The Border Kingdom

The Border Kingdom

Five hundred years later the kingdoms of the world are clearly defined. The kingdoms of the Hyborians - Aquilonia, Nemedia, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Koth, Ophir, Argos, Corinthia, and one known as the Border Kingdom - dominate the western world. - The Hyborian Age

The Border Kingdom is mysterious and unusual realm south of Nordheim and north of Nemedia. Serving as a buffer state to Nemedia much like Gunderland is to Aquilonia. the Border Kingdom receives subsidies and resources from Nemedia in order to survive raids by Nordic barbarians and slavers from Hyperborea, as well as encroachment by Aquilonia. Likely the last of the Second Generation of Hyborian kingdoms, the Border Kingdom is in an unenviable position, trapped between barbarians and powerful imperialist nations. It will take a wily and skilled king to keep the kingdom intact: it will take a truly great man to forge an empire from this young nation.

Out of all the nations in the Hyborian Age, the Border Kingdom is the one with the least available information. I have based the Border Kingdom on the medieval "Border Kingdoms" of the British Isles, notable Northumbria and the Scottish lowlands, which were similarly situated between feudal and barbaric societies. I'm thinking of names for the three Border Kingdom regions, and the name of the King.

Units

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Border Axemen
As the youngest of the traditional Hyborian nations, the Border Kingdom is perhaps closer to their barbaric heritage than their southern brethren. This is most apparent among the lower and middle classes, who use simple farm tools such as axes when the need for battle arises. These soldiers are well trained in the use of their heavy axes, from their daily woodcutting labour to martial training sponsored by the local baron. A step up from mere woodsmen, these soldiers are ideally suited to cutting down heavily armoured enemies such as men-at-arms and barbarian chieftains.

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Border Champions
The Border Kingdom's proximity to barbarian tribes means that the soldiers of this realm have had to retain a little barbarism of their own. Although the cities and larger towns of the Border Kingdom retain the feudal Hyborian military, the border towns and villages harken back to their barbaric days, with warriors more akin to the Cimmerians and Nordheimir than a more civilized realm. Somewhat uniquely, these isolated border towns utilize a form of endemic warfare, where only the greatest and strongest men are chosen to fight in battle, frequently highly ritualized and fought in the No Man's land between territorial borders. These warriors, wielding greatswords and clad in mail, are highly sought after by barons and lords of the Border Kingdom as bodyguards and retinue.

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Border Archers
Much like the Bossonians, the Border Kingdomers have developed an institutionalised archery regime, where young boys are trained in the use of the longbow from the age they can draw a bow. Though not as devastating as the Bossonian archers, the longbowmen of the Border Kingdom are still effective soldiers, ideal for the defense of border forts and walled towns against largely unarmoured barbarians like the Cimmerians.

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Federate Warband
The Border Kingdom's proximity to barbarian nations means that an influx of criminals, deserters, outcasts and other undesirables of the Nordheimir and Cimmerians find themselves driven southwards. Frequently these warriors are conscripted into a Federate Warband, a military unit formed of barbarians paid to fight and protect the Border Kingdom. They are usually paid just enough for food and shelter, the opportunity for battle being payment enough for most barbarians. They can have a variety of different weapons owing to their previous status and circumstances, but the vast majority of these warriors have simple axes and bucklers, and go into battle unarmoured.

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Federates
Although most barbarians who are conscripted into the Federates are able warriors, there are a number of children and youths who are driven to the Border Kingdom when their tribes are destroyed by war or natural disaster. These homeless young barbarians wander the land in search of food, shelter and a way to build a community, but sometimes the Border Kingdom recruits them for use in the Border Kingdom military. The youngest are set to work in mills, workshops and factories in exchange for basic amenities, while the older ones are incorporated into the Federates warbands. Usually these warriors have limited combat experience in comparison to adults, though their experience in hunting large prey makes them adept with the javelin, making them useful ambushers and skirmishers.

