual: 3085, p. 49: "DCMS Deployment Table - 3085"
  25. a b c d e Field Manual: 3145, p. 65: "DCMS Deployment Table - 3145"
  26. Technical Readout: 3145, p. 62: "Kamakiri Attack VTOL"
  27. Technical Readout: 3150, p. 8: "Sea fox Amphibious Armor"
  28. a b Technical Readout: 3145 Draconis Combine, p. 12: "Saracen Mk II HCV"
  29. a b Historical: War of 3039, p. 139
  30. Objective Raids, p. 28
  31. a b Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 126, "Colors and Insignia"
  32. "Ryuken-roku". CamoSpecs Online. Retrieved 2025-06-19. Per FM:Draconis Combine, page 131.

Bibliography[edit]