Earth Hoplites
Strapped to their forelegs are twin shields, these heavily armored Earth Ponies serve to be a mobile wall for the formation, shielding both melee strikes and ranged projectiles away, especially for the fragile Ground Guards who make up the core of Stormwing’s ground support.
Due to their numbers, Earth Hoplites are the least elite out of the three types of Hoplites, though their numbers rise above the rest for a change. This allows them to be deployed widely, protecting others from harm as best as they can until the actual fight begins. Earth Hoplites are specially trained in prolonged melee, which is inevitable when most of them are likely to be at the forefront of the formation, the very first in the rank to charge into the enemy’s, and likely the last to leave it rotting on the battlefield as well.

Unicorn Hoplites
Usually exiled Knights and Legionnaires of Moon and Star, Unicorn Hoplites are exceptionally powerful both as a formation and individually. It is even widely accepted in Stormwing that they should be looked upon with suspicion by the least, for faith is a fire that burns as bright as honor. Their loyalty may lie with Stormwing, but what of their belief?
When in formation, due to their small numbers, Unicorn Hoplites would serve a multi-purpose role the same way the Ground Guard employ theirs, whether it is to erect up a Bubble Shield or two, peppering the enemy’s charge with Magic Missiles, etc. They are often found in between the Ground Guard themselves and the Earth Hoplites who spread themselves in thin ranks at the forefront, a position where they can provide critical support for the formation most efficiently.

Earth Phalangites
The usage of long spears dates back to the ancient days before the Founding of Equestria, when strife plagues the realm indifferent to the present days. The Phalangites originated as an innovation of the Earth Pony Tribe, a tactic proved to be particularly effective against the swift Pegasi warriors, and they in turn feared this formation as others feared their wrath from the sky.
Earth Phalangites carry with them aeons old military tradition of their ancestors, their ridiculously long spears thrusting the hearts of their foes. They are heavily armored to fare well in melee should their spears failed to stop the enemy’s charge, which by the case is not limited to those in the ground, only suicidal Pegasi would charge into a Phalanx formation with its spikes all over its body, the spears of the Phalangites would result more than mere scrapes.

Unicorn Phalangites
The Phalanx formation circulate around using long spears defensively, welcoming the charging warriors with walls of spikes. An Earth Pony can only hold two of these spears at best, but Unicorns on the other hand, with their telekinetic magic, can hold up to a dozen, if not a hundred, of those same spears! Due to the mental training required for holding up many objects at once, Unicorn Phalangites are both lightly armed and armored, with minimal physical training only above the standard for soldiers of the Ground Guard. They are typically found amidst a Phalanx formation, bolstering the already great amount of spikes of which to pierce their foes.

Pegasi Phalangites
Despite their name, Pegasi Hoplites who adopted the long spears of the Phalangites do not directly participate in the formation, nor do they actually form the formation itself. These Pegasi warriors merely utilize the virtue of a really long spear, its reach. In battle they would soar through the skies above the battlefield, using their long spears to pick out the enemy amidst the chaos, effectively using the advantages granted by their aerial nature and the reach of their spears.
Even with its kill tallies, Stormwing has mixed feelings over this tactic. Though the tactic fits them quite well because Pegasi Phalangites can easily take out enemies individually, though with the price of being unable to charge. They are well-suited where the fighting is not thick, and that is the root of the problem that follows.
Dexterity is key to pick out friends from foes amidst the carnage, and to actually thrust the spear through foes, and not friends. There are not little in Stormwing who view this tactic with disdain, more so than their opinion with ranged weapons even, and not only because there is a significant number of allies accidentally picked out by these Phalangites, but also because it is dishonorable to kill the foe before he has any chance to fight back at you.

Earth Peltasts
Following the strict regime for swiftness, Earth Peltasts differ from Battle Buckers in their mode of operation. Whereas the Battle Buckers would entrench themselves and buck their ammunition to provide support for the main formation, Earth Peltasts are natural light infantry, acting much like the Appleloosan Rangers, albeit much poorly equipped to suffice for their numbers.
It cannot be denied that the majority of skirmishing that happens in a battlefield involving Stormwing are the acts of the Earth Peltasts, though the best results almost always come from the highly respected Wind Riders. Earth Peltasts sacrifice the amount of projectiles they can buck for maneuverability, and when coupled with their light armor, they can escape fairly easily to a safer distance and resume their harassment. Hundreds would be dead before the actual clash by then.