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Federate Champions
Most Federates of the Border Kingdom are outcasts and undesirables with nowhere else to turn but the Border Kingdom for employment. Some of these warriors, however, are notable champions and chieftains among the barbarians, who leave their tribes of their own accord as much as they are cast out. These men are often great warriors with the scars of many battles on their bodies, and eager to fight in the bloody rage of battle.

Coming soon:
Border Reivers
War Dogs

The Traditional Hyborian Army

In addition to unique regional units, this is the army which is available to Aquilonia, Nemedia, Koth, Argos, Zingara, Corinthia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea and the Border Kingdom. Some of the skins are vanilla, and I haven't done the shield attachments yet, but this is pretty much the standard army list outside of special units.

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Peasants
“Argos, Zingara, Ophir, Zamora and the Shemite countries were treated as subjugated provinces, which was especially galling to the proud Zingarans, who often revolted, despite savage retaliations.” – The Hyborian Age
Although the Hyborians have long since grown civilized and abandoned the ways of their barbaric ancestors, that does not mean that the peasantry will not fight for their king and country. They may not be skilled or effective soldiers, but in times of desperation an army of peasant levies can be vital. Placed in the path of an invading army, these peasants may not win a battle, but offer a nation enough time to gather their professional troops and offer a strategic victory in exchange for a tactical defeat. Even as part of a professional army, peasants can be a good meat shield as part of a stronger infantry line, and can offer archers and skirmishers valuable time when placed between them and light cavalry. Armed with heavy farm implements, they can be surprisingly effective against heavily armed knights in sufficient numbers, but their morale and cohesion leaves a lot to be desired.

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Militia
“The defile was blocked by a wild and terrible band of men who stood silent as images-ragged, shock-headed men with spears in their hands-hundreds of them. And up on the cliffs appeared other faces – thousands of faces – wild, gaunt, ferocious faces, marked by fire and steel and starvation.” – The Hour of the Dragon
Every Hyborian nation has a strong sense of pride, which extends from the nobility down to the common folk. In the rich inner provinces and smaller frontier villages, the local militia were the principle garrison and patrol body, charged with keeping order within the settlement and defense against bandits and invading forces. Mostly these soldiers are just levied farmers, craftsmen, traders and labourers with a sturdy shield and spear, given basic training by the local lord's men-at-arms and encouraged to practise a few hours each week. These soldiers are good for the garrison duties, though are not reliable on the battlefield unless supported by professional infantry.

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Spearmen
“Close on their heels marched the Khoraja spearmen, always comparatively few in any Hyborian state, where men thought cavalry the only honorable branch of service. These, like the knights, were of ancient Kothic blood – sons of ruined families, broken men, penniless youths, who could not afford horses and plate-armor, five hundred of them.” – Black Colossus
Since the days of the Hyborian migrations, the spear has been a common weapon on the battlefield. In the days of knights and chivalry, the infantry are commonly seen as inferior and supplementary troops, a myopic and arrogant view that has cost many a battle to a haughty lord. The spearmen do not have the morale or equipment of a knight of man-at-arms, but belief in the safety of numbers has given them strong camaraderie and unit cohesion far superior to the individually minded and independent knights. They may not be as renowned as the cavalry, but the spearmen seek to play their part on the battlefield.

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Swordsmen
“They were young men, but hard and sinewy, with a bearing that comes only to men rendered desperate by adversity. They were clad in mail shirts and worn leather; swords hung at their girdles.” – A Witch Shall Be Born
The sword is a weapon of great prestige in the Hyborian age. Though the spear and axe can be mastered relatively quickly, it takes many years to master the sword, and so generally only those well trained and equipped in it's use are employed with the sword on the battlefield. These soldiers work with the spearmen, protecting their vulnerable flanks and disrupting pike formations. They are versatile and good offensive soldiers, and greatly effective in the defense of a settlement, though the high upkeep and expense means that they are best used as part of a full army.

