Lancer: Hostile Forces

Here are 3 unrelated factions (each consisting of 3 units) for the mecha/pliot table-top role playing game Lancer:

1. Voidborn Oppressors

They used to be humble spaceship salvagers during the war between worlds. Once the war was over, they found themselves to have more military assets than the surviving planet-bound nations. And so they've leveraged their power to regulate all trade and politics across the entire solar system. Anyone who shows defiance to their authority will be crushed with disproportionate force.

Demolisher + Pirate = Wreck Mistress

During the war, arguments over salvage rights were typically resolved in favor of whoever had a Wreck Mistress. It is an intimidating machine traditionally piloted by a cold woman. It incorporates the most terrifying weapons-tech from the war: Slaver Signal, Demolition Hammer, Coreworm Rockets, Seismic Destroyer. These mechs are passed down from mother to favored daughter. Wreck Mistresses were used during the subjugation of planetary nations to butcher both mechs and their pilots in grisly spectacle.

Scourer + Commander = Las-Boss

Using a mecha-scaled laser cutter to disassemble military cruisers requires a steady hand and a keen mind. One miscalculation or twitch of the controls could result in a small nuke going off. During the war there was always demand for a "lascut specialist" for the previously stated reasons. Those who survived long enough in the profession would earn legions of followers and the best berths in any station. These wartime scrap-stars are now looking for opportunities to prove they are still just as hot as their instruments, prior to cooling. They may be accompanied by a Squad or a couple of Assault Grunts serving as groupie-bodyguards. A Las-boss must have the Melt optional system and the Military Discipline trait.

Assassin + Spacer = Boarder

The Boarder MK.I was a standardized powered exoskeleton designed for high mobility and dirty close quarters combat. It's pilots would typically use Thumper Grenades to disable targets, Leap to close the gap, and a Heated Blade to finish them off. The Mk. II was designed for combat on planet surfaces and operating alongside Wreck Mistresses. This new version of the Boarder was equipped with a Gravity Rifle (much needed ranged firepower) and Kai Bioplating (maintaining it's mobility within a gravity well). The MK. III addresses the fact that Boarders were being destroyed by being out-ranged or out-gunned, and so it features a two-fold solution. The Assassin's Mark would give the Boarder some protection from a single attacker. And a Cloud Projector would give it the ability to dodge fire from multiple attackers. During protests against the Voidborn, effigies of Boarders are set on fire and paraded around.

2. Radiovore Colony

These organisms are like a cross between bombardier beetles and nudibranchs, scaled to megafauna sizes. Radiovores naturally produce hyper-reactive chemical substances that they use for a variety of purposes. They are able to do this because they feed on rare metals and radioactive materials which gives them the necessary mutations. Their diet puts them at odds with human mining colonies pursuing the same resources. Both the Nester and the Suitor have the Regenerator and Living Chassis traits from the Exotic template.

Monstrosity = Progeny

Casually classified as being old enough to leave their nest but not mutated yet. They have claws, a corrosive bite, and acid spittle attacks. Progeny use hit and run tactics on prey, while threats are safely melted from a distance. There doesn't seem to be a limit to how old a Progeny can get, ancient ones gain the Regenerator trait.

Pyro + Exotic = Nester

When a Progeny finds high quantities of mutation-inducing materials in a defensible nest, it will become a bloated Nester. It's acid spitting gland becomes a shorter range flamethrower. They use an ability similar to the FIREBREAK Shield to protect their eggs and Progeny. After mating with a Suitor, the nester will start to lay eggs. Radiovore nests filled with eggs generate so much heat they are practically kilns. Nesters have to have burn immunity and the ability to disperse heat in order to survive. As they get near the end of their lives, an old Nester will form a hardened shell (siege armor) over their body.

Seeder + Exotic = Suitor

Progeny that have left their nests, have found low quantities of radioactive material but little shelter, turn into Suitors. These Radiovores spend their time building biomechanical bombs with different kinds of yields and payloads for multiple purposes. At first their explosives are used for the creation of nests and exploratory mining operations. Once a Progeny has taken over a nest and become a Nester, the Suitor's bombs are then used in a courting ritual. The Nester will only mate with a Suitor who presents bombs that are highest-yield/least-stable. To minimize damage, Nesters will instinctively drive suitors far away from the nest. The Suitor has to make and transport their explosives from these remote locations. They may test out delivery routes to a nest with Stun, Sealant, or Shock Mines first before upgrading to the Explosive type. Wait long enough and an exterminator can follow a Suitor back to their nest, but actually tracking it (even in low flying aircraft) can be incredibly risky.

3. First Strike Team

Long range nuclear missiles, "Super-Hacker" NHPs, TBK bioweapon suites. All these human-made horrors need time to arm, aim, and launch. First Strike Teams can neutralize these threats to national security within that prep phase, if deployed accurately and correctly. Because of that big if, FSTs are maintained and commanded by covert intelligence bureaus, to ensure an uninterrupted flow of reliable target data. These teams are subject to less scrutiny than the superweapons they hunt and are only beholden to a bureau's director. Because of this, FSTs are viewed with suspicion by everyone who knows about them. When deployed to a target location, an FST is a frantic collective because they know they've only got minutes to save their world.

Mirage + Ship = Blink-Boat

The purpose of this ship is to get a Ground Team as close as possible to their targets. Blink-boats can teleport from their launch pad to anywhere within a half-lightyear but after that they can only make shorter jumps. That's when their secondary stealth functions are used, to protect itself and passengers from any immediate attacks by defensive. Given how delicate and experimental they are, Blink-boats do not carry any conventional weapons that can backfire on itself. There has been some speculation about what might happen if a blink-boat's launch-pad jump was sabotaged.

Squad = Ground Team

GTs will not leave their blink-boat until they are exactly where they should be. Once deployed, they will overwhelm hostile security with superior numbers and firepower. They are given all kinds of equipment and training depending on which target they are supposed to disable. The gear can range from breaching charges and system hacking tools to 3D maneuvering gear and heavy body armor.

Ace + RPV = Escorters

Durability, mobility, and firepower, these are the three virtues of the Escorter remote piloted vehicle. They deploy and spread out from the underbelly of the Blink-Boat after it has arrived in a target location. These robots will take the hits (which they will occasionally dodge thanks to Barrel Roll) that the rest of the FST cannot. This miraculous semi-autonomous weapon design comes at a horrible cost: Escorters are absurdly vulnerable to electronic warfare. However if one of them was hacked so thoroughly that it fired on the rest of the FST, the blink-boat's e-warfare suite would be able to keep the rest of the team safe.