Unicorn Peltasts
Unicorn Ponies aren’t known for their endurance, something essential when you have to run back and forth while hurling projectiles at the enemy at the same time. Though the harsh training of Stormwing grants them some of the endurance, Unicorn Peltasts are better used to harass more important hostile units on the battlefield, particularly aiding the Wind Riders in killing enemy commanders. Even with the versatility provided by the array spells that mirrors the Legionnaires, they are in no way to be compared with those professional soldiers.

Pegasi Peltasts
They are not as swift as the Wind Riders, but they provide the necessary bulk for aerial skirmishing, a necessary component to combat enemy aerial units, especially the overwhelming numbers of Earthborn Pegasi Auxiliaries. Even though they are meant to harass the ground from the sky, they would mostly be busy securing aerial dominance above the battlefield for the most part due to the fact that Pegasi Peltasts are light infantry and would not last long in a ground melee.
After Hoplites and Wind Riders dominated the sky, it is their duty to make sure that no other forces would challenge it, taking most of their numbers into reconnaissance missions, limiting their skirmishing capabilities in the middle of a battle. But at the start however, it’s the other way around. Pegasi Peltasts work well with other Peltasts whilst Wind Riders scout the battlefield and Hoplites get into their positions. There are some situations where the Peltasts managed to rout much of the enemy even before the Hoplites and Ground Guard could get to fight. This makes them jokingly unpopular with other warriors of Stormwing, quoting them as “Kill Stealers”

Eagle’s Talons
A specialized Wind Rider unit equipped with not spears, but a device which turns hooves into talons, metaphorically speaking that is. With these claws a Wind Rider would bring death swift death unlike the Rocs whom the Griffs revere. A unit of Eagle’s Talons is often mixed with actual Griffs, and sometimes Keythongs leaping from high hills, to compensate the lack of numbers due to the weapon’s unpopularity with Hoplites in general.

Was curious why they are called "Pegasi Hoplites" and not only "Hoplites"...

Cloud Platforms
To tread on the floating clouds that litter the sky, it is one of the defining characteristics of those aerial creatures blessed with such ability. There are generally two types of cloud. The first type is the naturally occured ones, formed by water vapors in the air. These clouds are very unreliable without inspection which requires more than sight and scent, and maybe taste as well for some Pegasi. Casual appliance of such clouds for everyday usage is a norm, but when it means life and death, a matter of duty, some clouds are much better suited than the rest, and that is where the second type of cloud comes into the fold, those same cloud used to make the Flying Cities. Artificially created clouds are clear on their purposes, and best of all, do not rain unless made them to.

Cirrus-class Cloud Platforms
Appearing as little strands of clouds, Cirrus-classes serve as a transport for a small contingent of Pegasi. Due to the compact size, a Cirrus-class can be as swift as a Pegasi Hoplite should it be very windy during the time. Typically they have enough capacity to hold up to a dozen Pegasi without performance loss. Their greatest asset however is their quality of inconspicuousness amongst a group of other clouds; surely even your eyes would be drawn to the bigger ones. This quality allows commanders to send flanking units to their destinations without the loss of their stamina, their precious fighting energy, from circling the battlefield. Should the enemy forces did neither notice the translation nor be prepared themselves, an eager flanking attack might even turn into a devastating ambush.

Stratus-class Cloud Platforms
As the carnage rages on the ground, warriors of the sky may find respite on a Stratus-class, whose presence overshadows the battlefield. To compensate for the overwhelming size Stratus-classes are usually thin in layer, making them very fragile by most standards. The size however is their virtue, for it allows warriors to regroup and assess the situation at hoof amidst the chaos whilst regaining back lost energy, allowing them to fight more effectively. With so many warriors coming back and forth, it is not surprising for many commanders to establish a forward base on one of these clouds. Not only does this give them a mobile base of operations which overlooks much of the battlefield, it also allows them to give orders more effectively. There can’t really be any miscommunication when you got the orders straight from the commander’s mouth, or when the courier does not have to fly a Mustang Marathon every time to relay them.

Cumulus-class Cloud Platforms
There are many ways to use the overall large Cumulus-classes against airborne foes. These clouds are big, which makes them akin to a fog of the ground. To enter a Cumulus is to enter a killing field, for Pegasi warriors use them to mask their positions whilst finding the enemies’. And of course, this tactic can turn to the favor of the pursuer as well. When to be used against ground forces, Cumulus-classes would dive down, shattering itself, becoming a fog, which again has the possibility to be a double-edged sword as well. Cumulus-classes are a popular choice as a place to regroup due to their tactical effectiveness; it’s hard to see in the fog, safety during the moment of respite.

