Description

Dead Man’s Hand – Strike Company / Regular / Questionable

The purposes of this unit have changed over the past couple years. Originally used as a “holding unit” for assets and pilots captured during operations, the Dead Man’s Hand is presently an auxiliary company of Mechs, used primarily as a defensive force, but also available as a reinforcing unit for Iron Dingoes operations.

It uses the standard olive drab paint pattern common to the Iron Dingoes, but highlights them with red to identify the unit’s status as a reserve striker force for its parent organization. Their unit logo is the traditional snarling iron-colored dingo of its parent unit, but also has developed a unit patch worn on their service caps and left arm, of Death displaying a handful of macabre “Aces and Eights” cards, including a stylized “Joker” Dingo as the fifth card.

Officers : Master Trooper Dominic Haugustus “Pockets” leads “The Dead Man’s Hand”, having retired from the Line Mechs to a semi-bucolic life of marriage. He is a quiet, unassuming man, whose leadership style has ensured the transition has been smooth. He seems accepted by the unit, but is best known for his favorite Ostscout “Kintaro Eater” and as the originator of unconventional melee tactics while piloting Mechs.

The unit Mechwarriors look up to Master Trooper Dale Taylor “Solitaire” for technical matters, ever since the era when they had to maintain their own machines; they now have technical squads assigned to their maintenance, though these tend to be less skilled members of the Ground Technical Group in the * “The Dingo Pack”. Dale Taylor is a quiet technically-minded pilot, who keeps to herself and spends every spare moment working on her beloved personal Commando, “Hank”. She has been assigned the leadership of the 2nd unit in “The Dead Man’s Hand”, but is fairly ambivalent about the task, and leads by command under Pockets direction. She has, however, appreciated her “defensive” Mech, the Ostsol for its advanced T&T systems.

The last lance “Veruca’s Visigoths” is lead by a talented MechWarrior, picked-up in the waning months of the unit’s fight on Dunkelheim. SeniorTrooper “Veruca” Louise Salt leads her troop as an independent force within the “DMH”, works hard in training and keeps them in top-notch shape at all times. SHe seems to work with a vengeance…

Tactics : The Reserve Group are last deployed in any situation, and provide both DropShip security and back-up relief following any fight. Pockets and select unit members are also known to accompany the “line” unit Mechs during particularly difficult assaults, using the bulk of the group to secure extraction points and remove infantry or armor assets on the flanks of any attack. The unit has been assigned an Aero force, consisting of an pair of salvaged AeroSpace Fighters; F-10 Cheetah and a SYD-21 Seydlitz under capable (if young) pilots. This Aero lance often deploys with others as an interceptor unit to ensure air-superiority.

Members of the both lances rotate through the Line Mechs on a case-by-case basis, providing the troopers valuable combat experience, and allowing for the Command Lance to tailor their mission needs for every scenario. Select pilots (who have proven skill and loyalty to the unit) are assigned reserve Mechs to improve unit defenses. Traditionally, they employ heavier, slower machines to ensure the Dingoes assets are well protected.

Support : Recent acquisition of technicians captured during operations on Dunkelheim have allowed the unit to have individually assigned technicians. Although still under the watchful eye of Solitaire, the skills of this technical support are not excellent, but still a vast improvement over the previous situation. As a reserve unit, it can be skimped in resupply, but this is expected, as the unit is rarely deployed on the front line. Although this treatment might result in failures of key systems during deployment, the odds of this have been drastically reduced.

Reserve Strike Group “Dead Man’s Hand”

- AeroStrike Lance - “The Star Hunters”

SYD-21 Seydlitz “Little Slayer” – Trooper John Callaghan “Lucky Shot” (Regular)
F-10 Cheetah “Fang” – Trooper Joliet “Talon” (Regular)

- BattleMech Reserve Company -

1st Reserve Lance “The Yes Men”
OTT-7J Ostscout “Kintaro Eater” – Master Trooper Dominic Haugustus “Pockets” (Regular)
Phoenix Hawk PXH-1 “Bad Touch” – Senior Trooper Nick Clooney “Gunman” (Regular)

CRB-27a Crab “Skull Crusher” – Trooper Hendricks MacKracken – “The Iron Duke” (Regular)
ARC-2R Archer “Jaeger” – Senior Trooper Patrick Clooney “Shredder” (Regular)

2nd Reserve Lance “The Wild Bunch”
COM-2D Commando “Hank” or OTL-4D Ostsol “XXX” – Master Trooper Dale Taylor “Solitaire” (Regular)
WVR-6R Wolverine “Iron Rabbit” – Trooper Jena Malone “Rocket” (Regular)

RFL-3N Rifleman “Rose” – Trooper Ela Rose (Regular)
FLC-4N Falcon “XXX” – Trooper Cooper Hawkes (Green)

3rd Reserve Lance “Veruca’s Visigoths”
ASN-21 Assassin “Remnant” or STK-3F Stalker “Overwhelming Force” – SeniorTrooper “Veruca” Louise Salt (Regular)
RFL-3N Rifleman “Jigsaw” – Trooper Katie Starling (Regular)

PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk “XXX” – Trooper Farah Dulac – “Blade” (Regular)
FLC-4N Falcon “XXX” – Trooper Paul Wang (Green)