8th Sword of Light

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Unit Description

The Eighth Sword of Light regiment was known as "The Jade Dragon" and represented the economy of the Draconis Combine.

Star League Era

Prior to the 2740s, the Sword of Light brigade consisted of a dozen BattleMech and conventional regiments. Coordinator Takiro Kurita reorganised the brigade into five reinforced regiments, reinventing them as the "soul of the DCMS". It is unclear if the Eighth Sword of Light was still an active regiment after the Age of War and prior to Takiro's reforms, but the Eighth was an inactive command throughout the remainder of the Star League era.[1]

Succession Wars

First Succession War

The Eighth Sword of Light was reactivated during the First Succession War.[2] The Fourth Sword of Light had represented the Jade Pillar during the Star League era,[1] but was disbanded in 2785;[2] it may be at this point that the Eighth came to represent the Jade Pillar.

In 2787 the Eighth Sword of Light participated in Operation Broken Blade.[3]

Second Succession War

The exploits of the 8th Sword of Light in the Second Succession War are currently unknown. However, as they were stationed on Stanzach at the beginning and end of the war, it can be safely assumed they were engaged one the Lyran Commonwealth front.[4]

Third Succession War

A raid on the Federated Suns world of Errai in 2901 went wrong for the Eighth Sword of Light when their dropping 'Mechs were attacked by defending AFFS fighters. The DCMS forces had to withdraw from the system.[5]

The Eighth Sword of Light and 4th Proserpina Hussars fought the Davion Heavy Guards in 3002's Third Battle of Harrow's Sun. The Federated Suns ultimately prevailed but not before the Eighth had inflicted serious losses.[6]

In 3025 the unit was stationed on Delacruz.[7]

Fourth Succession War

In 3028, they took part in the Battle of Misery against Wolf's Dragoons. Though they took serious losses, they were perhaps the only Kurita unit to remain relatively intact and combat worthy. It was later discovered they were intentionally held back by Warlord Grieg Samsonov so that he could eventually claim the credit for destroying the Dragoons after the nascent Ryuken Regiments softened them up, a strategy that ultimately failed.[8] The Eighth lost a battalion of troops to Epsilon Regiment[9] and Zeta Battalion crushed most of their rearguard during a fighting withdrawal from the world, but the better part of the regiment was able to withdraw intact.[10] Several officers from the Eighth were transferred to less-prestigious units, like the 27th Dieron Regulars.[11]

Ronin War

The Eighth Sword of Light played no active role in the Ronin War of 3034.[12]

War of 3039

Prior to the outbreak of the War of 3039, the Eighth was stationed on Delacruz. With responsibilities to patrol and defend the extensive borders between the Outworlds Alliance, the Federated Suns and the Combine, most of the 8th was off world on a regular basis. Thus it was that only one battalion of the Eighth was on world when the Third Lyran Regulars and the 42nd Avalon Hussars attacked on May 19, 3039. Against such overwhelming odds, the elements of the Eighth fought bravely, but were overcome within 4 days.[13]

On August 3, 3039, the remaining elements of the Eighth returned to Delacruz, along with the Second An Ting Legion and Fourth An Ting Legion. With a direct assault on Third Lyran Regulars defending the island of Goi-pa, they drove the Lyrans from their defenses. Then they drove off the 42nd Avalon Hussars by the first week of September after a nearly three week island hopping campaign.[14]

Clan Invasion

Operation Revival

During the Clan Invasion the DCMS High Command held the Eighth Sword of Light in reserve because the unit was so tactically flexible. They were ready to repel the sixth wave of invaders, but the Battle of Tukayyid rendered that moot. The Eighth was then called upon to rebuild other Sword of Light regiments by transferring half their forces. The Eighth rebuilt with new academy graduates.[15]

Operation Bulldog

During Operation Bulldog the Eighth (along with allied forces) drove Clan Smoke Jaguar troops off of Byesville and Outer Volta. After the fighting ended, they were stationed on Luzerne.[16]

Civil War Era

First Combine-Dominion War

The Eighth launched raids on Jezersko and Last Frontier, both of which were garrisoned lightly by second-line troops. The damage the Eighth did to these units helped dissuade the Ghost Bears from launching a second wave of attacks.[16]

DCMS Incursion

The Eight did not participate in the DCMS incursion of the Federated Suns during the FedCom Civil War.[17]

Jihad

During the Jihad the Eighth Sword of Light assisted the 7th Sword of Light in the attack on Albeiro. After that they spent the rest of the Jihad harassing the Federated Suns Draconis March. They used many tactics that would be considered dishonorable, including repainting their units to look like other DCMS commands. In 3079 they were assigned to Harrow's Sun.[18] They were still in the Albeiro Prefecture in 3085 but they were conducting a "show the flag" goodwill tour of the Prefecture. This also allowed them to be ready to respond to a Ghost Bear incursion.[19]

Dark Age

The Eighth Sword of Light participated in the assault on Robinson in 3144.[20] They fought against the 20th Avalon Hussars and alongside the 7th Sword of Light.[21] The Eighth lost 30% percent of their BattleMech regiment, their aerospace regiment lost 90% of its fighters, their infantry regiment was reduced to just a company, and their tank regiment lost an entire Battalion in the fighting. [22]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the 8th Sword of Light
Sho-sho Jagawen Torisobo 3025 - 3028[23][24]
Tai-sa Wendall Boutri 3050[25]
Tai-sa Kevin Awano 3059 - 3067[15][26]
Tai-sa Dorotheus Bai 3085[27]
Tai-sa Lincoln Marovitch 3144 - 3145[28]