: Betcha know where this is going...

In the interest of organizing all the units and structures (and techs?) we've created here (and other places!), I've been working on a Google Doc spreadsheet. Mostly it's for my own reference to help with creating a balanced tech tree for each faction using PY's canon units and "filling in the gaps" with other people's OC creations, but I figured making it public might help gathering anything I've missed.

I've only done the units for the first two pages of this thread. So far, the columns are:

Unit Name
Randomizer - (To shuffle them into a random order)
Canon or Fanon Unit?
Original Creator
Link - (To more info)
Post # - (For this thread)
Faction
Canon or Fanon Faction?
Unit or Structure?

Anything else I should add?

4949880
Well...
- How about Type?
= Skirmishers
= Heavy Infantry
= Siege
= Cannon Fodder
= Elite
= Aerial
= etc.

4950603
I guess the tricky part is that some of the units can be a little ambiguous about what category they belong best in, but it's a good idea to get a quick phrase about what each unit is like.

I can't find the source, but PY had a list of categories that he tried to make sure each of his units fell into:

Basic Flyer
Basic Troops
Elite Flyer
Elite Ranged Unit
Heavy Flyer
Heavy/Elite Troops
Monster
Support Unit

TVTropes has a page on analyzing RTSes, and here's some of the common units they've listed:

Air Unit
Anti-Something Infantry
Anti-Something Vehicle
Artillery
Basic Melee Unit
Builder/Harvester
Elite Unit
Hero Unit
Militia
Naval Unit
Scout
Spellcaster
Super Unit
Transport
Worker Unit

And these two types are shared between PY's and TVT's lists!

Basic Ranged Unit
Siege Unit

So that's a good, what, 25 categories that each unit could fall into? I think combining those lists could give us enough options.

4951822
Ahh... This! :

Second important thing to consider when creating a new unit is the correct unit type your troops will fall into. There are several unit types:

1. Basic Troops
- exactly what it says on the tin, the backbone of your army. Now, I personally think the basic troop choices for each house have been covered pretty well and don't need any additions, but of course fell free to experiment with ideas.

2. Basic Ranged Unit
- self explanatory. Notice that some factions aren't supposed to really have a basic ranged unit (the Cult).

3. Basic Flyer
- again, self explanatory. There are two factions at the moment which do not have this unit type covered (i'll let you guess which ones). It would be awesome if somebody made an effort to create them.

4. Heavy/Elite Troops
- the badasses in your army, they're all about heavy melee and taking a lot of punishment. Again, the Cult stands out as they don't really have (or need) a heavy troop choice.

5. Elite Ranged Unit
- some factions have, them some don't. In case of Whitegold, currently only thing they have is an elite ranged unit.

6. Heavy Flyer
- stuff like ponycopters, manticores, sky chariots.

7. Elite Flyer
- like the basic flyer but better (Euphories, Lightning's Finest, Griffon Prowlers etc).

8. Support Unit
- a unit whose purpose on the battlefield is to support (duh) your units. They cannot fight themselves, but they still are a valuable asset and often can turn the tide of battle in your favor.

9. Siege Unit
- unit type dedicated to laying waste to enemy structures and enemy formations. Most of them are ranged by default but not all.

10. Monster
- a curious unit type, that is defined mostly not by its role on the battlefield, but by its different approach concerning things like morale, control, tactics. Basically, every monster-type unit need some sort of a handler to fight properly, and those who don't, usually have their roles restricted to just being there and tanking damage. Monsters have the potential to be as devastating to your army as to your opponent's. This category also includes magical and undead constructs.

: I can't say anything much for now as I would love to see spreadsheet first!

: Then I'll go through analysis mode.

4952141
Alright, here's the cleaned-up-yet-unfinished spreadsheet.

It's finally in a presentable state, at the very least. I've only filled out the fanon units up to page 2 of this thread, but I'll certainly add more. Feel free to make comments!

Command Centers
(Structure, All Factions)

The cornerstone of any base in neutral or hostile territory, these structures provide the units necessary for building additional structures and utilizing the nearby resources. Each faction has their own version of the structure that produces slightly different units and has slightly different abilities (which I haven't entirely decided on yet).

Funhouse - Cult of Laughter

Tree of Shelter - Everfree Tribes

Town Square - H. Earthborn

Starfort - H. Moon & Star

Storm's Eye - H. Stormwing

Ivory Hall - H. Whitegold

Summoner
(H. Moon & Star Unit, Elite Worker)
"Link: established."

