Battletech - Federated Suns

The Davion Assault Guards are the heaviest unit of the Davion Brigade of Guards.

Early History

The origin of the Davion Brigade of Guards lay in the personal guard of the Davion family; originally responsible for protecting members of the family, the brigade took on wider responsibilities as the Federated Suns evolved. When Reynard Davion became President in 2340 the brigade took on the responsibility of protecting the leader of the Federated Suns, and when Simon Davion became the first person to hold the title of First Prince in 2418 the brigade was officially incorporated as the Royal Brigade. 

Star League Era

The Davion Brigade of Guards continued to grow in importance as time passed, occupying a prominent role in the Federated Suns military; the First Davion Guards joined the First Avalon Hussars as the first units within the Federated Peacekeeping Forces to receive BattleMechs, and the Brigade was able to draw on the best candidates for its manpower. When the Star League formed, every brigade within the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns contributed manpower or complete units to the nascent Star League Defense Force - with the exception of the Brigade of Guards. Such was the Brigade's collective loyalty to the Federated Suns and House Davion that none of the personnel within the Brigade were approached to join the SLDF, and when the Star League Council enacted the Council Edict of 2650, mandating the drawdown of each of the Great House's military, the Brigade was the only brigade in the AFFS to escape untouched - not a single unit was deactivated.

The Davion Brigade of Guards differed from similarly prestigious units in the militaries of the other states, however; unlike many such units, the Brigade was often the first into battle in every campaign, and during the Star League era the Brigade continued to enjoy access to the best recruits, the best equipment and the best of those personnel retiring from the SLDF. The Brigade was the first of the Federated Suns 'Mech formations to receive permanently-attached conventional forces, with each regiment serving alongside armor, infantry, artillery and aerospace assets. 

Second Succession War

The Davion Assault Guards were repositioning to take part in Operation DAO - First Prince Paul Davion's planned invasion of the Capellan Confederation - when Chancellor Ilsa Liao launched Operation CELT, another attempt to seize the totemic world of Chesterton. Ilsa Liao landed on Orbisonia in command of the Red Lancers and the Prefectorate Guard, intent on seizing an important AFFs supply world and preventing the defending garrison - the Second Ceti Hussars and Fourteenth Avalon Hussars - in place, to prevent them relieving Chesterton. The main Capellan forces consisted primarily of Marauder and Warhammer heavy 'Mechs and were soon threatening to overrun the main Federated Suns staging ground and overwhelm the defending forces.

With the initial assault going well, and the CCAF units driving the defending garrison hard, Ilsa Liao went to bed after receiving news of other CCAF units assaulting Chesterton, expecting to be woken with good news about assaults on the Demeter and Sanilac systems. Instead, she was woken early in the morning with the news that the Davion Assault Guards were dropping onto Orbisonia, having arrived at a pirate point close to the planet. Ilsa's offensive had run straight into the teeth of Paul's marshaling forces.

Ilsa ordered a general retreat, but the light forces of the Ceti Hussars and Avalon Hussars proved difficult to disengage from, and the Assault Guards landed across the CCAF positions, threatening to turn the retreat into a rout - or a massacre. Ilsa took to the field personally, taking command of the rearguard and refusing to retreat while she covered her withdrawing forces. The garrison was able to make good use of information provided by AFFS recon and intelligence assets - primarily Darter scout cars - to outmaneuver and outsmart the attacking Capellan forces. After four days of combat the Capellan forces were retreating from Orbisonia when the AFFS troops acted on intelligence indicating that Chancellor Liao was leading the rearguard personally to launch an aimed strike that killed the Chancellor. Ilsa Liao was the first Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation to die on the battlefield.  Isla died having secured a safe retreat for almost four-fifths of her forces on Orbisonia. 

Northwind

The Davion Assault Guards landed on Northwind in 2841 alongside the Thirty-third Avalon Hussars. They faced off against the Third Kearny Highlanders and Stuart's Highlanders regiments of the Northwind Highlanders. 

St. Ives

In 2861 the Davion Assault Guards launched a highly successful attack on St. Ives; at the time, St. Ives was serving as the capital for the Capellan Confederation Chancellor, Dainmar Liao, and the attack terrified Dainmar badly enough that he immediately sued for peace, even going so far as to acknowledge all of the territorial gains made by the Federated Suns during the Succession Wars up to that point as being legitimate holdings. The Davion Assault Guards were commanded by Rebecca Davion, the eldest daughter of First Prince Michael Davion, during the St. Ives campaign. 

Clan Invasion

As of 3050, the unit was stationed on Frazer in the Capellan March.

In the late 3050's several armor regiments that had trained with the Assault Guards on Tigress were assigned to reinforce the Fifteenth Lyran Guards. The Assault Guards also traded fire with the Fifth Lyran Regulars when that unit left for the Lyran Alliance in 3058. 

