The Raider war was an 11 month-long conflict between the forces of the
Free Economic Zone of the Mojave, and the aligned, ragtag group of Fiends, Jackals, Vipers, Raiders, Powder Gangers, and Outlaws known as the
Desert Horde. While called a war, it is better described as a massacre, as the Fez wiped the Horde off the map. This Horde was formed in direct response to the FEZ's victory at the Second Battle for
Hoover Dam and the announcement of
New California Republic forces gradually removing themselves from the Region, many of the
Mojave Wasteland's more nefarious groups began making moves, the result was chaos outside the walls of
New Vegas. Things came to a head on February 3rd the next year, when the
Courier decided to strike at Vault 3.
Battle of Vault 3 (2/3/82)
The Battle of Vault 3 happened for two major reasons. First: The Courier needed to remove the threat of the Fiends around his city. Second: Vault 3 was located right in the greater Vegas area, and was a perfect place to act as Vegas's new treasury. On the morning of February 3rd, The Mojave Air Army, under the new Air Marshall,
Loyal, flew it's B-29 bomber overhead, and dropped 22,000 pounds of ordinance on the Fiend stronghold surrounding the Vault's entrance. While the defenders took shelter, 100
Securitrons began firing their rocket barrages into the area, adding another 3,200 pounds of ordinance to the pile, in a display of Shock and Awe that would make
Edward Parker's heart skip a beat. Before the dust had a chance to settle, two vetibirds each inserted two squads of the newly formed
Mojave Rangers under Ranger Chief
Andrew Roosevelt, and entered the Vault, while the Securitrons began clearing the defenses above of any stragglers, all while the NCR forces at
Camp McCarran watched while packing their bags. While the offensive secured the vault itself, it failed to kill the Fiend's leader
Motor Runner, who was away at the time. What it did succeed in doing was killing his second in command
Cook-Cook, and displaying to the NCR that it indeed could succeed where they failed. But Vegas was not aware of the war they had just started.
After the battle, Motor Runner and his two remaining Lieutenants,
Driver Nephi and
Violet, fled the Vegas area as the Securitron Army washed over it like a metal tidal wave. Across the Mojave, at the exact same time though, the Great Khans were having their own problems. Papa Khan had made a deal with Vegas, in exchange for severing ties with
Caesar's Legion, they would be granted safe passage north out of the Mojave. With the alternative being extermination, he agreed, but not all of his clan held the same sentiment. A large portion of Khans, under the warrior
Faye, struck out east, to take the fight to Vegas. In the middle of these two groups was Vault 19, a vital hub on the drug trade path between the Khan suppliers, and the Fiend buyers. Controlling Vault 19 were what remained of the Powder Gangers under
Samuel Cooke. When the Khans and Fiends showed up at his door, Cooke allowed them refuge, if they agreed to stay civil. Overnight, the vault's population of vagabonds rose from 400 to 1200, and there was one major problem: not enough food to go around. After a month in hiding, the group began raiding nearby homesteads and passing caravans. This helped for a while, but it also caused more problems. By this point the Jackal and Viper gangs were all but gone, their survivors having been pushed out by the NCR decades ago, and now being hunted by Vegas, they rallied behind
Colt West, and made for Vault 19. By this time more and more kept pouring in, and when Vegas sent in Rangers, they found a stronghold of over two thousand and counting. When raiding parties started going missing, it became clear to those inside that the FEZ was on to them. So Motor Runner intorduced the idea of uniting, an army large enough to swallow Vegas whole, with all of them acting as one, the FEZ would have a real fight on its hands. Samuel and Faye were on board, but Colt was skeptical, and ultimately outnumbered if he refused, and thus the Desert Horde was born. But as the Horde was preparing for battle, Vegas had already rolled its dice.
Battle of Vault 19 (5/16/82)
The Horde broke before it had the chance to fight. By the start of May, Mojave Rangers had already found that the nearby Sulfur Caves lead straight to the back of the Vault. They planted 40 pounds of C4 in the cave along the Vault walls, while the Securitron Army moved into position around the perimeter. On the 16th, the rangers detonated the explosives, collapsing the lower levels of the vault, and killing 300 instantly. While the rest of the 2,100 within scrambled outside, they were met with a rocket barrage from the surrounding securitrons. In the carnage, Faye broke off with her 800 Khans and fled along the road back to Red Rock Canyon, while the rest, (reluctantly under Motor Runner) fled southeast into the desert. When the smoke cleared, a total of 500 of the Horde were dead, including Samuel Cooke.
Fleeing southeast, the main Horde forces under Motor Runner regrouped around the Whittaker Homestead on May 18th, problems ensued almost immediately. Motor Runner wanted to move south and make it into NCR territory, where they would be able to function in the ill-patrolled republic, while Colt wanted to head southeast still, and into Mexico, where they would not have to deal with anyone. Even among the Fiends, a schism was brewing. Nephi agreed with Colt, and wanted to leave the
Southwest behind, he didn't think the passified area would be any place for them to function longterm. While Violet was still loyal to Runner, like a guard dog, which she had many of. In the end Vegas played another hand before they could tear each other apart.