Tactics

The Eighth Sword of Light was one of the busiest DCMS regiments. They have performed garrison duty, participated in large assaults and small raids, and stopped rebellions. For this reason they have no particular tactical specialty, they simply perform well in all environments.[15]

The regiment reorganization in 3011 destroyed any specialty they got.[29]

Composition History

2786

8th Sword of Light (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable) [30]

Note: At this point in time the medium-weight unit was stationed on ????.[30]

2821

Eighth Sword of Light (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable)[2]

- At this point in time the Eighth Sword was a medium-weight regiment operating at four-fifths of full strength and was stationed on Stanzach.[2]

2830

8th Sword of Light (Regiment/Veteran/Reliable) [31]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Stanzach with an operational readiness of 135 percent. [31]

2864

8th Sword of Light (Regiment/Regular/Reliable) [31]

Note: At this point in time the heavy-weight unit was stationed on Stanzach with an operational readiness of 74 percent. [31]

3025

8th Sword of Light (1 Expanded Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[24]

  • CO: Sho-sho Jagawen Torisobo

This unit was composed of two medium and two assault battalions.[29]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Delacruz. [7]

3040

8th Sword of Light (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[32]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Delacruz. [32]

3050

8th Sword of Light (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[25]

  • CO: Tai-sa Wendall Boutri[25]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Delacruz. [25]

3054

8th Sword of Light (2 Battalions/Regular/Fanatical)[34]

  • CO: Tai-sa Kevin Awano

3059 to 3067

8th Sword of Light (1 Expanded Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[15][26]

  • XO: Tai-sa Moki Nagoya
  • 2nd Battalion: Chu-sa Uroga Breshnot
  • 3rd Battalion: Chu-sa Chin Sung Lee
  • 4th Battalion: Chu-sa Toshido Harotoga

- The 36 OmniMechs provide the unit with a great flexibility. All machines are upgraded with advanced technology.

243rd Aerospace (Persuasion of Greater Wisdom) (1 Wing/Veteran/Fanatical)[15][26]

  • Wing Commander: Sho-sa Jeremy Kiyama

- The unit is organized like normal Inner Sphere air forces and not like the standard DCMS scheme.

3085

8th Sword of Light (Veteran/Reliable)[27]

  • CO: Tai-sa Dorotheus Bai

243rd Aerospace (Wing/Elite/Fanatical)[27]

  • CO: Sho-sa Bijoy Petes

3145

8th Sword of Light (Veteran/Reliable)[28]

  • CO: Tai-sa Lincoln Marovitch

243rd Aerospace (Regular/Reliable)[28]

  • CO: Sho-sa Della Henderson

77th Armor (Veteran/Fanatical)[28]

  • CO: Tai-sa Jon Melton

Savage Dragons (Veteran/Reliable)[28]

  • CO: Tai-sa Marius Orr

Rules

First Succession War

  • Between 2786 and 2807, the composition of randomly-generated lances from the Eighth Sword of Light are determined using a single roll on the Random Unit Assignment Tables per lance, with all of the lance 'Mechs being the resulting type. Between 2808 and 2819, the lance composition is determined using two rolls on the Random Unit Assignment Tables per lance, and from 2820 lance composition is determined using one roll per 'Mech per lance.[35]
  • When generating Eighth Sword of Light forces using Random Unit Assignment Tables during the First Succession War, the Sword of Light receives a +4 modifier to each roll on the appropriate table.[36]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Field Report 2765: DCMS, p. 8, "Sword of Light"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 First Succession War, p. 137, "Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (DCMS)"
  3. Broken Blade
  4. Second Succession War, p.97, "Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (DCMS) - Deployment Table"
  5. Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 134
  6. Technical Readout: 3025 Revised, p. 104
  7. 7.0 7.1 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p.133
  8. Wolves on the Border, p. ??[citation needed]
  9. Historical Turning Points: Misery, p. 13
  10. Historical Turning Points: Misery, p. 15
  11. My Father's Sword, p. 3
  12. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 120-121, "Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (March-June 3024) and (July-October 3034)"
  13. Historical: War of 3039, p. 52-53, "Delacruz (May-July)"
  14. Historical: War of 3039, p. 105-106, "Delacruz (August-September)"
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 88, "8th Sword of Light Unit Profile"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 111
  17. FedCom Civil War, p. 184, "Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery"
  18. Field Report: DCMS, p. 13
  19. Field Manual: 3085, p. 44
  20. Technical Readout: 3145 Federated Suns, p. 12
  21. Technical Readout: 3145 Draconis Combine, p. 44
  22. Field Manual: 3145, p. 58 "Eighth Sword of Light"
  23. Historical Turning Points: Misery, p. 9
  24. 24.0 24.1 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 134 , "Deployment Table"
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 20 Year Update, p. 41, "DCMS Deployment Table"
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Field Manual: Update, p. 119, "8th Sword of Light"
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 51, "DCMS Deployment Table - 3085"
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 65, "DCMS Deployment Table - 3145"
  29. 29.0 29.1 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 142 "8th Sword of Light: The Teak Dragon"
  30. 30.0 30.1 ’’ First Succession War’’, p. 137
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 ’’ Second Succession War’’, p. 97
  32. 32.0 32.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 139 >Historical: War of 3039, p. 139
  33. 33.0 33.1 Historical: War of 3039 , p. 53
  34. Objective Raids, p.28
  35. First Succession War, p. 147, "Force Compositions"
  36. First Succession War, p. 147, "RAT Die Roll Modifiers by Combat Command Table"

Bibliography