Binary

Description

A Binary is a common formation of Clan military forces which consists of two Stars, making it equivalent to a light company in the Inner Sphere. Requiring only a modest increase in logistical support over a Star, Binaries are among the most common military deployments fielded by the Clans. A Binary can either be "pure," consisting of of two Stars of the same unit type, or "mixed," consisting of two stars of different unit types; both are used by all Clans, with the former having a slight edge in numbers. Binaries are commanded by a Star Captain.

Pure Binaries

BattleMech Binary

Consisting of ten OmniMechs/BattleMechs, 'Mech Binaries are sometimes organized by weight class, though they just as often will contain Stars of mixed weight.

AeroSpace Binary

Consists of twenty OmniFighters/AeroSpace Fighters, commonly of mixed designs and weight classes.

Armor Binary

These Binaries consist of twenty Combat Vehicles, though given the Clans' disregard for conventional armor they are normally reserved for solahma or, more rarely, garrison units. Light and heavy-weight types are preferred, while medium-weight vehicles are particularly rare.

Infantry Binary

A Clan infantry Binary consists of fifty Battle Armored Elementals or 250 conventional infantry. Few Clans bother to organize conventional infantry above the Binary level, which also includes a command squad.

Mixed Binaries

Mixed Binaries are only slightly less prevalent than pure formations among the Clans, the most common type of pairing being a Star of 'Mechs and a Star of Elementals. A Nova similar to this type of mixed Binary, in which the two Stars emphasis combined-arms training at the expense of independent action, but two Novas organized into a Binary are referred to as a Supernova.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Crusader Clans
• Field Manual: Warden Clans
• MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans