mercenary company. What would you do?

[barnest2]

Ok, so I'm planning on starting a new game pretty soon. The idea behind it was the travellers (only aiming for two or three) get given a small wodge of cash and some resources in order to jump-start their very own mercenary company.

I was considering giving them access to 30-35 personel, and money. For equipment, transport and other things they have to make their own contacts, but this does mean they get to arm them exactly how they want. Does this sound reasonable?

I was also thinking, once the personel are organised into units, they would get a choice of both unit skills and personal skills, equal to 1/2 the number of men in the unit. So a 4 man infantry team would have 2 unit skills (say gun combat/0 and stealth/0), and two personal skills (one man has demo/0 and one man has security/0 for instance). Does that make sense?

I was hoping it would lead to closer management of the mercenary unit, which is something I have been trying to create since the merc book came out. Any thought/critiscisms?

Also, if anyone has the patience, they could write up how they would organise and equip the unit, and how much it would cost them?

Sorry for the wall of text, Barnes

 

[rust]

Also, if anyone has the patience, they could write up how they would organise and equip the unit, and how much it would cost them?

I think both the organization and the equipment would depend on the type
of unit, because a cadre unit would be organized and outfitted differently
than a commando or security unit, and a grav mobile unit would be diffe-
rent from foot soldiers.

However, as a very general approach, I could imagine a command team
of 5 (commander, senior NCO, communications, medic, runner) plus 3
units of 30 each, commanded by a junior officer, and each of those three
units consisting of 3 sub-units of 10 each, commanded by an NCO.

Depending on the type of mercenary unit, each of the smaller units could
be outfitted differently and have different skill specialties (e.g. a demoli-
tions team, a heavy weapons team ...), or the units could all be the same,
for example if the mercenary unit is designed for security missions where
not much specialization is required.

 

[barnest2]

Looks cool, How would you equip them, I mean weapons and armour wise?

When i was thinking about it, i was considering how to make an all round unit of mercenaries who could pretty much commit to any job they could get.

However, (i did forget to mention) Those 30-35 also include maintenance and administration staff (which i can only assume you would need. At least the maintenance)

 

[barnest2]

Oh, and if you want to make it a contest... Lowest bidder wins :twisted:

 

[rust]

How would you equip them, I mean weapons and armour wise?

This would depend a lot on the Tech Level, I think.

When i was thinking about it, i was considering how to make an all round unit of mercenaries who could pretty much commit to any job they could get.

I am afraid that is not a very plausible idea. A patron will hire the unit
that is specialized on the kind of job at hand and has experience with
such jobs, a unit designed to do everything usually is unable to do a
specific job very well, and will not be hired often - unless they are ex-
tremely "affordable".

However, (i did forget to mention) Those 30-35 also include maintenance and administration staff (which i can only assume you would need. At least the maintenance)

Administration would normally be a task for the unit commander (exter-
nal affairs, together with a trusted lawyer) and the senior NCO (internal
affairs), dedicated maintenance personnel would only be necessary if the
unit had vehicles or complex weapon systems, otherwise some of the
troopers (probably a few of the NCOs) would provide the relevant skills
and be responsible for the maintenance.

 

[Golan2072]

Do you want a mechanized or armoured unit, having its own vehicles? This will cost more (both originally and for maintenance/fuel) and require maintenance personnel, but make the unit more mobile and/or increase its firepower. If you want a mechanized unit, you should probably supply an APC per squad plus a "command" APC (with better sensors and comm gear) for the command team. Light APCs would carry machineguns; heavier APCs might even have autocannons or light cannons.

If you want a lighter unit, you still might want it o have its own transport - probably soft-skinned trucks or large jeeps.

What is the tech level of this force? Do you want gravitic vehicles (which are quite expensive)? Do you want top be able to fight on vacuum worlds?

For mid-tech troops capable of fighting on most Gardens but not vacuum worlds, a flak-jacket, grenades, combat knife (or bayonet) and assault rifle per soldier would probably work, in addition to a support weapon (light machinegun, grenade launcher or flamethrower) per squad. The unit should also have its own anti-vehicle weapon or two, at least an RPG or other missile launcher if not a heavy laser or an autocannon. For vacuum worlds, obviously, you also need vacc suits, pressurized vehicles and pressurized tents. Higher TLs would give you ACRs or gauss rifles as the basic small arm as well as energy weapons (first lasers and later P/FGMP's) as support weapons. Each trooper should also have a generic "soldier kit", some sort of an overhead cost/weight which would cover uniform, canteen, mess kit, supplies, rations and so on.


Do you want to play out battles using the Traveller combat system, the abstract system given in Mercenary or other wargame rules? Do you wish to use miniatures? If you use miniatures, the kinds of figures you have could be used as a guide to building the unit.

If you wish to use 15mm miniatures and you haven't bought them yet, I'll be willing to recommend you a few good ranges available for order online.

 

[barnest2]

Well, personally my setting is TL 10 but i was thinking of not setting it there (since there are only four planets in that setting )

Well, when i was thinking about it, I came up with two eight man squads, in APC's, a three man support team (MBT, heli, or VTOL aircraft, unsure), a five man engineering team, and two administrators. Add too this the player characters and they make the command staff.

