Marshigama's Legionnaires

Marshigamas Legionaires logo.svg
Marshigama's Legionnaires
Affiliation Mercenary
Capellan Confederation
Parent Command None
Capellan Brigade

Unit Description

While having earned a reputation as the vainest bunch of MechWarriors in the Inner Sphere, Marshigama's Legionnaires are a battle-hardened mercenary unit who accepted Capellan sponsorship in 3061.

History

Formation

The Legionnaires' reputation for vanity began with unit founder Ju-Lei Marshigama, who was crowned "Miss Ningpo 3017", and her questionable belief that her unit must look the part as much as being well-versed in combat. Only the loveliest female warriors are hired, while male recruits are expected to sport facial hair and as many scars as possible — the better to appear "ferocious" and strike fear into the hearts of the enemy.[1] The Homeworld of the unit is Raphael.[2][3]

The Legionnaires last offensive action of the Third Succession War was a costly raid against the Federated Suns world of New Aragon in 3024. Clearly outclassed by the defending Aragon Borderers, much to their dismay Legionnaires took far greater losses than they inflicted, the defeat interrupting an unbroken string of successfully completed missions and engendering a desire to get even with the Borderers.[4] At the time, the Legionnaires were equipped with a lot of Scorpion and Goliath BattleMechs. The Borderers lured the Legionnaires into a several command detonated minefields and destroyed all the Quad 'Mechs except one.[1]

As of 3025 Marshigama's Legionnaires were stationed on Holloway.[5]

Fourth Succession War

In the Fourth Succession War the Legionnaires didn't see any fighting.

Andurien/Canopus Invasion

War of 3039

Operation Guerrero

Operation Bulldog


Xin Sheng Campaign

Convinced of their superiority, the Legionnaires became the self-anointed leaders of the Capellan Brigade. After accepting Capellan sponsorship, the unit went to the planet Denbar as a garrison force during the St. Ives conflict. There, the Legionnaires confiscated several older 'Mechs from the local militia and used them to fill out their forces. Sang-shao Adrienne Marshigama and her warriors now consider themselves the equal, if not the better, of more prestigious rivals such as McCarron's Armored Cavalry.[3]

In 3066 they assaulted Conquista and Andurien[6] The raid on Conquesta was a success: The Legionnaires and Magistracy Dragonslayers drove the 1st Free Worlds Legionnaires into hiding and escaped with a lot of salvage. The Legionnaires and Dragonslayers then decided to raid Andurien, but this time the FWLM was ready. The Legionnaires and Dragonslayers were devastated by attacks by the First Free Worlds Legionnaires. The Dragonslayers broke, and the Free Worlds unit poured into Marshigama's rear.[7] They escaped to Sung's Rangers duty station.[8] Reduced to a battalion in size, they were assigned to garrison Drozan.[9]

Jihad

Considered one of the weaker components of the Capellan Brigade when the Word of Blake Jihad started, the Legionnaires were relegated to low-key garrison and escort duty during its early stages. Finally assigned to the capture of Zurich alongside the Harloc Raiders, the Legionnaires eventually took the world on their own after the Raiders moved to spearhead the assault against Pleione in 3077. Despite their success, the former mercenaries had lost an entire company of troops in the process. As of 3079 the Legionnaires remained stationed on Zurich.[10]

It was suspected that in the immediate wake of the Jihad that the CO of Ambermarle's Highlanders had resorted to pilfering from shipments from the Tao 'Mechworks plant on Styk intended for supply to Marshigama's Legionnaires to make up for the Highlanders' low priority for supplies within the Capellan military. Sang-shao Marshigama promised to settle things with Ambermarle - or "that old sow", as Marshigama phrased it - at the earliest opportunity.[11]

Dark Age era and Destruction

After the Confederation launched Operation Golden Fortress against the newly formed Republic of the Sphere in 3081, the Legionnaires found themselves stationed on Woodstock alongside the third battalion of the newly created 4th Capellan Defense Force. Consisting of raw recruits fresh from the Capella War College, the Legionnaires took the battalion under their wing, the Strategios allowing this hoping that some of the former mercenaries' respectable combat experience would rub off on the 4th without too heavily disrupting the new unit's discipline.[12]

