Lone Wolves

Template:InfoBoxMercUnit The Lone Wolves are a loose collection of independent lances fighting together as a mercenary cartel. They never registered with the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission (or previously the Mercenary Review Board) and are not particularly picky about their members' backgrounds either. The cartel serves as a logistics provider to its individual members who have to purchase and pay the unit for all supplies and services in advance, but enjoy great freedoms otherwise.[1][2]

Throughout the years scores of lances and companies have passed through the Unit's organization. Some for years, some just for months.

At the begining of each day, all mercenaries are paid in full. Individual units within the Lone Wolves can choose to fight or flee as they see fit, but once the sub-unit accepts money to fight, it is expected to be battle ready.[3]

They should not be confused with the second regiment (the "Lone Wolves") of the Outworlds Alliance's 3rd Alliance Air Wing (the "Dark Rain").

History

File:LoneWolvesold.jpg
"Lone Wolves" old unit logo (ca. 3025)

Apparently on Galatea in the mid-thirtieth century from warriors of various houses, the Lone Wolves are best known for appearing just before a fight and offering their services to the defender. If the defender declines their offer the Lone Wolves will try to get a contract with the attacker.[4] Many loose groups claimed the name "Lone Wolves", making it difficult to determine to what extent they can be considered to be the same unit.[5]

Lone Wolves participated in the defense of the Free Worlds League planet Rochelle against a Lyran Commonwealth assault that ended in 3007.[6] It was during this action that the extremely loosely organized Lone Wolves coalesced into a more coherent, recognizable mercenary force, though they still deliberately eschewed unified command and never registered with the Mercenary Review Board as a unit. Instead, they formed "The Committee", a logistics cartel that individual mercenaries could join or leave as they pleased.[5]

Each Company, Lance, and sometimes even individual 'Mech, is considered an independent contractor that owes no loyalty to other members of the Lone Wolves. The Committee demands payment from their employer every day, and each day they pay the MechWarriors who fight. If a MechWarrior doesn't like the deal or wants to take a day off, he is free to do so but won't be paid for that day. Once a MechWarrior is paid, The Committee expects him to fight.[7] Every MechWarrior must pay for every single work that is done for their equipment by the Lone Wolves' technical group.

They participated in the Galtor campaign of 3025 on the side of the Federated Suns. Here, their first action occurred when the 21st Galedon Regulars performed a combat drop that landed the DCMS unit in the middle of the Lone Wolves' base camp outside New Derry. After inflicting 60% casualties on the Combine unit the Lone Wolves began arguing with each other over salvage rights, which allowed the surviving enemy forces to escape.[8] In late September, they faced off against the 2nd Amphigean Light Assault Group and the 8th Galedon Regulars. After fighting on the world for five months, they retreated off-world with captured loot and supplies when the Federated Suns commander.[9] The unit suffered 75% casualties during that contract.[3]

During the Fourth Succession War, the Lone Wolves seemed to possess insider knowledge of the Federated Suns offensive plan. They appeared in small numbers on world after world in Capellan Confederation space to offer their services, but the Confederation ignored them.[5]

The Lone Wolves mercenary unit withstood the FedCom Civil War without casualties, deliberately staying below the radar by hiring out in smaller "packages" (instead of being present as one large unit). After the conflict they went to Outreach to offer their services as a garrison force, but the planetary government refused, citing the presence of Wolf's Dragoons.[10]

Mere weeks later, the Waco Rangers launched their surprise attack on Outreach. When the assault came, the Lone Wolves were divided from within and sat on the sidelines instead of offering to join the attackers. They even held open their offer to the defenders, but were refused. Some renegade Lone Wolves then defected and joined forces with the attackers, which prompted many of the rest to fight on the side of Wolf's Dragoons, partially to save the Lone Wolves' reputation. The Committee had the defectors and renegades hunted down, destroying their stolen DropShip in a brief battle at the jump point. The pro-Dragoons portion that remained to fight alongside the defenders were meanwhile mistakenly vanquished by Dragoon defenders. At this, The Committee decided to leave Outreach before it became a graveyard for the whole unit and fled to Galatea with what remained of the Lone Wolves for rest and refit.[11]

The Lone Wolves were later destroyed on Galatea during the Jihad.[citation needed]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of Able's Aces
"The Committee" Always[3]

Notes

"The Committee" (longest members within the Lone Wolves) run all operations for the unit. The Committee negotiates all contracts and sets all internal regulation.