Could that team not do everything from surgical strikes, minimal front-line work, commando missions, defensive jobs... that's generalist, no?

I was expecting adding the engineers mainly because of the complex vehicles, which are needed to keep the unit on the move and a part of modern manoeuvre warfare. I just wondered how other people would look at it, and what your opinions would be on it, cos I'm always wary of making it impossible for a game to be playable.

 

[rust]

Could that team not do everything from surgical strikes, minimal front-line work, commando missions, defensive jobs... that's generalist, no?

It could do a lot of jobs, although it would not be difficult to write a list of
jobs it would not be well suited for. Just think of shipboard duty to protect
a valuable cargo or of urban security or of demining, for most such missi-
ons the unit would be too expensive to hire because of the cost of the ve-
hicles, which would usually be unnecessary for those jobs.

 

[nats]

CT Merc would define a 36 unit outfit as a platoon and would be made up of 3 squads of 3 fire teams of 4 men each on top of which you woud normally have the commanding Lieutenant, a unit senior NCO and a specialist as a runner/commo/guard attached to the HQ element. So that would probably be your three characters roles.

By giving the characters their men you are perhaps avoiding the fun of recruitment. I would probably start from scratch and let them create their own unit and outfitting in response to a particular lucrative job offer that perhaps comes after they have just left the armed forces. Think the Wild Geese!

 

[rust]

By giving the characters their men you are perhaps avoiding the fun of recruitment. I would probably start from scratch and let them create their own unit and outfitting in response to a particular lucrative job offer that perhaps comes after they have just left the armed forces. Think the Wild Geese!

A good idea, and it would also give the characters a chance to choose the
recruits and buy the equipment tailored to a specific job.

 

[Golan2072]

If you want, you can play the recruiting game with your players. You'll have to generate a range of potential recruit NPCs, each with a personality quirk or two, and let the players go over their dossiers (and maybe roleplay interviews for NCOs/officers/specialists) and decide whom to recruit. Then let them buy the gear as they see fit.

Make sure that you have a good selection of interesting recruits with quirks and with potential side-plots; maybe even insert a traitor (an agent for one of the sides involved in one of the conflicts in the area) as one of the potential recruits?

 

[rinku]

Some recruits may also be package deals. They may have to choose between hiring a star recruit and his idiot brother together or not at all, for example, or there may be a section of buddies that always hire together.

A merc campaign is to a large extent a personnel management one. You can personalise the troops as much or as little as you want, but letting the players have little details to agonise over is usually part of the fun

Also remember you don't have to pre-decide what hidden flaws troopers actually have - the players will be recruiting based on *apparent* flaws. Assign which one is the bluff seeming coward or the one with bounty hunters on their tail after the hiring is done...

 

[barnest2]

Thanks guys, these are all awesome ideas

Really useful suggestions, especially the recruitment ones...

 

[barnest2]

Also... hmmm... Maybe twenty-five odd guys with odd quirks and the like. Would that be enough to start a merc group?

 

[AndrewW]

Also... hmmm... Maybe twenty-five odd guys with odd quirks and the like. Would that be enough to start a merc group?

You can start off small. The size will determine what sorts of jobs you can take on. If someone is wanting you to start a full scale war against a large opponent, it may not be enough. On the other hand if they are looking for supplemental troops for say a commando raid or a security force it could be just fine.

 

[rust]

On the other hand if they are looking for supplemental troops for say a commando raid or a security force it could be just fine.

A mission of that kind would also be a good way for the players and their
characters to learn the ropes without the full responsibility for the success
of the mission.

As for missions, peacekeeping is a very nice one if your players are not
into pure combat scenarios only. In a peacekeeping mission you can in-
troduce lots of opportunities to use social skills, moral dilemmata for the
characters to deal with, uncertainty (all enemies look just like civilians),
and so on.

 

[Golan2072]

With small squads, 25 troopers would probably be enough; 3x 6-man squads, plus a 5-man command team and a two-man administration unit (lawyer and engineer).

But let your players recruit and organize their force - create about 50 potential recruits, give each recruit a trait or two, and give the more important ones (prospective officers/NCOs/specialists) more details. Also plan in advance for interesting things that could happen among recruits.

You'd also need to make up a good selection of weapons and vehicles available from their arms-dealer contact, or, depending on the local law level, available on the open market (a law level 1 world would sell almost anything openly and legally barring WMDs).

Some potential recruits might have better skills (imagine the usefulness of a Gun Combat (Slug Rifle) 4 sniper!), but would demand higher pay.

If you'll give them the right sum of money, you might even be able to force them to choose between a smaller force with good vehicles/gear or a larger force without good vehicles.

 

[rinku]

Also... hmmm... Maybe twenty-five odd guys with odd quirks and the like. Would that be enough to start a merc group?

You can start off small. The size will determine what sorts of jobs you can take on. If someone is wanting you to start a full scale war against a large opponent, it may not be enough. On the other hand if they are looking for supplemental troops for say a commando raid or a security force it could be just fine.

