Unit Spotlight: Ellie's Valkyries

 

Founded by Free Rasalhague nationals displaced by the Clan invasion, Ellie's Valkyries has been known to work in and around the coreward periphery primarily for Lyran and Rasalhague interests. Most of the gigs they run are scout and urban pacification gigs where the lighter armor units of the company shine.

Relying heavily on hover platforms like the Gabriel and Pegasus lances, the armor pilots are known to push their tanks until they scream, creating an eerie cry that heralds their arrival on the battlefield and gives the entire unit a psychological edge against all but the most seasoned infantrymen. The company's reputation for full-throttle and fearless tactics only adds to their presence when they arrive in a combat zone.

Pictured above in their mechwarrior cooling suits are the founders and co-captains of Ellie's Valkyries, Ellen "Mama Wolf" Wulfhardt and Florian "Papa Fox" McCuiston. Captain Wulfhardt coordinates long-range fire from her 100 ton Marauder II while Captain McCuiston often rushes into battle (as much as a Black Knight can rush) as close-ish support for the Gabriel and Pegasus tanks. 

Piloting the other two mechs in the command lance, the Thug and the K2 Catapult, are the Winklemeyer Twins (Ada and Florence.) These two units are most often deployed as a pair, either alongside the Black Knight at the front, or with the Marauder II at the rear, pummeling the enemy with a steady stream of PPC fire from wherever they are placed. 

Both Wulfhardt and McCuiston run the company’s mech lance like a family, with an impressive pay and benefits package for mechwarriors the likes of which the periphery rarely sees in a merc unit. The armor crews are not so well supported, however. Being heavy drinkers hired for their lead feet, trigger fingers and total lack of concern for their own safety, they tend to be seen as expendable, mostly.

Shown above is Lieutenant Commander Breta Meyers, the armor leader and the best paid Gabriel tank driver in Ellie’s Valkyries. Arguably the driver with the heaviest foot and the strongest liver, LC Meyers coordinates the Gabriel tanks under her command and has been known to push the armor assets of the company through situations that seemed unsurvivable. More than once, she has used her tank and those under her command to swoop in, screaming like the hounds of hell to turn a bad situation into a good one. 

Typical unit tactics for Ellie's Valkyries include deploying the Gabriel and Pegasus tanks alone for scouting and simple riot control missions. When the company’s mechs enter the fray alongside the lighter armor assets, the Gabriel tanks tend to act as spotters or as diversionary units for ambush tactics. More than one Clan heavy has met its end with a hail of PPCs in the back after chasing a lance of fast armor through open terrain while the Winklemeyer twins watched and waited for the perfect shot. 

When Ellie's Valkyries resort to piracy, it is almost always against Clan targets, though they have been known to raid outlying or weakened DCMS or Lyran outposts around the invasion corridor now and again for parts. 

One unusual feature about Ellie's Valkyries is their utter reliance on Inner Sphere technology. While SLDF tech is prized by Ellie's Valkyries, Clan tech is anathema to the mercenary group, probably due to the near obliteration of their home state at the hands of Clan Wolf and Clan Ghost Bear. They aren't too proud to salvage such tech at any opportunity (it fetches a high price) but they always sell the salvaged equipment to Rasalhague affiliated interests first, Lyrans second and anybody else if there are no buyers among the first two.

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It took me about 8 months to get around to writing this, but here it is, haha.

This mercenary force took me about a month’s worth of weekend mornings to paint, but I’m happy with the result. The idea was to create a unit that was mostly composed of fast strike armor elements with heavy combined arms backup for when things get hot. On the tabletop, they’re mostly a harassment unit. Fast armor closes and picks at the enemy while the assault lance strikes from range with PPCs. 

Below, for your enjoyment, are pictures of the unit’s mechs with my cat, Star.

Credit where credit is due: I painted the miniatures and did the layout for the logo, but the art in the logo was made with Wombo Dream AI. The personality pictures were made with Bing Image Creator.