Minor slave rebellion is an all too common risk for Moon & Star outposts that rely on slave labor. Even the most complex and labyrinthine magical security couldn't keep

The solution devised by Twilight and her think tanks was a bold one: instead of transporting the slaves to outposts, M&S should transport the buildings to outposts. Necessary structures could be assembled in high security locations like the slave domes, then teleported into the field by specialized unicorn magi. The Summoners required to transport structures are slightly more expensive than most workers due to their intense training, they can also summon other harvesters to help with the resource gathering. Additionally, most structures don't need the Summoner to maintain the portal, meaning a single Summoner can do most of a base's building.

Battery Tower
(H. Moon & Star Structure)

In addition to serving as houses and storage facilities for supply, these short and round towers also extend and stabilize the magical leylines necessary to summon and power buildings. Summoners can only summon in buildings (other than Starforts and other Battery Towers) as long as a friendly Battery Tower is within range of the building. If the Battery Tower is destroyed, any structures within range will shut down until they once again receive power.

With apologies to the Protoss.

Farm
(H. Moon & Star Structure)

Food-producing structure. After being built, a Slave Worker may harvest food from it.

Solar Farm
(H. Moon & Star Structure, Sun Guild only)

Commanders who have aligned with the Sun Guild may equip individual farms with solar silos. In addition to producing food as normal, Solar Farms can attack enemy units with a pulse of sunlight. Each blast costs energy, however, and the Solar Farm only gradually replenishes its energy during the day. It can defend against raids, but will run out of energy in any prolonged encounter.

Moon Farm
(H. Moon & Star Structure, Lunar Guild only)

Commanders who have aligned with the Lunar Guild may equip individual farms with tidal channels. These Moon Farms can still provide food as normal Farms, but now also slowly gather energy during the night. At any time, day or night, these structures can then burn up stored energy to heal nearby friendly units with the Moon's healing properties.

---

I decided the Solar Farm should be the "harming" structure and the Moon Farm should be the "healing" structure to give them each a better role to fill in their corresponding subfactions. If I'm not mistaken, for the most part the Lunar Guild was more about debuffs, whereas the Solar Guild was more about buffing friendly units.

Also, I'm open to ideas if anyone has an idea for a food-producing structure that's more "M&S" than a basic farm.

Castor Wraiths

Descended from Bear’s Tooth and Old Oaks, the Castor Wraiths specialize in cutting down trees and rendering them into something practically useful. In the wake of their transformation, Castor Wraiths are the notable few allowed to cut down the ancient trees of the Forest for the greater good, but that does not mean that they are purely artisans.

On the manner of their work, they use their sole front teeth to chew down wood with surprising speed. This ability, combat-wise, complemented by their mobility, makes them effective siege units, especially the rare ones who are known to be able to chew away Earthborn steel with ease. These Castors are more often deployed against heavily armored foes. Since they can chew away steel, they can chew away a Juggernaut’s armor. Needless to say that many of these Castors developed a taste for cannibalism over the years, assuming that they weren’t beforehand.

When they’re not deployed amidst the carnage, they would be doing their preferred role. Castor Wraiths make surprisingly durable walls from pretty much any material that they have around, not limited to wood which is their specialty. They are one industrious group of something closest to what the civilized call engineers. Even the Engineer Guild find one of their marvels fascinating, saying that these “Castorian Dams” are not bound by magic, but mechanical genius.

A good example of a battle implementation of a Castorian Dam would be the infamous Fourth Battle of Bordertown. A large number of Castor Wraiths were present during the battle. The Castorian Dam was built, not with wood, but with the corpses of both their friends and foes from the skirmishes in short notice. Many barrages of Bucker Cannons were immediately fired at the wall, but the results were far more than just some holes. It’s called Dam and not Wall for reasons.

A Castorian Dam is deceptively not a wall. The closest thing that can be compared to it would be a fort surrounded by a moat of similar width. The moat is commonly filled to the top with regular water, but on occasions it can be an alchemist’s brew or Castoreum, the acidic and volatile fluid secreted only by Castor Wraiths. At the center is the hovel where, in battle, Wraiths may find respite. The quality of the hovel is as crucial as the walls of the dam themselves, especially when up against aerial foes which render those walls useless. Only Wraiths are capable of defending the dam effectively, and Castor Wraiths know best their ways through the construct since they build it.