Battle of Whittaker (5/24/82)
Six days after the strike at Vault 19, the B-29 was called in, to drop another 22,000 pounds of ordinance on Whittaker Homestead. This time, however, the Courier's army was different. Integrated among his securitrons were human commanders, and Power armored troops. For the Desert Horde the Battle of Whittaker was a rocketsledge to the face, to Vegas, it was an experiment in rapid combined arms warfare, like the wars of old. Splitting Army Group A into detachments of 100 Securitrons and a team of 10 Armored Troops, called detachments, all lead by a commander, he was able to switch from mass bombardment, into genuine tactical warfare. At early dawn, the B-29, now officially known as "Lady of the Lake" dropped its bombs, while Detachment 4 launched its missile barrage into the encampent, Detachments 1, 2, and 3 attacked from the north, east, and west respectively. When the Barrage was done, vertibirds rapidly inserted ranger teams to secure hard targets. In the chaos, Runner lead his troops to the south, but they would not stay together, facing 500 more casualties, all cordiality was gone. Rallying as many as he could Colt, with Nephi behind him, took over a thousand and retreated southeast towards the grand canyon, eventually holding up in the ruins of
Nipton for the sweltering summer months. While Motor Runner and Violet took what was left, and went southwest, down I-15. The Courier sent the bulk of his forces after Motor Runner, the instigator, while he had the Rangers harass Colt's forces the entire march to Nipton.
Battle of Faye's Bluff (6/3/82)
While Army Group A was steamrolling the Horde, Army Group B was racing after Faye and her Khans. They finally met along the outskirts of Red Rock Canyon on June 3rd, With Army Group B, led by Commander
Santino Cortez, Being able to see Faye's command tent on the canyon cliffs, he went on the offensive. Taking the initiative before the Khans could begin defensive fire, he had his securitrons launch another barrage, but only half of them first. Cortez's plan was to stagger the barrage, while the first one was underway, his rangers and armored troops advanced into position while the defenders took cover. After the first barrage was done, he waited for the Khans to leave their cover, before firing the second half. When the second barrage was over the Infantry and rangers moved in while the defenders stayed hunkered down. Many of these Khans ended up dead where the laid, unwilling to get up, fearing another barrage. In the end the over-the-top tactics proved pointless, as they found only 100 khans, and an empty command tent. Faye had bluffed her way into giving herself more time to retreat further into the canyon, and reach to former Khan encampment, familiar, dug in territory. Despite knowing that he needed to crush Faye, Cortez held back at the entrance to the canyon, building his supply and logistic reserves, and strategizing.
Battle of Sloan (6/8/82)
The Battle of
Sloan was as much a show as it was a military engagement, a very depressing one for the NCR. When Motor Runner and his 500 followers neared Sloan, the NCR was actively moving south through the town. Motor Runner was stopped in his tracks, faced between two armies, he had no chance to react. The Securitrons in the area, present after wiping out the Deathclaws in Sloan's quarry, opened fire from the I-15. Holding Runner's force in place, The Securitrons were able to hold out long enough for the B-29 to fly overhead. The NCR watched as the Mojave Military wiped out over 300 of the Horde, completely left on the sidelines, the NCR troopers marching back to Mojave Outpost watched as a new military power did what they could not, secure the Mojave. By the time the Infantry of Army Group A reached Sloan, Motor Runner had fled with 200, but what was left of what would be 300 caualties were trapped under Violet. Commander
Michael Paulson, seeing that the battle was all but won, held his rangers back, and sent in his armored troops to wipe out the survivors. In the end in the words of NCR Corporal Ferns: "It took us years to kill a hundred fiends, they killed 300 in 30 minutes."
Battle of Red Rock (6/22/82)
After 19 days of digging in, Faye's Khan's gave the Mojave army its first real battle. The Khans, despite their history of being pushed around, were no joke especially when they knew death was inevitable. Commander Cortez was reportedly thrilled, wanting to have a true tactical challenge he spread his forces throughout the canyon, and set his rangers all along the cliffs. Caught in a semi-circle against the canyon walls, the Khans set up a series of fortifications one after the other, leading to the Longhouse. Before the battle, Cortez guessed Faye's strategy, as she had fortified everything around the longhouse, but left the rear path through the old drug labs unguarded, most likely as an escape route. So Cortez held his Vertibirds back, along with two squads of Rangers and Armored Infantry. At Midnight, Cortez had the Lady of the Lake drop its ordinance, then launched Detachment 5's rockets over the course of two hours, then 6's two hours after that. He repeated this process two more times with Detachments 7 and 8, all the while moving his troops closer to the defenses. Finally, at 8 AM, the bomber made another run, the run's end signaling the offensive's beginning. 400 Securitrons and 40 Armored Infantry stormed the battered defenders, while they were kept busy, Cortez landed his vertibirds in the old drug lab, and cut off the rear pass. By the time faye ordered the younger warriors to retreat, they walked into a metal wall, and surrendered. Faye herself burned alive inside the longhouse, as flamers burned the house to cinders. Cortez would, with Commander Paulson, go on to define Vegas's military theory, from then on superior firepower, shock and awe, and rapid insertion of atypical forces at key points would be how the military conducted itself.
