fyi: an infantry point is 25 men, an infantry star is 125 men ...

Standard infantry, yes, but most of the people here meant Elemental-based infantry. Elementals, Gnomes, Salamanders...Protomechs...even though those get their own slot, they come in Points of five, which is why they used to horrify people. 'What? Twenty-five little 'Mechs with ER Medium Lasers? That's insane!' (Roc)

The Star System is made up around the base number five. each star is made up of five points
1 point= 1 Mech, 2 Vehicles/Fighters, 5 Powerd infantry, 25 standard Infantry.
5 Points = 1 Star
2 Stars= Binary
3 stars= Trinary
3-8 Trinaries= Cluster (Regiment roughly)
3-5 Clusters=Galaxy (Division or army depending on wheather you use Comsatr or IS Organization)
Nova= Combined Arms Binary/Trinary usu. 5 mechs 2 PA points 2 Vhehcle points 1 Aircraft point.
SuperNova= Cluster of novas

To continue on the theme, The Inner Sphere uses old star league organization Called the 4-3-3 chart
4 Mechs =Lance
3 Lances= Company
3 companies=Battalion
3 Battalions= Regiment
3-5 regiments =Brigade
Armor aircraft and infantry uses different but roughly analogus methods of organization.

Comstar uses a method based around the number Six
Level 1= 1 mech 1 pair of air craft, 2 chehicles, 1 infantry platoon(power armor or no)
Level 2= 6 Level 1s
Level 3=6 level 2s (roughly a reinforced battalion)
level 4= 6 level 3s Division
level 5= 6+ level 4s Army
Level 6= Comgaurds as a whole

No actually he is correct. You are thinking of the IS which field 2 Aerospace fighters as a lance. There are 5 fighters in a star. If you don't believe me check it out here

http://www.kerensky.tierranet.com./btech/btech.shtml

Actually Patrick is incorrect on that unless there was a restructuring of the clan organization chart. From the TRO 3050 (original version):
"The basic element of the Clan military is called a Point, consisting of a 'Mech, or two AeroSpace Fighters, or five infantrymen." I haven't seen anything in print from FASA or FanPro to change this. I have seen different listings on some websites.

The bidding for the batchall was based on this point system, the only thing I have trouble remembering is if there were two ASF in a single point. Seems not right to me, fighters were rare in the clans, but they had their uses. To the best of my knowlege, the support of choice for omnimechs was bringing several elementals.

So a fair bid for battle might be a star of elementals, four points of mechs, and one of ASF. The first thing bid away was usually the fighter plane(s). Then the size of the mechs might be bid smaller.

first bid : two MadCats, four points of Elementals, vs three Ullers and a Ryoken and five points of Clan Battle Armor.
I will bid away the Stuka and two Slayer ASF.

Incidently, Inner Sphere command structure was fairly flexible, while the 4/3/3 design might not show it, most mech TO&E could allow extra units easily.

Each battalion had a Command lance, a Recon lance and a Fire Support lance in addition to the basic companies. Also Tech maintenance and recovery units could be organic to each company or clumped together as an Astec company. ASF lances could also be reassigned to each company or grouped together, to conserve resourses.

That leaves a sizeable Regimental Headquarters Company with numerous staff and security troops too.

In practical terms, most of these surplus units never appear on official rosters as anything but "Reserve" units, if at all. Most of the time Battle field attrition will strip out these fat Back Rankers as the line units demand replacements.

So a regiment with three battalions totaling nine line companies, could maintain as many as 150 mechs of all types, or fewer than 120 mechs, with many showing recent field modifications. The more specialized Mechs would be abscent in the smaller regiments.

There could be up to two dozen ASF as well as Drop Ships.

there is some fluff in the Crusader and Warden Clan FM's ... some of them use a 1 ASF to a point (same as mechs), but yah most are 2 per point (or 10 for a star).

so there is a difference between the Inner Sphere, Comstar an Clan Unit Structure, can anyone tell me which structure the Republic of the Sphere uses?

