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[Morang]

As far as I read, the Battlemech company in the universe is a unit large enough to operate sometimes in a self-sufficient fashion (perhaps in concert with other arms attached to it like armor, infantry or, less frequently, aerospace). Sarna tells us, that many mercenary units never exceed the size of a company.

Taking this into consideration, the company should have lances suited for all the variety of roles/tasks the mission may demand. Of these I can name following vital roles:

Reconnaisance. Scouting, spotting targets for fire support units and perhaps screening own force from enemy scouts and conducting electronic warfare.

Line grunts. Main fighting core of a company. Direct engagements with enemy units, assault/defence etc.

Support. Indirect fire support, LRM/artillery.

Command. Directing all lances of the company, perhaps also electronic recon via enchanced sensors and electronic warfare.

It is hard to fill all the roles with only three lances. Command lance, of course, have not to act only as the command center and company commander's bodyguards - it may be line or support unit. But even then the company formation with one lance out on recon/screening/flank protection duty, one in the main fighting line and one behind for fire support looks too narrow. Scout/support units outnumber the front line troops by two to one.

The independent company, in my opinion, could fare much better with at least 4 lances, of which two are "grunts" tasked with direct engagement.

As my knowledge of the universe is limited, I want to ask you BattleTech-wise men, in what fashion independent companies are usually organized according to the source (the roles of lances inside those companies)? Are there instances of four-lance companies? Or perhaps independent units of that size fill some roles by other, non-battlemech arms (say, hovercrafts for recon, wheeled or tracked artillery vehicles for indirect support etc)?

Edited by Morang, 03 May 2012 - 11:39 PM.

[Tincan Nightmare]

Well in most sourcebooks that listed layouts for various units, most companies were a mix of types and weights, usually having a light recon lance with of course light Mechs, a fire lance or medium lance of mediums or heavies, and a command lance with heavies and assaults. Some specialized units would run all light or assault, but that was pretty rare. The first mercenaries sourcebook showed the whole layout of the Eridani Light Horse, a full 3 regiments. Even in the 82nd heavy cav battalion, one of the few units with assaults in the Light Horse, each company usually had a recon lance of mediums or lights. A few units like Wolfs Dragoons Zeta battalion were composed entirely of heavies or assaults, but that was pretty rare. The typical unit composition was, 4 Mechs in a lance, 3 lances in a company, 3 companies to a battalion, 3 battalions to a regiment. Sometimes a command lance would be added to a battalion, and a command company to a regiment. Some units used none standard layouts, like 4 lances in a company instead of 3, but it wasn't common practice. Infantry, armor, artillery, and aerospace could also be included in combined arms formations (like the aformentioned Eridani Light Horse or the Gray Death Legion) though some units would go all Mech. The Federated Suns began employing Regimental Combat Teams, or RCT's, during the fourth succession war which were a single Mech regiment supported by several infantry and armor regiments with organic artillery and aerospace, trained to fight together in combined arms. The Lyrans also began using these formations when they united under the Federated Commonwealth.