Black Widow Company

The infamous Black Widow Company was a semi-independent unit within the larger mercenary unit Wolf's Dragoons, formed and led throughout its existence by Natasha Kerensky, the "Black Widow".

Although composed mostly of misfits and troublemakers, the Black Widow Company was a dangerous elite fighting unit with a reputation for brilliant tactics and a boldness bordering on folly. Renowned for their skill as MechWarriors, Natasha Kerensky and her unit were also known and feared for cruelty, deceitfulness and generally dishonourable behaviour, attributes that set them apart from the highly esteemed rest of Wolf's Dragoons.

The Black Widows saw their first combat action during the Marik civil war in 3014 on New Delos and fought with distinction in innumerable famous battles.

Following the devastating losses that Wolf's Dragoons suffered during the Battle of Misery against House Kurita and in the following Fourth Succession War, the Black Widow Company was the first unit available for hire again and signed a contract on November 7, 3031. On December 16 of that year it was publicly announced that Natasha Kerensky had been promoted to Colonel, and that the unit had been upgraded to battalion strength. It was subsequently known as the Black Widow Battalion.

They were recalled to the Dragoon home world of Outreach in 3035 and ordered to provide training for other Dragoon units for the following seven years. It is believed that during this time, the unit was restructured following Clan doctrine: Each company comprised of 15 BattleMechs (instead of 12 as per Inner Sphere standard), known among the Clans as a Trinary.

When the Clan invasion begun in 3049, Natasha Kerensky left Wolf's Dragoons and resumed her place among her fellow trueborn Clan warriors, before long attaining the rank of Khan of Clan Wolf. The original Black Widow Battalion was disbanded after she left the unit, and a new unit called the Wolf Spider Battalion was formed within Wolf's Dragoons in their place.

It is believed that the unit may have been named by Natasha Kerensky in reference to the extinct Clan Widowmaker.

3014 Lineup

The Black Widow Company that fought against Anton Marik on New Delos was composed as follows:

• Command Lance: Warhammer (Natasha Kerensky), Marauder (Maclaren), Crusader (Sheridan)
• Combat Lance: Archer (Ikeda), Shadow Hawk (Andrews), Wasp (Nikolai Koniev), Thunderbolt (Harlow)
• Scout Lance: Phoenix Hawk (Nichols), Stinger (Tommersom), Locust (Williams)

3025 Lineup

During a battle against Davion troops at Coursadin (Remis III) that must have occurred between 3023 and 3028, the unit was encountered in the following composition:

• Command Lance: Warhammer (Kerensky), Marauder, Crusader
• Recon Lance: Rifleman, Phoenix Hawk, Stinger, Stinger

3056 Wolf Spider Battalion Lineup

The successor unit of the original Black Widow Company within Wolf's Dragoons is commanded by Major John Clavell.

• Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
• Wolf Striker Cluster
  • Spider Trinary (Alpha, Beta and Gamma Star, 5 BattleMechs each)
  • Tarantula Trinary (Alpha, Beta and Gamma Star, 5 BattleMechs each)
  • Web Trinary (Alpha and Beta Star, 5 BattleMechs each; Gamma Star of 5 Elemental Points)
  • Aerospace Company (6 Fighters)
  • Third Infantry, Seventh Kommando Company
• Support Unit: Overlord-class DropShip Widow's Regards (presumably Overlord-C class)