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Pikemen
“The pikemen moved forward, flowing over the ground like the glinting waves of a river of molten steel...” – The Scarlet Citadel
The pike, being the natural evolution of the spear, is starting to become a common sight in Hyborian conflicts. Although there are some proud pike traditions such as in Gunderland and Corinthia, most Hyborian pikemen are militia given simple training and equipment, treated with as much contempt by the nobility as they do spearmen. Since they are usually treated as spear fodder by the knights, most Pikemen do not even carry supplementary weapons, using the pike exclusively, making them extremely effective in their role, but vulnerable in any other. Flanking and concentrated missile fire is usually enough to rout these units, so they have to be protected from such attacks.

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Men at Arms
“Through a slit in the cloak that covered him he saw, faintly in the lurid glare of torches, the great black arch of a gateway, and the bearded faces of men-at-arms, the torches striking fire from their spearheads and helmets… Half a dozen men-at-arms strode out of the shadows. The firelight glinted on their breast-plates and helmet crests” – The Hour of the Dragon
Soldiers in the pay of a local nobleman, men-at-arms are powerful infantry, with greater armour and morale than swordsmen or spearmen, while having better unit cohesion and discipline than the reckless knights. Usually formed from squires, retainers, adventurers and mercenaries, they can be relied upon to hold an infantry line, support flanks, and defend a settlement with great determination and courage. Equipped in sturdy plate and with good swords and shields, they are the best infantry available outside of elites and regional specialists.

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Knights
"Seven knights guard your tent, Your Majesty," said Pallantides. "None could approach it unchallenged." - The Hour of the Dragon
Though knights are most comfortable on horseback, for various reasons circumstances could require knights to fight dismounted, be it in defense of a settlement or in particularly treacherous terrain. Disdainful of having to fight alongside peasants and serfs, knights are dangerous and terrible warriors in melee combat. They fight with great ferocity and are well protected in plate armour: however, their obsession with individual glory and combat means they are incapable of forming a cohesive unit. They are best used spread among a more compact infantry line, or to break up enemy infantry formations: a charge by mounted knights will likely decimate them.
Their greatest strength is in defense of a settlement: even suffering the indignity of fighting on foot, their pride and lusty enthusiasm is infectious, boosting the morale of nearby infantry considerably while intimidating nearby enemies. This makes them a force to be reckoned with, even without their mighty steeds.

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Scouts
"Ahead of him roved a swarm of scouts, and Amalric waited impatiently for them to return and tell of the Poitanians trapped beside a furious flood." - The Hour of the Dragon
Scouts are reconnaissance soldiers sent out to patrol borders, infiltrate territory and survey enemy activity. Lightly armed and equipped, these soldiers sacrifice armour for speed and mobility, though they are still effective warriors. They are used as light cavalry in battle, chasing down missile troops and routers, and occasionally to supplement a cavalry wing.

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Horsemen
“…only occasional groups of horsemen in leather and steel, hawk-faced, hard-eyed men, who kept together and rode warily. These swept Conan with their searching gaze but rode on, for the solitary rider's harness promised no plunder…” – The Hour of the Dragon
Horsemen of the Hyborian Kingdoms are those farmers, hunters, merchants and similar non-military personnel who have their own horses, and are used to chase after routers and deserters, as well as to harass outlying villages. They generally start out unarmoured, but can be equipped better with funding from the state, and can wear up to heavy mail armour to continue in their role as light cavalry. Their horses are generally kept unarmoured so as to provide swift transport and attack.

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Mounted Men-at-Arms
“The Aquilonian host had assumed the customary formation: The strongest part was the center, composed entirely of heavily armed knights; the wings were made up of smaller bodies of horsemen, mounted men-at-arms, mostly, supported by pikemen and archers.” – The Hour of the Dragon
Men-at-Arms are the richer and more experienced folk who are not of the nobility: usually these are former mercenaries, adventurers, squires and other folk who have access to better equipment than horsemen, but not the lavish and expensive arms and armour of the knights. Men-at-Arms start out relatively lightly equipped with mail for themselves and their horses, and if the kingdom's coffers can afford it, they can be equipped with steel plate.

