Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Alliance Pathfinder

Note: Don't confuse with the Aquilan unit of the same name

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The Alliance Pathfinder is the primary paratrooper infantry of the Alliance of Hawke. Planned to be voiced by.

Tactical analysis

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Overview
* TBA*

History
"It takes a special kind of crazy to jump out of a perfectly functional plane."

-Quote by an anonymous reporter in regards to airborne operations

As the Alliance Joint Forces and Voshkod and their allied states both kept their eyes focused after Great Voshkod-Aquilan War, the Aionysus front was mostly left unthought of. The cities of the Western Region, aside Ulthuan (which was the Ulthuan front happened in that conflict) were too heavily defended to be invaded from (insert Eorzea city), and the vast distance of the Aionysus likewise kept the Allied Forces from attempting an invasion of the Voshkod Aionysus port. The Meriyan Strait had been considered as an attack route by the Voshkod, but while Voshkod forces could be transported freely in their own nation, the Buckland wastelands lacked logistical capabilities for enemy troop movements. Any invasion would starve before reaching Buckland City.

While the Voshkod therefore left the Dhona Alternative alone, the Alliance considered it as a possibility; not as an attack road for land forces into Limsa Lominsa, but as a distraction. If they could get forces behind the defense lines at the Aionysian coast, the forces could then harass the Voshkod supply lines and assist a war in both fronts. Thus, in 1966, the McCarthy administration set "Plan Meia" into motion, dubbed after the famous horse used as a backdoor in the Elysean myths. An extensive paratrooper training program, bigger than any of the Andoran or Voshkod equivalents, was started at the Ferelden Air Force Academy. Over 20,000 soldiers were educated before Voshkod spies found out about the plans, and the Union proceeded to install anti-air battery networks at the (Eorzean name insert) peninsula and the Transamur region.

During the conceptual stages for Plan Meia, planners were fully aware that for the paratrooper forces to be able to operate effectively behind enemy lines, they would not only need to be able to survive on their own supplies for extended periods of time but also be able to handle a wide variety of threats, from tanks to aircraft. To be able to do this, the paratrooper forces would need to be equipped with a variety of weapons. At the same time, weight was a concern, so the weapons could not be too heavy, or they would end up overburdening the paratroopers.

These were some of the considerations involved when it was being debated as to what weapons the paratrooper forces' anti-tank specialists would carry. The Javelin was then still experimental, and its weight would have likely ruled it out anyway. In the end, the MX-202 "Flash" rocket launcher was chosen, loaded with "Sprint" surface-to-air missiles for anti-aircraft work. A lightweight, box-shaped launcher, the MX-202's most unique feature was its ability to fire four shots before having to reload. While it was still outclassed by heavier missile launchers, the weapon packed a considerable punch for its weight, and the TAD-60 25mm anti-materiel rifle for its lightweight and heavy stopping power to handle vehicles and tanks. Generally, every squad will have at least two of these rocket launchers wielded by specialists, who are referred to as Rocket Pathfinders.

The Alliance military realized that continuing with Plan Troy in its original form would not be fruitful in an eventual war, but it was decided that the resources would not be counted as wasted. The paratroopers were relocated to Thedas, and the program would continue. During the war, the "Pathfinders", as they became known (no relation to the Aquilan ones), landed behind the fronts several times and inflicted substantial damage on Voshkod forces.

With Rifle Pathfinder armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers; while more conventional along the lines of the Reservists, the Peacekeepers also use the Pathfinders in many operations. Project Meia has thus been dubbed a success by Alliance military, and financing is secured for several years.

Guardians of the Tacitus

 * Eagle Soldier (Aquila)
 * Alliance Pathfinder (Alliance)
 * Drop Trooper (ADI)
 * Commandos (Andora)
 * Air Dragon Teams (Empire)
 * Parawarrior (Community)

Destroyers of Balthazar

 * Vieran Paratroopers (Voshkod)
 * ... (Brotherhood)
 * Paraboys (Horde)
 * ... (MLA)
 * ... (Collective)
 * Mira's Airborne Forces (Encantadia)
 * ... (Scrin)

Neutrals

 * ... (Coalition)