Unit descriptions
Edited by Black_Draen 2/4-2005
Unit descriptions (In progress):
Basic units
Local Militia
Although all towns and villages within a nation are theoretically protected either by a local lord or by the monarch, often this help is insufficient to protect a village from bandits and raiders, and sometimes this help is non-existent. Therefore many communities must fend for the and often raise their own local militia to protect themselves. These militia are suited to protecting their village from bandits and wolves but they are by no means good soldiers, lacking any formal training, proper equipment and battlefield experience. They are suited to garrison work but are all but useless on the battlefield although their superior weaponry and training (limited though it is) will give them an advantage over peasants, and their spears and shields will allow them to resist attacks by light cavalry. However they stand no chance against proper soldiers and will be swept away by any heavy cavalry.
Town Militia
When a town grows, so does the need for protection from bandits and foreign invaders. Although most towns are protected by the monarch's armies, many local lords and ladies feel the need for more tangible protection. For this reason a town militia is often trained to protect traders and citizens from bandits as well as perform more mundane roles such as basic policing and keeping the peace within the towns walls. These troops are better equipped than the militias of smaller settlements with pole arms which give them a distinctive advantage over peasantry and can give them an edge over armed, professional troops (a fact which these professionals often resent). They have also received some form of training often having been taught their skills by retired house armsmen and are well led, often commanded, again, by veteran armsmen.
County Militia
The larger a town gets the better its defensive organisation becomes. A large town needs some form of soldiery to defend it from the attentions of large scale invasion in war as well as dealing with bandits and keep the peace. Additionally, the wealthier a town is, the wealthier its lord is, the better the troops it recruits are. County militia receive better training and weapons than town militia, and receive armour which is adequate if a little old fashioned. There is also a better command structure, with units properly divided into squads of regular size. These troops are almost proper soldiers compared to part time local and town militias. They can hold their own on a battlefield, matching many armoured foot units, although they are vulnerable to any attack from medium and heavy cavalry.
House Guards
Although when a lord or lady goes to war it is the House Armsmen who form the core of their retinue, in times of peace soldiers are still needed to carry out onerous, and often dangerous duties, such as putting down riots and revolts and hunting bandits in the trackless wilderness. This unglamorous duty falls to men known as House Guards, little better than mercenaries in uniform. Many House Guards are drawn from the lower walks of life, most having been, before their recruitment, merchant's guards or even bandits themselves. However, amongst their ranks can also be found men who have retired from the House Armsmen due to old age or serious injury. These men are though, well-seasoned fighters, accustomed to skirmishing and small-scale engagements. However, their poor, ageing equipment, lack of proper armour, lack of discipline and experience of full-scale battle means that they are outclassed by regular battlefield soldiers.
House Armsmen
Although nations are ruled by kings and queens, the land within them is divided into the estates of noble houses. Some of these, such as house Bryne in Andor are very small in size, but others, such as House Damodred in Cairhein own vast estates with huge revenues. Whatever their size, every House has a standing army of House Armsmen, and as vassals of the throne must contribute significant numbers of them to the Royal armies- These soldiers are well equipped, well trained professionals, disciplined and accustomed to large scale conflict. Their heavy armour, large shields and skill with their shortswords allows them to defeat lesser warriors such as peasantry, militia and pikemen.
Royal Armsmen
When a monarch comes to power, he or she will want to ensure military superiority over arty contenders to the throne, namely other major houses. With this in mind monarchs usually create their own private armies drawn from the ranks of their House Armsmen. These men receive the best equipment, training and, crucially, wages. The fact that they are drawn from trusted House Armsmen combined with their excellent pay ensures their loyalty and a monarch will be certain to keep them close at hand in the eventuality of unrest or civil war.
Levy
In times of war nobles and monarchs will raise levies as needed. These troops are not a standing army as such, but are a step above the hastily formed militias and local watches. Because modern day battles are thought of primarily in terms of mounted conflict, these semi professional soldiers are most often equipped with pikes, as these stand the best chance of resisting a cavalry charge. These troops are usually armoured with leather jerkins and some form of helmet and carry long knives or short swords; they are not uniformly equipped or armoured rarely even with pikes of the same length and balance. Levy are really just better equipped peasants, lacking proper training and discipline. They will hold against light cavalry, militia or peasantry, but will stand no chance against a determined assault by armsmen or heavy cavalry.
