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Black Sword is a private military corporation, a company hired as security or to supplement governmental military forces. In Broadsword’s case, it is to supplement their special operations forces. Black Sword is run by American Ex-patriots out of a small Caribbean island, Cundalgo. (Though one of the founders was an ex-KGB officer). For special considerations such as neutral passports for its contractors, dual citizenship for its employees, and tax deferment, it supports the local regime.
PMCs are not standard military. They fly first class. They don’t salute anyone. Sometimes they show up on the battlefield with a baseball cap, jersey, camo pants, kevlar, and their guns. PMC’s tactical employees are not mercenaries. Nobody calls themselves that any more. That is so post curve. They are contractors.
Black Sword’s contractors are never recruited from ex-military types like so many PMCs. They are recruited from other PMCs. Black Sword, which also runs the military of Cundalgo, recruits and trains them up right. This way, they can be totally free from any “crossed loyalties” than can cause the sticky performance problems that other PMCs have. There are currently only 175 contractors and two dozen front end people generating contracts, tracking accounts, procuring some of the supplies, and so on.
PMCs have a cut throat corporate philosophy. The only loyalty is to the members of their team. These increasing ubiquitous companies work for the highest bidder. They could be saving a kidnapping victim one mission, and when their employers change… assassinating him in another.
Black Sword is a proud of its contractors’ amoral competence. They support them with the best intelligence they can provide, as well as top notch miltech toys. “What ever toy gets the job done”, is the unofficial company motto. And make no mistake, the contractor’s favorite toys are guns, powerful ones with high cyclics and good accuracy. They have access to grey market military equipment from around the world. Their toys are not always military items, but some civilian items adapted for combat use. Black Sword employees will often have little parabolic ears, caltrops, a mix of silly putty and C4, and other odd things that fit their personal mission style. A favorite is a radio controlled toy car with a camera and a claymore installed (200 bucks vs a miltech remote drone for 120,000). The boys so love their toys.
October 29, 2006, 11:21
October 29, 2006, 11:23
These contractors tend to have a flippant and cavalier attitude towards combat, that is why they often have such odd equipment. They also tend to be better armed (and better paid) than most military men in the same theater of operations (including the US, as PMCs are protecting the food, supply, and building contractors the Middle East).
October 29, 2006, 11:21
The basic idea is okay, security contractors based out of a Carribean island which they basically control, but the execution falls flat.
October 29, 2006, 11:29
October 29, 2006, 12:59
October 29, 2006, 14:54
October 29, 2006, 15:24
October 29, 2006, 21:24
January 12, 2009, 19:13
January 13, 2009, 0:26
My inspiration for this was an old, old, Hero/ Champions scenario and an ad for a video game, with a dash of James Bond. (It is amazing what synergy happens when you watch TNT commercials.
If you wish to have decent mercenaries, it is time for money to mouth and simply make some. We have some decent Fantasy mercenary groups, but none modern. Up to you to fix that Scotsman, if it bothers you so.
January 13, 2009, 0:49
As to Scot's problems:
1) Contractors work out of remote areas because it's a lot easier to bribe minor governments than major ones, and it's easier to Get Stuff Done there. R&D doesn't have as many problems, training camps can be out in the open, and you don't have to worry about your base being raided and everyone locked up for having restricted weapons. This is just off the top of my head. It can get much, much more reasonable with some serious thought.
Sidenote: these are roughly the same reasons that evil baddies are always found in remote areas. Big nations are problematic to do more than extremely subtle work in.
2) Mercs are jerks. And? Quite frankly, it takes a particular type of person to be willing to go out and fight/kill for anybody with enough cash, and that type of person tends to be a self-serving jerk. Comes with the territory.
As Moon said: you want something different, something that breaks the well-justified stereotype, put your money where your mouth is and write'em up.
February 28, 2009, 3:06
Heh, just thought that up.
November 14, 2010, 0:00
Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?
I enjoyed this one. I was fun and fast paced, an easy read, and I feel inspired by it. Even if that is only inspired to try blowing something up in the near future.
I'm so confused by the changing terms though. From Big Sword, to Black Sword, to Broad Sword... is that purposely misleading, or was it just a really rushed jumble of ideas? I like them all, certainly not your best piece, but it is a good deal better than bad.
November 14, 2010, 0:06
Black Sword > Broad Sword > Big Sword? Is it a trickle down of sections within a whole that follow a confusingly similar naming pattern? I'm not complaining, I love that I have no idea what these names actually refer too because it makes it feel all the more foreign to me. If I could easily understand the power structure of a black ops mercenary team, I think it might lose some believability.
March 20, 2013, 14:15
March 20, 2013, 14:15