The actual purpose of a Castorian Dam, however, is to store and divert waters which carry the Everfree essence to new areas, spreading it, growing the Forest. This makes the construct a primary target of destruction for Earthborn, who would not tolerate the presence of the Everfree Forest no deeper into the Frontier. Recent sighted Castorian Dams showed thicker walls and larger hovels, typically enough to fit in dozens of ponies in it without being cramped.

-

: Beavers...

Elemental Mystics (and the consequences of being one)

As with practically everything magical, harnessing the very elements of nature through arcane arts is considered throughout the profession to be quite intriguing, not the results itself (though they tend to be pretty in sight), but the side effects on the practitioners themselves. Those practitioners tend to have their personality changed over time according to their element of choice. Those who are acquainted with many elements are usually borderline insane in others’ perspective. Everything in the world is made up of those same elements, including ourselves. Through magic it is but the matter of choice to harness it, or rather for Earthborn, to abuse it.

As stated, the personality of the practitioners of elemental arts would differ according to the elements they specialize. Water is calm and collected. Fire is passionate and restless. Earth is stoic and calculating. Air is cheerful and carefree. And of course that these can be combined to form a new personality, provided that the practitioner specialize in more than one element. There aren’t many who notice the personality change except the Mystics themselves, more less for those same who realize the weakness from the change. It makes them predictable.

Water Mystics

Water is considered to be most simple to master since most lifeforms are evidently made of it, being well-acquainted to it. Water is hardly an offensive element and fare much better in defensive maneuvers. A water curtain made of viscous water is renowned for being able to stop projectiles on their path. Half a dozen of Water Mystics is more than enough to conjure a flood to wash away battle groups, or at least turn the ground against them.

Taking note as mentioned that most lifeforms are made of water; in theory, Water Mystics may be able to control the bodily fluids of that lifeform. This may be in a form of brutal aquakinesis, moving the body through the fluids inside it. Something more brutal would be multiplying it, exploding the vessel which is the body through sheer tension, or perhaps make the fluids themselves disappear. Nevertheless, such feats are only rumors. But then again, rumors are often slightly distorted accounts in this magical world.

Water, on the other hand, is also valued for its healing capabilities few can match; grave injuries healed in the matter of minutes. Though they are rarely assigned to the frontlines since there are little the medical staff cannot handle, the Water Mystics are usually called for when there’s a fire burning, making them firefighting units by their own right as well. So in conclusion, Water Mystics tend to be proficient both in medical matters and firefighting, a treasure for civic responsibilities and those who manage them.

Fire Mystics

Destructive, this is what everyone would say to describe the very nature of fire, and they are mostly correct. Fire burns. Fire destroys. Fire Mystics would set the ground blazing like it is kindling. This can be either to deny the enemy passage, or perhaps to actually burn them alive. The latter method is often used when the carnage commences, when it is clear that there are no more room for tactical solutions. The dreaded meteor shower, which is only possible through multiple Fire Mystics channeling fireballs, make sure that the enemies of Moon and Star leave no ashes behind. They explode.

On the other hand, fire can be subtle as well. Fire Mystics who know stealth tend to be superb saboteurs. And through the merit of their skills in stealth, these Fire Mystics make great infiltrators through the enemy lines, into the softer core, set it alight. When the situation on the field is more demanding, the Fire Mystics can use their subtlety to arrange unsuspecting ambushes and flanking attacks.

Another notable variation of the Fire Mystics are the ones who prefer deadly melee. These Fire Mystics would channel their hooves to have them covered with concentrated flames and engage the enemy with those same hooves. On one end, you have a Unicorn whose hooves are on fire hot enough to melt steel. On the other end, you risk opposing the orders of your superiors which include killing that Unicorn.

Earth Mystics

Cities and armies stand on the ground. Having the means to control it means having the capability to morph the terrain to one’s desire. Whilst fire and water put themselves on top of the earth, Earth Mystics reshape the ground itself to their desire. They may create fissures to fall the unwary to their gravitational demise. They may hurl pieces of stone as a sort of projectile. They may even project something of a sandstorm to blind their foes as well. Their most valuable asset is their ability to bring up walls of mud and stone as a barrier to protect their allies, allowing for an ad-hoc fort to be erected at a seemingly instant.

There is a one certain spell which all Earth Mystics are reluctant to perform unless the entirety of the number necessary to channel it concedes to do so. The ground has to be designated first, hopefully the place where the commander can make use of the spell to the most effect. Once that’s done, the Earth Mystics would take their time to prepare, hopefully (again) not more than half a day depending on the magnitude and intensity demanded. And when everything is ready, the trap can then be sprung at the best moment. An earthquake.