Pikemen
Pikemen are semi-professional soldiers who are kept in readiness for war despite not permanently serving as soldiers. These soldiers are equipped by their noble and therefore are better armed, forming a more effective fighting unit. Most pikemen are equipped with decent armour often a jerking sewn with metal plates or even chain mail. This provides them with some protection from archery but rarely stops a determined sword thrust. Although they are not under equipped, nor are they battle willing troops; their role is to form the mainstay of the army and provide support for more professional units in attack or bear the brunt of enemy assaults. Hence it is usually the pikemen who pay the butcher's bill in battle as they are vulnerable to proper armsmen and nobles are often willing to expend them to preserve their better trained, more expensive units.
Armoured pikemen
Armoured pikemen are a step up from regular pikemen. They are often a fully professional unit which forms part of the standing army. Their good training and regular drill allows them to stand firm against most enemies, and their heavy armour allows them to withstand arrow fire and gives them durability in prolonged fighting. Although many nobles still shun them on the basis that they fight on foot, a wise commander knows the value of their solid discipline and good defensive abilities. They are often used to provide anchorage on the flanks to protect a battle line from cavalry or are deployed in a central block to push forward attacks. These soldiers play less of a support role than regular pikemen and are quite capable of forming the disciplined core of an army.
Light Horse
Light Horse are recruited by commanders to provide mobile scouting and skirmishing forces, acting as auxiliaries rather than frontline troops. They are drawn from commoners and fur at their own expense and therefore are poorly equipped with merely a short spear or sword and studded leather for protection. Their mounts are often of dubious quality, more suited to taking a cart to market than bearing troops into battle. The horses are unarmoured and therefore vulnerable to missile fire. These poorly paid peasant soldiers are rarely adequate riders and sometimes fail to control their mounts in battle. Nor are they the bravest of soldiers and tend to flee when they suffer heavy casualties. However they will overcome peasantry and militia and their mobility means they are well suited to chasing routed troops, although a wise commander remembers that they stand no chance in a frontal assault on professional troops.
Mounted Armsmen
Modern day conflict is most often decided by mounted forces. Many nobles (and therefore commanders) regard cavalry as almost sacred, and so they are always keen to include as many mounted soldiers as possible in their armies. Although cavalry are traditionally nobles, it is common for nobles to train their armsmen to fight on horseback. Although mounted armsmen lack the expensive heavy armour of nobility and their reckless bravery, they are well trained and equipped and are quite capable of routing most infantry. They are well drilled professional soldiers with good equipment and plenty of combat experience, but they are unsuited to prolonged fighting and will struggle against pikemen. They will also be outclassed by better equipped noblemen who have been trained to fight from birth, and so are best used to attack weaker units and run down routing troops.
Mounted Nobles
The mounted core of all armies south of the Borderlands consists invariably of mounted nobles. These cavalry units consist entirely of individual nobles, usually including one high ranking Lord accompanied by his tenants and lesser nobles. Each noble is armed and mounted at his own expense, and so they usually ride the finest horses and are equipped with the best and latest armour, with both the mounts and equipment kept in excellent condition by a gaggle of attendants off the battlefield for each lord. Even the poorest squire will still have at least three servants to look after him and his equipment. Despite their excellent fighting abilities, these nobles have one weakness; their arrogance. Many regard foot as mere cannon fodder and will often charge superior forces, confident of victory, only to find themselves overwhelmed within minutes. A wise commander will remember that these troops are not invincible even though they themselves think they are!
Andor
Queen's Guards
When Andor goes to war, the Queen's Guards (whose role in peacetime is to guard the person of the Queen and the city of Caemlyn) and the army are commanded by the first Prince of the Sword, but the Queen occasionally rides with them as well. In battle the Queen's Guard act, as the name suggests, as a bodyguard for the Queen, but they are more than mere personal attendants. The Queen's Guards role in war time is to provide Andor with its standing army, an elite core around which the army is built. They are the best fighters in the Andoran army, with excellent training, superb equipment and unflinching devotion to the Andoran Queen and nation. They are exceptional heavy cavalry, but can also fight on foot as unequalled heavy infantry. Their excellent fighting abilities come at a price, they are extremely costly to train and maintain.