Tactics

During the Galtor Campaign, the Lone Wolves showed that they were particularly skilled in urban combat,[12] and they have garnered a reputation as urban combat specialists since.[5] However, the fluctuating membership and loose cohesion of the unit means their tactics and performance tend to vary wildly between deployments.

Dragoon Ratings

3067

Dragoon Rating: B+

Composition

3025

  • Lone Wolves (Veteran)[3]
  • The Committee (One 'Mech Company)
  • Haklm's Company (One 'Mech Company and two Armor Lances)
  • Negef's Company (One 'Mech Company and two Armor Lances)
  • Force For Galaxy Freedom (One 'Mech Company)
  • Independence (Two Armor Lances)
  • Albrot's Company (Two 'Mech Lances)
  • Company of Wolves (One 'Mech Lance and one Armor Lance)
  • Crowned Seraph (Reinforced 'Mech Company)
  • God's Judgement (Two 'Mech Lances)
  • Lors of the Sword (Five 'Mech Lances)
  • Sword of Moses (Reinforced Armor Company)
  • Brothers of Israel (One 'Mech Lance)
  • Memorialists (One 'Mech Lance)
  • The Elected Ones (One 'Mech Lance)
  • Black November (One 'Mech Lance)
  • Golder Rays (One 'Mech Lance)
  • John "Big Booty" Stetson's Company (One 'Mech Lance and one Armor Lance)
  • Freedom Fighters (Four Infantry Platoons)

3067

- Mostly light Mechs, with a few assault lances.

The Lone Wolves' support force is a hodgepodge of infantry, armor, and aerospace fighters. Its size, composition, and technology all tend to fluctuate from week to week.

  • Support 100%

Notes

  • The original unit logo, first shown in FASA's 1987 scenario book The Galtor Campaign, was clearly inspired by the Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote. As of 3067, it was replaced by a (non-comic style) wolf's head. The reason behind this in-universe change may have been copyright concerns, as FASA was known for cultural references and for freely borrowing from other media. However, CGL's 2010 product Historical Turning Points: Galtor and later the Combat Manual: Mercenaries also show the toon style for the 3025 timeframe, indicating the unit changed their logo in-universe at some point.

Game Rules

Historical Turning Points: Galtor

The Lone Wolves excel at urban combat. As a result, increase the Walking MP by 1 and recalculate the Running MP for all Lone Wolves ’Mechs fighting in an urban (even if ruined) setting. Lone Wolves 'Mechs ignore skidding checks when moving 7 hexes or less. The Lone Wolves are notorious for territoriality; whenever two or more Lone Wolf 'Mechs combine fire on a target that goes down, roll 2d6. On a 2 or 12, the pilots involved will fight one another over the salvage rights to the exclusion of the battle raging around them.[13]

References

  1. Mercenaries Supplemental II, p. 48 - "Unit Profile"
  2. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 90 - "Unit Profile"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Galtor Campaign, p. 49 "Lone Wolves"
  4. The Galtor Campaign, p. 9
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Combat Manual: Mercenaries, p. 56
  6. BattleCorps scenario Twins
  7. The Galtor Campaign, p. 49
  8. The Galtor Campaign, p. 17
  9. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 14
  10. Mercenaries Supplemental 2, p. 48
  11. Mercenaries Supplemental Update, p. 88
  12. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 7
  13. Historical Turning Points: Galtor, p. 7 "Lone Wolves"

Bibliography