It is difficult to rate the Dragonslayers according to BattleTechnology's usual mercenary employer rating code, since, in this case, the employer is itself a mercenary unit. Obviously, such factors as pay and working conditions will vary, depending on the ticket the unit happens to have taken.
The unit's history provides a fair set of guidelines for mercenaries interested in signing on with it, however. Since 3023, the Dragonslayers have participated in twelve major battles and hundreds of minor skirmishes.
Of the twelve battles, only one, against Hendrik of Oberon in 3027, was fought against an enemy other than forces belonging to House Kurita. The unit has a long history of combat and has racked up an impressive array of battle honors, all of which, as explained earlier, are displayed at all times on the torsos of their 'Mechs and the hulls of their armored vehicles.
The unit is organized along democratic lines. MechWarriors and senior non-Mech personnel vote on acceptance of contracts and distribution of booty. Pay is arranged through regimental shares, and a Regimental fund is maintained to provide funds for education of unit dependents and pensions for retirees. Warriors who were interviewed by BattleTechnology were almost fiercely devoted to the regiment and to Colonel Conrad. Morale seems high, as is the unit's tactical competence. They are classified as a veteran unit.
If there is a negative aspect to service with this unit, it must be the blood feud the Dragonslayers maintain against House Kurita. Though it has been suggested that this feud is the primary motivating force behind the 'Slayers uniformly high morale, it must be remembered that command judgement during battle requires cool heads and unimpassioned reason. The Dragonslayers have been cited by their employers on more than one occasion for recklessness, as well as for bravery in combat.
RESTRICTIONS
Restrictions are few. The unit has never hired anyone who has served as a regular in House Kurita forces, but several of its current members have previously served as mercenaries in Kurita's employ. One trooper, asked if a merc had to hate Dragons to join, simply shrugged and said, "Doesn't matter. We'll teach 'em to hate."
Indeed, there appears to be a kind of fatalism about the unit, which pictures itself as locked in a kind of mystic embrace with the legions of House Kurita, doomed to fight Kurita until the foe is destroyed, or they themselves are dead. This is reflected in the names of some of the unit's BattleMechs: A Kuritist's Death, Death Lock, and Dragon's Bane.
RATINGS
The "J" rating assigned for "Need" in the rating code reflects the fact that there is a high turnover at every level within the regiment. Few warriors can maintain the level of continuing hatred against House Kurita which passes for recreation within the 'Slayers, and many veterans have moved on to other units. There are always openings in the 'Slayers for new members, especially for those with five or more years of combat experience.
The poor rating for conditions reflects the fact that the Dragonslayers are most frequently in front-line combat. Though they have taken non-combat tickets (such as training and industrial security) during lean times, they are found in the forefront of the fighting whenever times are, in their words, "interesting."
Overall, the Dragonslayers are an excellent choice as a potential mercenary employer... if you possess an undying and fanatical hatred for House Kurita and its minions. This is definitely not a unit for mercs interested in soft or safe duty behind the lines!
The Dragonslayers 'Mech Mercenary Unit
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© Copyright 1988 by Pacific Rim Publishing.
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