View source for VII Corps (Star League)

{{infoBoxMilitaryCommand
| image = [[File:VII Corps.jpg|141px]]
| Designation = VII Corps
| Formed = [[2570]] - [[2577]]
| Disbanded = 
| Previous Designation = 
| Nickname = 
| Affiliation = [[Star League]]
| Parent Command = [[8th Army (Star League)|Eighth Army]]
| Sub-Command = 
}}

==Unit Description==
The '''VII Corps''' (or Seventh Corps) was one of the first corps organized at the foundation of the [[Star League Defense Force]].  Prior to the collapse of the [[Star League]] it consisted of 6 [[division]]s and 7 independent [[regiment]]s.<ref>''The Star League'', p. 141</ref>

==History==
===Formation===
VII Corps was formed during the years between the founding of the [[Star League]] in [[2570]] and the onset of the [[Reunification War]] in [[2577]], and the first administrative center for VII Corps after its founding was based on the world of [[Procyon]]. Unlike other corps such as [[II Corps (Star League)|II Corps]] and [[V Corps (Star League)|V Corps]], VII Corps included a number of independent [[regiment]]s alongside the three founding [[division|divisions]] within its order of battle and mustered a total of ninety assorted regiments when the Reunification War began: Thirty-one [[BattleMech]] regiments, seventeen [[Combat Vehicle|armor]] regiments, thirty infantry regiments and twelve AeroSpace regiments.<ref name="H:RWp95">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 95, "SLDF Task Force Canopus"</ref><ref name="H:RWp150">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 150, "Magistracy of Canopus Front (Jump-Off&ndash2582)"</ref>

===Reunification War===
During the Reunification War VII Corps formed the core of the [[SLDF]] forces. The unit was largely hindered by lack of transport; It didn't launch any assaults until enough [[JumpShip]]s could be leased, borrowed, or rented.<ref>''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 96</ref> Operations began in [[2577]] and quickly took six systems.<ref>''Historical: Reunification War'', pp. 97-98</ref> After recovering from [[Magistracy Armed Forces]] attacks on their staging bases in the [[Free Worlds League]], the next wave of assaults (running from 2578 through 2581) hit ten more systems.<ref>''Historical: Reunification War'', pp. 100-101</ref> In 2582 and 2583 the Seventh Corps garrisoned many of the conquered worlds, and also engaged in spoiling raids against Magistracy targets. This spread them thin and made them excellent targets for Magistracy raids. By 2583 however, the MAF had been locked down by the SLDF, and in 2584 the Seventh Corps landed on Canopus. After fighting for three months, the Magistracy surrendered.<ref>''Historical: Reunification War'', pp. 103-105</ref>

===Amaris Civil War===
In [[2764]] the Seventh Corps was part of the [[8th Army (Star League)|8th Army]], assigned to the First District of the [[Free Worlds League Military Region]]. The unit was one of the most active SLDF commands in the Eighth Army and as such was frequently understrength. This was due to the large number of pirate activities in their area of responsibility. To counteract the pirate activity, the SLDF High Command attached multiple independent regiments to the Seventh Corps.<ref name=FMSLDFp108>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 108</ref>

However, in [[2765]] an [[New Vandenberg Uprising|uprising]] occurred in the [[Periphery]], requiring a large portion of the SLDF mobilized to put down the rebellion.  The Seventh's units were moved into the Second Destrict, filling in gaps left by other units sent to the fighting.  However, the uprising had all been an elaborate plot by [[Stefan Amaris]] to accomplish his [[Amaris Civil War|conquest of the Terran Hegemony]].

The Seventh would take part in [[Aleksandr Kerensky]]'s campaign to reconquer the [[Terran Hegemony]] from Amaris, but in the process suffered heavy losses.  Of those units which survived, only three would join Kerensky's [[Operation Exodus]], with the rest disbanding or joining other military forces.

==Officers==
{| class="wikitable"
|- 
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Rank
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Name
! scope="col" width="220" style="background: #dedede;" | Command
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: #efefef;" | '''Commanding Officers of VII Corps'''
|-
| [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]]||[[Marion Marik]]||<ref name="H:RWp53">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 53, "Marion Marik"</ref>
|-
| [[Major General]]||[[Aristotle Maragos]]||[[2751]]-[[2764]]<ref name=FMSLDFp108/>
|-
|}

==Tactics==
Unknown.

==Composition History==
===2577===
* [[19th Division (Star League)|19th Division]]
* [[20th Mechanized Infantry Division|20th Division]]
* [[21st Royal Division]]
* [[35th Royal CAAN Marine Regiment]]
* [[401st Independent Regiment]]
* [[402nd Independent Regiment]]
* [[403rd Independent Regiment]]
** CO: Captain-General Marion Marik<ref name="H:RWp95"/>
Force strength: 31 BattleMech regiments, 30 infantry regiments, 17 armor regiments and 12 AeroSpace regiments.<ref name="H:RWp95"/>

===2764===
:'''Divisions'''
:* [[316th Royal BattleMech Division]] <ref name=SLp141>''The Star League'', p. 141</ref>
:* [[335th BattleMech Division]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[246th Mechanized Infantry Division]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[275th Mechanized Infantry Division]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[297th Mechanized Infantry Division]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[86th Jump Infantry Division]]<ref name=SLp141/>

:'''Independent Regiments'''
:* [[2004th Battle Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[35th Royal CAAN Marine Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[19th Light Horse Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[28th Light Horse Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[78th Hussar Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[81st Dragoon Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[149th Dragoon Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>
:* [[221st Dragoon Regiment]]<ref name=SLp141/>

==Notes==
* The force strength for VII Corps during the Reunification War given in ''[[Historical: Reunification War]]'' is completely disproportionate to the size of the other established corps detailed in the same sourcebook; other corps at full strength consist of 9 regiments each of [[BattleMechs]], armor, and infantry plus 3 regiments of [[aerospace fighter]]s.<ref name="H:RWp95">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 95, "SLDF Task Force Canopus"</ref><ref name="H:RWp65">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 65, "SLDF Task Force Taurus"</ref>

A question was raised on the [http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,15190.msg349873.html#msg349873 Catalyst Game Labs forum] asking for clarification and received the following response:

{{Quote|Yep, it's high and suggests that each VII Corps brigade had the equivalent of 3 regiments of 'Mechs (plus conventional forces). There is a reference to the VIIth being overstrength in "The League's Might". The current force listing isn't explicit on the strength of each division though, so it's not always clear how big the VII is.

(As an aside, the size of VII corps is a conceit to reconcile the existing figures for the force sent against Canopus with this only being a single Corps; the assumption is that Marian 'used her authority' as a council member to best advantage and hoovered up a chunk of the reserves)|Chris Hartford, Historical: Reunification War writer}}

<div class="gamerules">
==Rules==
===Reunification War===
* VII Corps units may utilize Overrun Combat.<ref name="H:RWp181">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 181, "The Star League"</ref>
* VII Corps units gain a +1 bonus to repair rolls.<ref name="H:RWp181"/>
* The VII Corps commander may select half of the maps used in any battle, irrespective of scenario rules.<ref name="H:RWp181"/>
* VII Corps units adhere to the Ares Conventions.<ref name="H:RWp181"/>
* VII Corps units suffer a -2 penalty to Initiative if forced to fight on city maps.<ref name="H:RWp181"/>
</div>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Field Manual: SLDF]]''
* ''[[Historical: Reunification War]]''
* ''[[The Star League]]''


[[Category:Star League Defense Force Corps|Corps, 0007th]]