Fedcom Civil War

During the FedCom Civil War, the Assault Guards secured Addicks for the Federated Suns by destroying the Addicks DMM, Sixth FedCom RCT, and Fifth Lyran Regulars RCT.  The Assault Guards then relocated to Tikonov, where they faced the First Republican, Third Republican, and Fifteenth Deneb Light Cavalry. After spending several years in the fighting on that world, they were recalled to Addicks to help repel the DCMS Fifteenth Dieron Regulars and Tenth Ghost regiment.  After that was complete they - along with the First Crucis Lancers - opened a beachhead on New Avalon, taking heavy losses in the process. Marshal Cooper combined the First Crucis into his Assault Guards. The Crushers took serious losses, but only about one third of their total forces were completely destroyed. As of 3067 they had rebuilt to full strength.

In 3067 their home world was Lee. 

Jihad

The Assault Guards were instrumental in driving the Word of Blake off New Avalon. They arrived in 3068, taking few casualties during their arrival. Their ability to move their heavy 'Mechs more quickly than expected kept them from being pinned down by the Blakist forces. The Assault Guards were one of the main units defending Avalon City, along with the Davion Heavy Guards and First Davion Guards.  During the Third Battle of New Avalon, they took serious casualties because they stopped several attacks cold.

They were later rebuilt and assigned to Devlin Stone's Coalition force.

The Davion Assault Guards then returned to garrison New Avalon until the 1st Davion Guards were combat ready. Shortly after the First Guards took up duty stations on New Avalon, the Davion Assault Guards redeployed to Taygeta, a world along the Taurian Concordat border. They were ordered not to initiate any hostilities, but they were assigned complete JumpShip assets and a screening force of Pocket WarShips to protect them. Apparently the Princess-Regent and High Command hoped the presence of the Assault Guards would deter any more Taurian assaults.  While there they also engaged in training exercises with the 1st Syrtis Fusiliers LCT, helping that unit learn to work together. 

Dark Age

Under the command of General Marguerite McCaffee the Davion Assault Guards took part in Operation MATADOR, the AFFS counter-offensive against the Taurian Concordat. The Assault Guards dropped alongside the 1st Syrtis Fusiliers on the 5th of May 3080 in a lightning assault against the world of Flintoft, one of nine worlds being attacked by AFFS forces.  The Assault Guards were also accompanied on Flintoft by a journalist named Peter Remonde from the Federated Suns News Service, who rode down to the surface of the planet in the jump seat of General McCaffee's Atlas.  The fighting on Flintoft saw the first deployment of the Fennec BattleMech.

In 3085 the Assault Guards were garrisoning Carmichael.

During the Victoria War the Assault Guards struck Menke.  During this assault they faced the Second, Third, and Fourth McCarron's Armored Cavalry. Their arrival allowed the 4th Federated Suns Lancers to withdraw with heavy losses, but their arrival couldn't save the 6th Ceti Hussars or 4th Syrtis Fusiliers. Reinforced by the 5th Syrtis Fusiliers the Assault Guards slammed into the Second and Third McCarron's regiments and fought for four days before the AFFS units withdrew. This conflict cost all involved their conventional forces and the two AFFS commands were reduced to nearly half strength. Later the Assault Guards rallied the Fifth Fusiliers when the 'Mechs of the 5th McCarron's Armored Cavalry dropped on the AFFS positions. Thanks to the Assault Guards, both units were able to withdraw in good order. Shortly after this the Assault Guards slammed into the Fourth MAC and inflicted heavy losses. The Assault Guards withdrew when the Second and Fifth MAC reinforced their sister regiment. Shortly after this, the Assault Guards led the Fifth Fusiliers from Menke.

The Assault Guards would later land on Mitchel to reinforce the Ridgebrook CMM. The Guards and Militia faced the First Canopian Light Horse and fought them to a standstill, but the Second McCarron's Armored Cavalry arrived to reinforce the MAF unit. The AFFS team forced the Capellan and MAF forces to withdraw, but as they did the CCAF units firebombed the domed cities that protected the population from radiation. Tens of millions of citizens died.

The Assault Guards were stationed on New Avalon in 3145.  There they were planning for the defense of New Avalon against the Draconis Combine. The unit had been equipped with several Conquistador DropShips that had been converted to Pocket WarShips, as well as a double wing of aerospace fighters. On the ground they were leading five brigades of armor, two regiments of battle armor troops, and four conventional infantry regiments. 

Tactics

Star League Era

The Davion Assault Guards were on a par with an SLDF heavy assault regiment during the Star League era, and held true to the unit motto - "Everyone Fights". Everyone from the brigade commander to the individual mess cooks was combat-trained, but with the regiment so completely focused on firepower the biggest weakness the Assault Guards had was attempting to use head-on frontal assaults to solve every situation. The result was a lack of tactical finesse that had cost the Assault Guards dearly more than once.

FedCom Civil War

As the heaviest unit of the entire regular army, the commander use fire teams to overcome the slow speed and to bring faster formation rapidly down.