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Mounted Knights
“The army was on the move at last. There were the knights, gleaming in richly wrought plate-armor, colored plumes waving above their burnished sallets. Their steeds, caparisoned with silk, lacquered leather and gold buckles, caracoled and curvetted as their riders put them through their paces. The early light struck glints from lancepoints that rose like a forest above the array, their pennons flowing in the breeze. Each knight wore a lady's token, a glove, scarf or rose, bound to his helmet or fastened to his sword-belt.” – Black Colossus
The mighty juggernaut of the Hyborian Age, mounted knights are a fearsome sight to behold. Clad in gleaming plate, wielding a huge lance, these men are proud to a fault, and are considered the true soldiers of the Hyborian army.
Knighthood of the Hyborian Age has it's origins in the Hyborian migrations. Most Hyborian chieftains fought on foot, using their mounts to transport them to battle as opposed to marching: however, more and more chieftains started to fight mounted as cavalry. By the time of Acheron's fall, most Hyborian chieftains fought on horseback, facilitating the use of heavier arms and armour, the barbarian horsemen evolving into the knight of later eras.
With the fall of Python, Acheron was in chaos, vast tracts of land falling to anarchy. The disparate Hyborian tribes started to carve out new lands for themselves, each chieftain claiming a small territory of the new nations as a local ruler. This was the beginning of Hyborian chivalry, and the centuries of hereditary rule and formation of feudalism transformed the Hyborians from barbaric savages to civilized nobles, styling themselves as the true soldiers of the Hyborian Age.

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Archers
""The wings close in," said the squire. "Pikemen and swordsmen fight hand to hand in the stream, and behind them the bowmen ply their shafts." - The Hour of the Dragon
Since the days of Bori's dominance, the Hyborians have used the bow in battle and hunting. Although the Hyborians place their trust in the easily used and maintained crossbows, traditional archers can still be found and recruited. Usually these are hunters, either for trade, sport or leisure, and their enthusiasm for the bow makes them cheap missile units, if unreliable in poor weather conditions.
Archery is practised among the nobility for sport in their vast hunting grounds, but few nobles take it seriously as a military art. Archery is thus viewed as marginally inferior to the infantry, who at least have the courage to attack in close range. This reputation makes archers unlikely to be seen in Hyborian armies outside of Aquilonia or Argos.

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Crossbowmen
“The king and his allies moved westward at the head of fifty thousand men – knights in shining armor with their pennons streaming above their helmets, pikemen in steel caps and brigandines, crossbowmen in leather jerkins.” – The Hour of the Dragon
The advent of the crossbow has transformed Hyborian warfare, the traditional bow being superceded by the powerful and easily used crossbow. It was highly unpopular among the nobility, who view the idea of an untrained peasant slaying a noble trained for war all his life as ungentlemanly and cowardice of the highest order. Nonetheless, crossbows are the missile weapon of choice on the Hyborian battlefield due to the ease of their use and impressive penetrative power. Crossbowmen are highly ubiquitous troops, seen on the battlefield, as watchmen in cities, border patrols and expeditionary forces alike, making them one of the most versatile and useful troops available to a Hyborian general.

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Arbalesters
“Under the great tower beside the royal palace the people swirled and milled, screaming their hate at Arpello, who stood on the turrets and laughed down at them while his archers ranged the parapets, bolts drawn and fingers on the triggers of their arbalests.” – The Scarlet Citadel
The more advanced and dangerous brother of the crossbow, the arbalest is a devastating weapon. Although with a slower rate of fire and requiring greater strength and skill, the arbalest was a terrible weapon: considered inhumane and unfair by the nobility, it could kill a lifelong trained knight in full armour when in the hands of a comparatively inexperienced crossbowmen. This incredible armour piercing power and ease of use makes them dangerous weapons, although they are outmatched by elite archers such as the Bossonians, Shemites and Turanians.