Battle of NCRCF (7/11/82)
A few days after Faye's downfall in Red Rock, Motor Runner's time had come. Army Group A, under Commander Paulson, began to siege the NCR Correctional Facility where the powder gangers originally started. From the start Paulson was acting with a handicap, under orders to keep as much of the facility intact as possible to allow it to be used to hold potential deportees for transfer to Mojave Outpost, and back into the NCR. Under these parameters, he relied heavily on his armored infantry and Rangers, using small and heavy arms, along with hand grenades. Over the course of the entire day his men went room to room eliminating the fiends holding out in the facility. Finally Motor Runner was cornered in the old administation offices, where he and his guards were gunned down by armored troops. By nightfall the compound was secure, and the last of Motor Runner's loyalists were wiped out.
Battle of Nipton (10/11/82)
Exactly three months after Motor Runner's death, Paulson and Cortez would combine their forces at Nipton. In a massive engagement 800 Securitrons, 200 Armored Troops, and 300 Rangers would descend on West and Nephi's 1,000 Fiends and outlaws. By this time Vegas had already begun producing Vertibirds, and increasing the payloads of the Lady of the Lake, which is the speculated reason behind the three month reprieve for Nipton. The intent of this battle was to end the war, Vegas had tested its strategies and proved its mettle, it no longer needed to prolong the conflict. Around 3 AM, rangers detonated charges in buildings near entrances to the town, save the entrance they would use to storm the city. At 4 AM, the Bomber dropped 30,000 pounds of ordinance on the ruined city, followed by each detachment firing its Rockets in 1 hour intervals. This continued until noon, when the bomber flew overhead once more, and dropped a final payload. It is estimated that 600 died in the shelling, but not all was lost for the defenders, knowing that the offensive was coming, West used the cover of the smoke from the bombardment to scale the rubble, and escape towards the canyon with 150 men. The rest, unable to escape, rallied behind Driver Nephi, and died underneath the crushing advance of the Armored Infantry. In total over 850 died inside the city, leaving it a ghost town once again. The rubble there would be used to great extent by those who would go on to resttle the city in the coming years.
Battle of Coyote Mines (12/29/82)
The Battle of Coyote Mines is considered Colt West's masterpiece, despite a defeat, it went exactly as he wanted. By now Colt knew that there was no way he'd survive, let alone win, so he sought to inflict as many casualties as possible, and make vegas play by his rules for once. Escaping into Coyote Mines, West and his men had stockpiled enough to last for months, but knew that Vegas was pressing hard to end this war before the year was over. So he meant to make sure that that did not happen. By garrisoning the mines he stripped away almost all of Vegas's military assets. Its bombers and artillery barrages could not reach him, and the securitrons and armored infantry would be slow and vulnerable to being surrounded in the tight caverns. Leaving only the Rangers to go after him. about 50 rangers went into the caves, fighting over 150 gunmen the casualties, while not higher than previous battles, were proprtionally the worst of the war. Out of the 50 rangers within, 20 survived, while West and about 30 of his men escaped out through the mine's emergency shaft. With casualty rates being over 60% for each side, West got exactly what he wanted, a legendary start to the end. The Battle claimed 75% of all ranger casualties in the entire war, and those who survived wear a distinct medal depicting a coyote riddled with arrows and howling at the moon.
Battle of Colt's Fall (1/8/83)
The final battle of the Raider War is one of the most famous last stands in modern history. On the desert plains before the Sierra Nevada, An Outlaw and his gunmen were surrounded by rangers. In truth Colt and his men were trying to escape into NCR land and eventually to Mexico, something they knew would most likely not happen. The Mojave Rangers had other ideas though, out for revenge, over 50 rangers were after them, taking the vertibirds to catch up, they descended around Colt, and an old fashioned stand off started. Colt tried to talk his way into letting him leave, go to mexico and never come back, but the rangers were there for revenge, and nothing else. The Fastest Gun in the West drew first, and colt dropped two rangers before the rest opened fire. Over the course of 8 minutes the outlaws and and the rangers had a desert gunfight, and the last of the desert horde fell, with Colt West, Outlaw of the Mojave, falling last. The battle ended the Raider War, Vegas and Towns across the Mojave erupted in celebration, but for a few, Colt had cemented himself as a hero, and to all as a legend. Like an outlaw of the old west, gunfights, revolvers, gangs duels and gunfights, his name is synonomous with infamy, and the wild desert itself.
The final stand of Colt West
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