How powerful is the Kel'Morian Combine?

[UED]

I'm talking economically and militarily, during the beginning of Wings of Liberty. Can someone give me a good, rounded number compared to the other terran factions? Perhaps some ratio, or context out of the novels. I'd think the Combine is to powerful to be overthrown by Mengsk, but not strong enough to attack the Dominion.

[Gradius]

In a recent gametrailers interview, Chambers said that Mengsk is the big player. He's rebuilt alot & is very strong compared to everyone else.

[Pandonetho]

The Terran Dominion pushes around the KM like a bully.

And they can't do a thing about it except lose every battle.

[vIsitor]

The thing to remember about the KMC is that their strength lies in the mind-boggling amount of raw resources at their disposal. Technically, they lost the Guild Wars, but they closed the bloody saga by literally bribing the Tarsonian Confederacy into submission. Its implied they pulled the same trick on the UED too (and to be able to cut a deal with them implies that their military was at least strong enough that the UED felt that simply accepting tribute was more profitable than taking Moria out from under the KMC).

At present, the Dominion dwarfs both the KMC and the Umojan Protectorate put together in terms of sheer standing military power, but I wouldn't doubt that between the KMC's resources and the Umojans' toys the odds could be evened out.

[Pandonetho]

Which is surprising really, considering as you said the KMC have such inexhaustable resources, how they manage to fall behind the Dominion in sheer military power.

Maybe they just don't have as many amazing people as the Confederates/Dominion does.

[mr. peasant]

Which is surprising really, considering as you said the KMC have such inexhaustable resources, how they manage to fall behind the Dominion in sheer military power.

Maybe they just don't have as many amazing people as the Confederates/Dominion does.

Precisely. They have far fewer territories than the Dominion, consisting primarily of mining colonies. What manpower they have is largely distributed amongst the mines and salvage operations. However, it would appear that their cash allows for better training and/or equipment. This is indicated by the elite Marine mercenaries that Raynor hires through Graven Hill being Kel-Morians.

[vIsitor]

That, and the KMC seems to be a more loose with its enforcement of the law than the Dominion is (what, with associating with fugitives like Raynor and the like), which means less convicts to neurally resocialize into Marines.

[GentleBen]

I hope we get a glimpse into some KMC worlds, maybe even Moria itself. They have so much money yet they arent spending it all on military. I would think they would have some really astonishing cities built up by now.

[Visions of Khas]

they closed the bloody saga by literally bribing the Tarsonian Confederacy into submission. Its implied they pulled the same trick on the UED too

You forget that the Confederacy "annexed" substantial portions of KMC's territory.

Just because you have a great deal of resources doesn't make you the undisputed master of your own backyard. The the quality of the training of KMC's armies may pale in comparison with other governments. Or they may have a relatively low population. There are hundreds of other possibilities that we can only speculate at.