Two Rivers Longbowmen
The Two Rivers is an all but forgotten province of Andor, one which has not seen an Andoran tax collector for generations. Its people are hardy hill folk, whose independence and stubborn attitudes make them sturdy soldiers. Their iron will and determination sets them apart from outlanders and makes them excellent soldiers when the need arises. The traditional weapon of this area is the longbow, a huge bow as tall as most men. Two Rivers men learn to use these weapons from their earliest childhood and can shoot arrows accurately over prodigious distances. The arrows fired strike home with the same force as a crossbow bolt and can easily pluck an armoured knight from his horse. Longbowmen are not officially part of the Andoran army and are notoriously difficult to recruit, as few regard them as Andoran. However if they can be recruited they are an invaluable asset to the Andoran army, as this backwater province produces the finest archers in the world.
Two Rivers Peasants
The men of the Two Rivers are renowned for their independence and self reliance, and are said to be the most stubborn people in the world. It is often said that they could teach stones to be stubborn. This iron will comes not from their arduous way of life, but has its source in their blood. The inhabitants of the Two Rivers are in fact distant descendants of the mighty people of Manetheren. The old blood runs strong in their veins. It is their ancestors who give them their strength of character and will. All of this makes their common folk naturally superior warriors, with most of them so stubborn they prefer to die than give way to their enemy. Having said this, folk of the Two Rivers are naturally peaceful, but when they are roused they are almost unstoppable. They are also better equipped than normal peasantry, many of them wielding the bill, which is in the Two Rivers a common agricultural implement.
The Shadow - Dha'vol Clan
Myrddraals
Also known as Fades or Neverborn, the Myrddraals are in general used as leaders over the bulk of Trollocks in the dark armies. There are, however, times when orders from a Chosen (or even the Dark One himself) cause Myrddraals to join up in small fighting groups to carry out their given mission.
The Myrddraals were first accidentally produced during the War of power and were a spin off of Trollocs. Myrddraal are much more human than their Trolloc brothers, seemingly a tall pale skinned man, the main difference is that only pale skin covers where their eyes should be and they wear night black cloaks which even the strongest wind will not touch. Somehow though Myraddraal can still see and their stare will incite fear even in the bravest of men, hence the saying in the borderlands "The gaze of the Eyeless is fear".
Trollocs fear the sheer cruelty the Myraddraal are capable of and so Fades make perfect leaders for shadowspawn armies. Myraddraal are known to be able to disappear into shadows and appear in a shadow miles away. Myraddraal are very hard to kill. Even headless they only truly die at sunset. They wield blades forged on the slopes of Shayul Ghul and which have been seasoned with a human soul. These blades are not only black but seem to absorb light and one nick of these blades will kill if not soon healed by an Aes Sedai.
Darkfriend Riders
Some of the more trusted darkfriends may be used to form smaller units of light cavalry. Scouting and commencing flank attacks against enemy forces. Although more loyal then the normal "mob" the darkfriends still have far to go before their dedication can match even the weakest of Myrddraals.
Often the rewards promised by the shadow to humans are attractive. Power, riches and even simply to be on what they believe will be the winning side after the last battle are amongst what Shaitan offers to his faithful followers. But Darkfriends take oaths, and despite the saying "No man can walk so long in the shadow that he cannot turn back to the light", these oaths are seldom broken. Many darkfriends do not truly understand how serious the vows are, and most of them envisioned the power they were promised rather than the appalling conditions in which they have to live and fight in often used to fill Trolloc cook pots or expended as cannon fodder. However most darkfriends never fight for their master, merely performing small tasks such as spying, informing and on occasions as assassinating for the shadow whilst masquerading as honest citizens.
Darkfriend Archers
The few archers to be seen in the Dark One's armies (except the few bows that Trollocks may carry with them) is made up by drafted "darkfriends" from captured villages and cities. Often consisting of every man or woman able to wield a bow they are seldom very effective, much because of their poor morale and bad fighting spirit.
