What is the 212th Attack Battalion?[]
The 212th Attack Battalion is a mostly non-serious milsim VRC group centered around the Star Wars universe and more specifically the 212th Attack Battalion of the Grand Army of the Republic. It utilizes private maps and avatars made by their own development team.
What does advancement look like in the 212th?[]
Advancement in the 212th comes in multiple form, they have both rank and training advancement.
Rank Advancement and Basic Structure[]
Movement through the ranks is typically slow in the group after private (abbreviated as PVT) due to a system they have which dictates that when someone reaches a specific rank they have to oversee the creation or assume the command of a squad, platoon, company, division, brigade, or the battalion. There are also multiple positions in these units that are filled by members of a specific rank category. These categories include enlisted, non-commissioned officer (NCO), senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO), commanding officer (CO), or senior commanding officer (SCO). squad leadership consists of an NCO, platoon leadership consists of a CO and a SNCO, company leadership consists of a senior enlisted advisor (First Sergeant position which is filled by a SNCO) an XO (company second in command) and a CC (Company Commander) and both of those are filled by a SCO. As you go further up the chain of command there are different levels of SCO that lead divisions and brigades. Each position does a specific job to alleviate workload from one another which creates a chain of command.
Training Advancement[]
Training in the server is a similarly complex beast as the chain of command. There are multiple training programs in the server that build upon one another. When you join you are given a basic introduction to the server explaining how it works in a voice chat along with basic combat and Mission Occupational Specialty (MOS) rules and you are then promoted to trooper and immediately sent into a training company where you will gain combat experience and adjust to the server rules. Once you have gotten used to these you will be allowed to join a company of your choosing. Each company will give you some fundamental training and some company specific training based off of its function, and around this time you can go through a short MOS training. Specific classes like ARF, ARC, and BARC have their own programs which you can sign up or be selected for that build off of your other training. This can sound like a lot, and in some specific cases of high skill programs it can be, but these programs typically only take a couple of trainings to complete. The further trained you are the more likely you are to be chosen for leadership positions.
Server History[]
Founding, Independence, and Internal Conflict[]
The 212th was originally a part of the Clone Troopers of Europe (CTE) when it was founded in 2018 and it's first commander was ~King Iudex~ (Formerly ~That One Guy~, ~Vigil~, or ~Vigil Iudex~). It remained a part of the CTE server until one of its owners was outed as a pedophile for asked for explicit pictures from troopers within the 212th and 501st in the timeframe of early-2020 to mid-2020.
This is a picture depicting a Clone Troopers of Europe event from the time.
It was around this time that there was an internal conflict within the server. ~King Iudex~'s relationship with the accused person was one of close friendship so when the evidence was released he was immediately skeptical due to his friendship and the victim having been known for being toxic. When he asked for the context of the conversation he was denied which further strengthened his stance. The server second in command, Spirit1209, knew the victim more personally and when he got the evidence of the interaction and the context knew he was guilty. When seeing the response to the accusations, which was one of denial and tight restriction on the discussion of the subject, launched an investigation with a handful of men including BalancedFrog, the leader of the 1st Ghost Company and third in command of the server. Halfway into the investigation the actions of the staff team and opinions of the majority of the 212th was enough to cause the server to separate from the CTE.
The investigation was halted when one of the members of the team told the server owner and the accused of the activity. All members but Spirit1209 were immediately banned from the server, but despite the setback the investigation was successful and the 212th completely cut ties with the Clone Troopers of Europe. BalancedFrog when he was removed from the CTE would take much of the 501st, 332nd, part of Ghost Company, and the Recon Division to separate from both the 212th and the CTE which was only half successful. He was later banned for unknown reasons.
Rise of the 212th[]
The 212th was later instrumental in the founding of the Starchat server (but not partnering until July of 2020) and the 1st Quest Clone Army (QCA) with both ~King Iudex~ and Spirit1209 aiding in making the roles, creating channels, and setting up permissions, and moderating for both servers. It would later sever ties with the QCA around halfway into 2020 and the Starchat server in November of 2020 after its death.
This is a picture of the classic citadel taken by a member of the 212th called FOX before a match began.
It was just months later from this time that it reached the 200 member milestone and was the posterchild of the VRChat Star Wars community. It began pulling an average of 26 members per event and upward of 40 on at least one case. A new commander, Evanboy81, would become one of the powerhouses for content creation within the Star Wars community and to this day sets the standard for map development. Over the next few years the 212th would see multiple severe dips in membership but would ultimately recover with effort.
