View source for Commonwealth Guards

=== Dark Age ===
The Commonwealth Guards as a formation found their attention split during the brief reign of [[Duke]] [[Vedet Brewer]] over the [[Lyran Commonwealth]]. With the [[First Hesperus Guards]] relocated away from the front lines to serve as bodyguards on [[Tharkad]] the remaining regiments were spread thinly as they tried to focus on multiple front lines.<ref name="FM:3145p123">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 123, "Commonwealth Guards"</ref>

By the time [[Trillian Steiner]] had been declared [[Archon]] the [[First Bolan Guards]] had already been destroyed, fighting a desperate defense on [[Bolan]] against forces from [[Clan Wolf]]. The Archon inherited a Commonwealth Guards [[brigade]] that had been loaded with officers chosen for their loyalty to Duke Brewer, but which she couldn't afford not to deploy because of the huge pressure the Commonwealth was under. The actual combat readiness of the various [[regiment]]s within the brigade varied considerably depending on how close they were to the remaining military production sites still in Lyran hands or how loyal they were to the Archon.<ref name="FM:3145p123"/>

Both the [[1st Buena Guards|First]] and [[Second Buena Guards]] were considered highly loyal to the Archon in [[3145]], particularly after the commanding officer of the First was replaced; the First had extensive experience of fighting Clan Wolf forces, having fought on both [[Bella I]], [[Dixie]] and Tharkad, whilst the Second had performed well on the border between the Commonwealth and the [[Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey]] prior to the Clan Wolf invasion.<ref name="FM:3145p123"/>

The Second Bolan Guards escaped destruction at the hands of Clan Wolf forces because of its position at the time, deep in the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey; after fighting a rearguard action that bought time for numerous other [[Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces]] to retreat the Second was a respected command, but perhaps not entirely trusted. The Second's commanding officer took steps to change this by purging his command of officers of dubious loyalty and by swearing a personal oath of loyalty to the Archon.<ref name="FM:3145p123"/>

The least-trusted unit of the Guards was the First Hesperus Guards, who had taken part in the revolt against Archon [[Melissa Steiner (32nd c.)|Melissa Steiner]] before serving as Duke Brewer's royal guard - and who then fled with him into the far reaches of the Commonwealth ahead of the Clan Wolf invasion. The Archon couldn't afford to disband the First, but having been granted asylum on the world of [[Alekseyevka]] by the local [[Margrave]] the First hadn't answered a call to return to Tharkad for reassignment as late as 3145.<ref name="FM:3145p123"/>

Like the [[Commonwealth Jaegers]] the Commonwealth Guard were heavily dependent on defense manufacturers located in the Buena Province, with perhaps the largest source of new equipment being the [[StarCorps Industries]] facilities on [[Loburg]] and [[Son Hoa]],<ref name="FM:3145p121">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 121, "Buena Province"</ref> although the First Buena Guards was able to draw on salvage from the battlefields of Tharkad to help it rebuild.<ref name="FM:3145p123"/>