This seemed to be the case when the RAF forces struck Woodstock, the Legionnaires and 4th CDF holding out for weeks of brutal street fighting against four times their number before finally being forced to withdraw. Later moving to Zurich as the RAF launched their counterattack against the Confederation, the Capellan high command made the fateful choice of ordering the Ambermarle's Highlanders on Azha redeploy to assist the Legionnaires. Unwilling to take any special measures to help their hated nemesis, the Highlanders dragged their feet only to be caught by surprise and destroyed by the 7th Hastati.[12] [13]

Alone without reinforcements, Marshigama's Legionnaires fought like demons against the 6th Hastati six months later, but were simply overwhelmed and destroyed. With the Legionnaires-Highlander feud potentially being part of the cause of both units' destruction and with both their COs dead, the CCAF chose to disband the Legionnaires, granting citizenship to the 13 survivors of the unit and transferring them into the 4th Capellan Defense Force.[12][13]

Officers

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of Marshigama's Legionnaires
Colonel Ju-Lei Marshigama 3025 - 3063[4][14][15]
Sang-shao Adrienne Marshigama 3063 - 3084[3][9][13]

Tactics

Unknown.

Composition History

3025

Marshigama's Legionnaires (1 Company/Veteran/Reliable)[2]

The Marshigama's Legionnaires' company roster is given without organization into lances:

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Holloway.[17]

-

3028

Marshigama’s Legion. (1 Company/Veteran/Questionable)[18]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Holloway.[18]

3050

Marshigama's Legionnaires (1 Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)[14]

  • CO: Colonel Ju-Lei Marshigama
Note: The command was deployed at Homestead.[14]

3054

Marshigama's Legionnaires (1 Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)[15]

  • CO: Colonel Ju-Lei Marshigama

3059

Marshigama’s Legionnaires (1 Battalion/Veteran/Reliable)[19]

  • CO: Colonel Ju-Lei Marshigama[19]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Brixtana.[19]

3063

Marshigama's Legionnaires (2 Battalions/Regular/Reliable)[3]

  • CO: Sang-shao Adrienne Marshigama
  • XO/1st Battalion: Zhong-shao Michael Dale
  • 2nd Battalion: Zhong-shao Allie Miller

Marshigama's Air Legion (1 Flight/Regular/Reliable)[3]

3067

Marshigama's Legionnaires (Battalion/Regular/Questionable)[9]

  • CO: Sang-shao Adrienne Marshigama

Marshigama's Air Legion (Flight/Regular/Questionable)[9]

3079

Marshigama's Legionnaires (Battalion/Regular/Questionable)[20]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Zurich.[20]70% Strength - 85% Upgraded

Notes

  • The Legionnaires employed a black-and-white color scheme, in a less-than-effective camouflage pattern and as parade colors. The unit insignia is a black fiddler crab sporting a white mohawk.
  • Sang-shao Marshigama has an ongoing feud with Sang-shao Wendy Ambermarle of Ambermarle's Highlanders.
  • Although their unit profile, at the start of the Fourth Succession War, states the Legionnaires' primary BattleMechs are the Scorpion and Goliath,[4] the company roster contains only one of each.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Combat Manual: Mercenaries, p. 57
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation, p. 97
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 100: "Marshigama's Legionnaires Unit Profile"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 96: "Mercenary Units - Marshigama's Legionnaires"
  5. ↑ House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 107: "BattleMech Regiment Deployment Table - Mercenary Units"
  6. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 13: sidebar
  7. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 28
  8. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 24
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Field Manual: Updates, p. 33: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3067"
  10. ↑ Field Report: CCAF, p. 17: "Capellan Brigade"
  11. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 100: "The Capellan Brigade"
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 29: "Capellan Confederation - Capellan Defense Force"
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 32: "Capellan Confederation - Capellan Brigade"
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 20 Year Update, p. 63: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3050"
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Objective Raids, p. 42: "CCAF Deployment Table - 3054"
  16. ↑ BattleTech: Inner Sphere Battle Lance, "Linda-Lee Douhrty"
  17. ↑ House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 107
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Historical: Brush Wars, p. 88
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 107
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Field Report: CCAF, p. 17

Bibliography

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