Here's the Military Structure of the different groups. Inner Sphere, Merc, and Clan:

Inner Sphere Military Unit Structure

Inner Sphere House Military Unit Structure
BattleMech Organization
Lance: 4 BattleMechs
Company: 3 Lances (12 BattleMechs)
Battalion: 3 Companies (36 BattleMechs)
Regiment: 3 Battalions (108 BattleMechs)
Reinforced Regiment: 4 Battalions (144 BattleMechs)


Aerospace Organization
Lance: 2 Aerospace Fighters
Flight: 3 Lances (6 Aerospace Fighters)
Company: 2 Flights (12 Aerospace Fighters)
Wing: 3 Companies (36 Aerospace Fighters)
Regiment: 3 Wings (108 Aerospace Fighters)


Armor Organization
Lance: 4 Vehicles
Company: 3 Lances (12 Vehicles)
Battalion: 3 Companies (36 Vehicles)
Regiment: 3 Battalions (108 Vehicles)


Infantry Organization
Squad: 7 troops
Platoon: 4 Squads (28 troops)
Company: 3 Platoons (84 troops)
Battalion: 3 Companies (252 troops)
Regiment: 3 Battalions (756 troops)
Battlesuit Squad: 4 troops
Battlesuit Platoon: 3 BS Squads (12 troops)




Mercenary Military Unit Structure

Mercenary Military Unit Structure
BattleMech Organization
Lance: 4 BattleMechs
Company: 3 Lances (12 BattleMechs)
Battalion: 3 Companies+Command Lance (40 BattleMechs)
Regiment: 3 Battalions+Command Lance (124 BattleMechs)
Reinforced Regiment: 4 Battalions+Command Lance (164 BattleMechs)


Aerospace Organization
Lance: 2 Aerospace Fighters
Squadron: 3 Lances (6 Aerospace Fighters)
Wing: 3 Squadrons+Command Lance (20 Aerospace Fighters)
Reinforced Wing: 4 Wings+Command Lance (26 Aerospace Fighters)


Armor Organization
Lance: 4 Vehicles
Company: 3 Lances (12 Vehicles)
Battalion: 3 Companies+Command Lance (40 Vehicles)
Regiment: 3 Battalions+Command Lance (132 vehicles)


Infantry Organization
Squad: 7 troops
Platoon: 4 Squads (28 troops)
Company: 3 Platoons+Command Lance (84 troops)
Battalion: 3 Companies+Command Lance (252 troops)
Regiment: 3 Battalions+Command Lance (756 troops)
Battlesuit Squad: 4 troops
Battlesuit Platoon: 3 BS Squads (12 troops)





Clan Military Unit Structure

Point: 1 BattleMech or 2 Aerospace Fighter or 5 armored infantry
Star: 5 BattleMechs or 10 Aerospace Fighters or 25 armored infantry
Binary: 2 Stars (10 BattleMechs or 20 Aerospace Fighters or 50 armored infantry)
Trinary: 3 Stars (15 BattleMechs or 30 Aerospace Fighters or 75 armored infantry)
Cluster: 3-5 Binaries/Trinaries
Galaxy: 3-5 Clusters
Nova: 1 BattleMech or Aerospace Fighter Star and 1 armored infantry Star
Supernova: 1 BattleMech or Aerospace Fighter Binary and 2 armored infantry Stars

When looking at the armor organization for mercenary groups, shouldn't it be so that a regiment would consist of 124 vehicles instead of the 132 listed? There's an additional command lance added, not an additional company.

sorry to harp on about it however i want to make sure i understand. does the Republic use the same as the Inner Sphere, Comstar, Clan or another set up altogether?[list=a][*]the Inner Sphere basic unit is a Lance = 4 'Mechs, etc.[*]the Clan basic unit is a Star = 5 'Mechs, etc.[*]Comstar basic unit is a Level 1 = 6 'Mechs, etc.[/list=a] if i wish to create a legal army for an encounter which should i use as the basic unit size for a ROTS fp force?

The Republic uses Lances for both Knights and RAF (Royal Air Force? :P) units. For example, Skariah Paragon is a member of Sword Lance, and Harsha what's-her-name is in a lance that sounds something like Alfalfa Kicker Lance or something crazy like that :P

RAF = Republican Armed Forces