The subject of the ancient Earthborn is a controversial one amongst the scholars of Moon and Star; the lack of solid proof at hoof makes them refuse to acknowledge their existence. The mystery might not be solved with archaeology for their case, but it might have already been solved through Earth Elemental. One of the recent rumors detail an incredible feat of harnessing a new power from earth, something similar to what only the ancient Earthborns are supposedly capable of.

Air Mystics

Air surrounds everything, even the sky. This makes Air Mystics treasured amongst the ranks of Moon and Star. Not only can they harness the skies as the Pegasi do, they can also turn their shelters against the flying heathens as well. The most obvious form of this is manipulating the weather; blowing the clouds together to form rain at its simplest form. But weather manipulation is a highly complex subject, more so when putting in practice. As such, only few talented Air Mystics are capable of carrying it out.

Though a gentle breeze is always pleasant, it is not a weapon to bring harm. The gale has to be a storm, blowing away the unpleasant. Summoning a tornado is relatively much harder compared to how Stormwing does it. But Air Mystics have another toy which no common Pegasus may aspire to achieve; all have the ability to send out an extremely strong wind, a massive shockwave rather, at an instant. There are only a few who are capable of channeling Air Blades; winds which move faster sound, slicing anything they touch.

Sound is technically vibrations of the air. This is a truth (sadly?) not many realize, which is why they are to be caught off guard when they found out Air Mystics can emit deafening sounds of ear-agony. This ability can also be used in a more subtle way, perhaps to create a distraction. One of the more advanced implementation of this ability is to mimic sounds. Sound waves are acknowledged by the scholar community, but nothing more than that. They can only read it, but to manipulate it, an unfinished concept. No one knows how to actually do it, or doesn’t know how to express the formula out correctly rather.

: And that's just the classic elements.

Black Jet Squadron

The famed Black Jet Squadron exists solely in Stalliongrad, developed to improve the extent of their already revolutionary design concept, specifically in the terms of military application. Although each Black Jet is equipped with its own unique set of weaponry for the crystal clear purpose of experimentation, or lack any of it for the matter of one case, the principle for its translation through the skies, and underground though again for one case, applies to the entire squadron: an engine which utilizes a curious incantation to "jet" out air through efficiently processed channeled magic, and the rest of the aviation process rests upon the capability of its wingspan.

The origin of the Black Jets is in the form of fragments of different concepts prior to the Founding of Equestria, continually developed in the shadows under a different name throughout the centuries before being silenced by around the seventh after the fateful banishment of Nightmare Moon. The captured plans and prototypes were sealed in the archives of Canterlot, destined to be forgotten. As it appears that destiny can change frantically, those same archives were busted open at the very birth of Moon and Star, and those which make up the present Black Jets ended up under the management of Stalliongrad at the request of its governor. The development of the Black Jets formally began under the supervision and personal funding of Governor Jet Set.

As each Black Jet is unique and has its own specialization, the entire squadron is capable of responding to a variety of scenarios effectively through selecting the most efficient composition to perform the mission, though it is rare to see them at their full force being deployed all at once, as a mission which needs every type of specialization hardly comes by. As if versatility and advanced technology (by Moon and Star's standard!) aren't enough to intimidate the enemy, their aforementioned engines also allows travel of great distances as long as their pilots' mental capacities can handle them.

On the pilots themselves, the squadron consists entirely of a total 18 Unicorns who piloted and/or operate the bizarre contraptions of the 13 Black Jets, excluding the support staff maintaining the Black Jets and those who use them in top-notch condition. Lately the Black Jet Squadron has been deploying its wings into the fold of the wars Moon and Star is part of, and many a number of victories are owed to their missions and occasional inspiring heroic feats.

It is just recently that the surviving 9 members were granted Celestial Knighthood in recognition to their most recent exemplar deeds of a miraculous victory over Stormwing in a showdown over Featherfall, the suicide mission to intercept a Stormwing task force many times outnumbered them sent to flank and destroy the battered legions as they retreated back to Stalliongrad, a victory which cost them more than half of the squadron. The Black Jet Squadron is dismissed for now as every surviving Black Jets and their pilots require reparations, physically and emotionally.

: Don't you find it a bit peculiar that Jet Set's cutie mark is a trio of aircraft?
: It's like he's a mechanic or a pilot, or something. A nobility!