Often the rewards promised by the shadow to humans are attractive. Power, riches and even simply to be on what they believe will be the winning side after the last battle are amongst what Shaitan offers to his faithful followers. But Darkfriends take oaths, and despite the saying "No man can walk so long in the shadow that he cannot turn back to the light", these oaths are seldom broken. Many darkfriends do not truly understand how serious the vows are, and most of them envisioned the power they were promised rather than the appalling conditions in which they have to live and fight in often used to fill Trolloc cook pots or expended as cannon fodder. However most darkfriends never fight for their master, merely performing small tasks such as spying, informing and on occasions as assassinating for the shadow whilst masquerading as honest citizens.
Darkfriend Militia
Not all friends of the dark join voluntarely, many are drafted against their will in the cities captured by the Shadow. If not given to the Trollocks as food, these peasants, traders and merchants are grouped into Milita units giving their unwilling support to the dark armies. They work mainly as meatshields and are often quickly consumed in battle - fighting without any true spirit or dedication to the task.
Often the rewards promised by the shadow to humans are attractive. Power, riches and even simply to be on what they believe will be the winning side after the last battle are amongst what Shaitan offers to his faithful followers. But Darkfriends take oaths, and despite the saying "No man can walk so long in the shadow that he cannot turn back to the light", these oaths are seldom broken. Many darkfriends do not truly understand how serious the vows are, and most of them envisioned the power they were promised rather than the appalling conditions in which they have to live and fight in often used to fill Trolloc cook pots or expended as cannon fodder. However most darkfriends never fight for their master, merely performing small tasks such as spying, informing and on occasions as assassinating for the shadow whilst masquerading as honest citizens.
Dha'vol Band /Dha'vol Fist /Armoured Dha'vol
Dha'vol Trollocs live in the very shadow of Shayol Gul itself, in Thakandar and the black valleys and gorges around it. They are the fiercest of all Trollocs, often used to spearhead the attack. They are unflinching in their devotion to their Dark master. They are renowned for their strength and prefer weapons like clubs and axes though they lack the speed of other Trolloc tribes. Their reputation is fearsome, and they are the Trollocs that the Borderlanders fear the most.
Trollocs were created during The War of Power by the forsaken Aginor. They are a genetic cross between humans and various animals in an attempt to create the ultimate warrior. The result was Trollocs who although having much greater than human strength and are bloodthirsty and well adapted to killing, they have no discipline or courage. They are lazy cowards at heart and will only attack if they are certain of victory or more afraid of their commander than of the enemy. Trollocs are the only Shadowspawn known to have formed a society based on a tribal structure. These clans gain reputations which are often based on truth.
Darkhounds
In the lands far from the blight the Wild Hunt is a story told to frighten children in which the Dark One is the huntsman who sends his hounds to catch children who have been bad. Yet darkhounds do exist and even though the Dark One does not ride behind them they are terrible enemies to face. A pack can run down most horses over time as they are relentless and seem never to tire. Their saliva is corrosive and will etch metal if the metal is not first broken by their jaws, and one drop on the skin can kill. Because of this armor has little effect. They leave no trace in the wettest mud but their footprints can be seen in any stone they crossed. In most cases it is easier to detect their passing by the sulphurous smell they leave in their wake.
Creatures of the Blight
The Blight is the name that men give to the lands in the far north, which lie under the Shadow of the Dark Lord’s hand. It is twisted, corrupted by the Dark Ones touch. Here trees rot as they grow and sometimes move to ensnare other creatures and feed on them. Amongst this desolate wasteland creatures live, corrupted as much if not more than their surroundings. These twisted and horrible monsters do not serve any general but they are beings of the Dark One and at times they will fight against those he directs them at. They are uncontrollable at best and there are very few available for war, but they are dangerous fighters and are often capable of tearing a man limb from limb, possessed as they are with terrible strength and a relentless hatred of humanity.
Dreadlords
->Awaiting info
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Citadel Total War : European warfare in early renaissance
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I love the use of the word "simple" in that phrase 
Originally Posted by Myrddraal
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