Fox's Fusiliers began as 100th Combined Arms Brigade of the Star League Armed Forces. When the SLDF left the Inner Sphere, the Brigade remained behind.To honor this dark event, they renamed themselves the Black Fox Brigade.The Brigade left Cappellan space, where it was stationed, and went to the Outworlds Alliance. It settled a world in exchange for garrisoning planets in the Alliance (The Den, the planet the Fusiliers settled and renamed, still remains Fusilier property this day). There the Black Foxes sat until the middle of the Second Succession War, when the main unit left the Alliance and enter mercenary life. They have been in the Inner Sphere ever since.
The Fusiliers primary trait is it lack of knowing when to quit. There have been three separate occasion when overwhelming or superior forces almost wiped out the Fusiliers from existence: once in 2947 during the Kobe campaign (where the unit's name was changed to Fox's Fusiliers), in 3052 when the Hell's Horses landed on X10499, and in 3057 during the Marik-Liao invasion. Each battle would have destroyed or seriously hampered a normal mercenary. With the Fusiliers it just seem to drive them on, the "never say die" attitude being their maxim in such cases.
Though the Fusiliers advertise themselves as a "offensive raiding force", their most memorable battles have been defensive actions fought against overwhelming odds. This has made them defensive experts: one moment a field might be empty to a recon patrol, and the next minute there would be total chaos as mechs and tanks popped up among a totally unaware enemy formation.
Not all of the Fusilier's tactics is centered around defence. The Fusiliers also have extensive skill in raiding and, to a lesser extent, assault.
The Fusiliers currently are part of the task force invading the Smoke Jaguar occupied zone. The Black fox Brigade is poised to defend against a possible Smoke Jaguar counter strike, while the Hell's Foxes have been attached to Clan Wolf-in-Exile. The only Fox unit left in the Inner Sphere is a mech company guarding the StarMech Design Labs (General DJ Fox is considering hiring a small merc unit to supplement the garrison force at StarMech and to act as test pilots. She has considered a couple of units, including (to some people's surprise) Wilson's Hussars.)
COMMAND
The Fox family has controlled the Fusiliers ever since the battle of Kobe in 2947. The current commander, Dianna Jospehine Fox, does not have a heir to take over the unit. Her father, Amadeus Datalius Fox, is keeping a eye out for a possible suitor, but current events have kept him occupied.
The supreme commander of Fox's Fusiliers has, since 2947, been given the rank of Lieutenant General. The commander of the unit used to be elected until Kobe. Since then it has been passed from Fox to Fox.
The official status of the Hell's Foxes is a unit attached to the Fox's Fusiliers. This technically allows Star Colonel Horse to operate her unit separate from the official command structure, but she has not disobeyed a direct command from A.D. or D.J. to this date.
AVAILABLE FORCES
AND ORGANIZATION
The most recognizable features are the Star League era mechs and vehicles the Fusiliers maintain. Some of these machines date back to the Exodus, others having been found by the Fusiliers during their stay in the Outworld Alliance. All of them are in pristine condition. Some have even been modified with Clan weaponry (such as Colonel Campbell's King Crab). This, along with the Federated Commonwealth's generous support, has given the Fusilies a impressive 60% upgrade rate.
All Fusilier regiments contain ample support. Each regiment has its own regimental artillery battery, and the vehicle and infantry regiments each have a Mechbuster conventional fighter squadron attached to them.
TECHNICAL AND
TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT
Because of their ancient and priceless losttech equipment, the Fusiliers have always had to maintain a large support base for the unit. Before the Hell's Horses encounter, the Fusiliers maintained a 100% support base. Now, with the additional mechs and the difficulty of maintaining Clan equipment, the rating has dropped to 70%. Fusilier command is currently shopping around for techs that have experience in Clan technology.
The Fusiliers have the ability to transport 90% of their troops. This includes 2 Leopard CVs and the Fortress class dropship The Four Horsemen, along with 2 Overlords and a number of Unions and Leopards.
The Fusiliers used to operate their own jumpships, but sold them to the StarBus Transportation Corp. in a measure to decrease the Fusiliers' operating costs (In reality, StarBus is a holding corporation that was set up by A.D. Fox. This allowed the jumpships to "earn their own keep"; making a profit on their own when the Fusiliers did not require them).
COLORS AND INSIGNIA
The Fusiliers paint their Battlemechs and vehicles with camo schemes that are appropriate to the planet they are on; The exception are the weapon ports, which are painted black or gray. Aerospaces have robin-egg blue underbellies and camo fuselages. Some Battlemechs also have their heads painted gray with a fox's head on the rear. Their parade colors are brown with light brown highlights, and the fox's head is painted on all mechs.
The insignia of the Black Fox Brigade is a fox's head with red eyes behind crossed muskets. It is painted on a mech limb or torso (no particular place has been set), on either wing of aerospace fighters, and on the left or right hull of vehicles.