Don't forget cadre tickets. Very common for mercs to be recruited in order to train and lead local troops. That allows a small unit to still fight big actions at a command level. Think Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven/Bug's Life.

 

[captrooper]

I personally would go with three eight man squads, each with a different specialisation – that gives you the maximum coverage of possible missions.

One squad is standard infantry (two four-man fire teams, each of three riflemen and a support weapon). This is going to be the cheapest squad to hire.

One commando/recon squad again of two four man fire teams, and while able to act as the first basic infantry team, is a bit more experienced/trained and can use an additional variety of equipment plus have demo, recon, stealth, etc represented in the squad. If a couple have instruction (along with any PCs with instruction) you can do cadre missions as well). This is going to be the most expensive squad, but is likely to be the money maker.

If cost is that much of a recruitment issue, you could reduce the commando squad to a team under a sergeant, and add another team under a corporal to the infantry squad.

The third team is a support team, again able to act as plain old infantry in two fire teams of four. The first fire team though should have some heavy weapon skills and have two heavy weapons available (ARMP maybe or a LAG, a Tac missile launcher, or an auto cannon – it all depends on what tech level you go for. The second team should have demo and combat engineering represented and be combat engineers. These are also more expensive to recruit – the combat engineers more so than the weapon guys who are really only infantry with an extra level-0 skill.

In each case one team in each squad is lead by a sergeant and the other by a corporal, with the sergeant commanding the squad. In the case of the third team either both team leaders could be sergeants, but if only one is going to be, the combat engineer team should have him/her.

That's 24 out of your 30-35.

The PCs I presume will cover the platoon command element (officer; platoon sergeant; someone to handle commo, etc).

That gives you the remainder (6 to 11 guys) to add vehicle crews if any of your squads are going to have transport (vehicle driver; vehicle commander (usually a corporal), and maybe a gunner – sometimes you can lose the commander, but only if the vehicle is not going to act as a unit in its own right when the squad is dismounted; admin (accounts, personnel, supply, etc – again PCs could do some of this work); an armourer and a mechanic or two for any vehicles. You might even have enough for an extra team somewhere if you have no vehicles.

In terms of equipment, at mid tech I would expect ACRs (if not then assault rifles) to be the standard long-arm, with maybe a laser rifle per infantry team. A ram grenade launcher and a rocket launcher should be available for the support weapon guys (they should have auto pistols as side-arms). A shotgun per team should be available for close assaults/house/ship clearing etc. Rifle grenades and hand grenades of course.

The commando team should have weapons available as per the infantry squad, plus a couple of laser carbines and at least one sniper weapon.

Combat engineers armed as an infantry team. The heavy weapons with the infantry rifles (or carbine versions of them) plus whatever heavy weapons you choose.

Armour-wise, I would go with cloth and reflec, or a TL8 Flak jacket over the top of reflec. Another option is a combat environment suit plus a flak jacket (or plus refec) if a sealed suit is needed and you have the central supply catalogue.

Tactically that gives you four teams to use tactically while the heavy weapons provide a base of fire. The combat engineers are in reserve.

If the mechanics and admin guys are infantry trained too, you get another team or two to play with.

My tuppence worth anyway.

Chris

 

[phavoc]

Small merc companies are going to be hard-pressed to have a wide swath of expertise in all of the military disciplines. You may have a few soldiers "gifted" with large explosives, a few might know how to use heavy weapons, etc. But for the most part I would think your troopers are going to be good light infantry.

Ex-military guys will give you your specializations. If you get hired on with a combat ticket, there's not a whole lot a company can do on its own. But, if your employer hires your company as the infantry, he might hire an armor company for firepower, a support company for air defense, artillery support and counter battery, and hire a smattering of locals for admin, maint and support.

With a small company you are going to have to offset your numbers with firepower. Equipping your troops with gauss rifles, squad support weapons life VRF gauss guns, and the odd Laser Rifle / Heavy anti-vehicle missle will do wonders against many opponents. You can actually run all kinds of adventures just keeping your troopers supplied (ever try to find a replacement tri-barrel for your support laser on a TL-5 planet?).

Vehicle wise you are probably going to be in G-Carriers, some air-rafts and their panel-van equivalents. Unless you have big bucks, you won't be able to afford true grav-APC's or grav tanks. But you could afford a small battery of 200mm howitzers, to give your troops indirect fire support. Don't go by the gun ranges in the books though. Whatever moron came up with those gun ranges was just that.. a moron. With better tech and improved engineering I don't see why you couldn't get a rocket-assisted round easily 150km downrange (standard 155mm). We can do 80k or more today. For most of your other vehicle needs, you are going to invest in economical grav and wheel-based trucks. Don't need anything fancy, and the simpler the better and easier to maintain when off-world.

You'll need more maintenance and support guys than you think though. Good rule of thumb is like 20% suport (minimum) to cover supply, food services, maintenance and recovery, administration, fuel, etc. And 20% might be a bit low if you are heavily mechanized and/or high tech. You'll need to add in a few electronic techs as well for stuff like that.