Influence On the Community[]
From the third quarter of 2020 to the middle of 2022 the 212th had a massive affect on the Star Wars community. With creators like Levy, BLUR, Biscuit, Evanboy81, North Skirata, and many more, the avatars and worlds developed by these people would lead the community for the years to come with only a few of them falling out of favor. North Skirata would create an Empire that would change the Star Wars Imperial community forever even though it was ultimately unsuccessful with small portions of help and advice from a handful of 212th members, Biscuit Skirata would draw further attention to the 212th when he made the bounty system within the Mandolorian community, Evanboy would continue the development and evolution of the 2.0 combat system prefabs and would inspire everyone until the standardization of the 3.0 combat system, and Lev and BLUR would become some of the most influential avatar creators in the history of the Star Wars community.
This image depicts the 1st generation ARC trooper graduates sitting with Spirit1209.
While the 212th may not have been a direct cause of their successes, and while these might not have been simultaneous, these things drew attention to the server itself. This enabled the community to mimic many parts of its structure such as its cadet training system, combat and weapon handling rules, its ranking structure, and especially its advanced training. Spirit1209 would lead the ARC program and SF division, and by the 5th generation of SF and the 4th generation of ARC troopers many of the graduates had went on to become server owners and higher command. These people would go onto implement a very few of, or many of, the aspects of the 212th training programs.
Fall and Change of Command[]
In 2022 the 212th's higher command was suffering from burnout after many years of a struggle to stay afloat, and the server began dipping in membership. Nobody had any drive to recruit, and they had also grown complacent after a constant and steady flow of new membership had stopped, and in December of 2022, after almost 5 years, ~King Iudex~ retired from the server and promoted Spirit1209 to marshal commander. Just before this and after multiple fundamental changes to the server organization, gameplay rules, promoting, and chain of command were made.
Units[]
Core Infantry Division[]
The core infantry division currently makes up half of the other server and fields direct fire specialists and combat units like such as an armored company, an airborne infantry company, a basic infantry company, and also has the battalion training company.
1st Ghost Company[]
The 1st Ghost Company is the 212th's primary infantry company and is currently amongst the most active companies in the server.
2nd Airborne Company[]
The 2nd Airborne is currently the battalion's airborne company, home to every airborne and jet trooper in the server.
12th Charlie Company[]
12th Sharp Company houses all of the new troopers until they are ready to join another unit, it is the primary training company.
13th Charlie Company[]
13th Charlie Company is the units armored and mechanized assault company in the 212th, they are one of two heavy companies in the unit and is home to the BARC troopers.
86th Logistics Brigade[]
The 86th Logistics Brigade handles the logistics of the battlefield. It deals with all logistical issues ranging from information and recon to transportation and special operations. It holds both the special forces division and the recon division which are limited to two companies to maintain a good power balance between the brigadier commander and field marshal.
5th "Cracker" Company[]
The 5th "Cracker" Company is the special training and general logistics company for the 86th Brigade. It is where the battalion reserves, pilots, and special trainees (cadets from the SF and ARF programs) are held. Its official name is the 5th Logistics Company but it has affectionately been referred to as the "Cracker" company because they are the only unit in the 86th to wear white armor
Special Forces Division[]
The special forces division is the most elite unit of the 212th utilizing two companies for special operations meant for supporting the CID in combat.
6th Hazardous Environment Operations and Tactics (HEOT) Company[]
The 6th HEOT Company is an almost entirely heavy unit specializing in mobile siege warfare tactics by utilizing stratagems similar to those of the stormtroopers of the First World War. They also function as a low visibility and uninhabitable terrain infantry force, the containment of biohazards, and the weaponizing of incendiary devices or chemicals.
7th Shadow Company[]
The 7th Shadow Company is a company entirely focused on stealth operations and tactics, advanced recon behind hostile lines, espionage, training small units in proxy conflicts, guerilla warfare, and a host of other special operations. They are home to the shadow troopers and one of two units to house ARF troopers.
Recon Division/8th Rain Company[]
The 212th Recon Division, while being a division, only has one company. They are the primary home of the ARF troopers and perform all recon operations within the 212th. They utilize a multitude of camouflage uniforms to blend into their environments.