The Lunar Empire has numerous missile troops available to it. It has (frex) retained =
several regiments as combined arms units called the Line Units created by=
Elmexdros.
DH was very strong in archers and had a great tradition of their use. =
Also, let us not
forget that the DHs and the following Lunar Empire have long had access t=
o
the recurved
bow. This is in wide use within the Empire (since the days of Lukarius a=
nd
the Jenarong =
dynasty in fact) and is considered a normal skill for the soldiers of non-Daxdarian units to =
posess. Slingers and Peltasts complete the missile armament of the Empir=
e.
In few battles =
will the Empire be outnumbered in skimish or missile troops.
Infantry are comprised of a wide range of units - from the surviving Phalanxs to the Lasadag =
Lions regiment of Pelanda. The Steel Sword Legion was orignally a Fronel=
an
mercenary outfit.
The Daxdarian influence is strong still as is the regional flavour of the=
Empires forces. One of =
the key miltary advantages of the Empire is this diversity of troops. Th=
ey
have a regiment for =
every type of warfare and some that haven't been seen for millenia like t=
he
Avilry of Rinliddi.
The Lunars have added their own units to this array and have altered many=
others over time,
particularily with the creation of the Tarnils uber-officer class.
The formation of the Heartland corps, the Imperial Bodyguard and the cavalry corps have =
allowed a strong mobile army to form quickly in support of Provincial and=
Satrap forces.
As for cavalry, the Empire is well equipped. They have cavalry for shock=
action, for light
duties and for raid and plunder. Remember that Kastok took the war to Pe=
nt
and his cult is
still strong as is his way of war. The Empire has always recruited a lar=
ge
number of Pentan
mercenaries and continues to do so as an adjutant to the Char-un. Mostly=
these warriors
are taken into existing regiments rather than forming their own warbands
though the latter
does occur.
As for organsisation, the Cohort (in the Roman sense) is not used, nor a=
re
there "Legions" =
in the classical Roman sense (ie 4-5000 men in one unit). The biggest regiments are around =
1000 strong, give or take a few. Among the DH regiments the Ten system i=
s
the norm and =
most others stillf follow this though Lunar reforms, foreign and provinci=
al
influences, =
regimental traditions and changes and other factors have made the army mu=
ch
more =
cosmopolitan than it was in the days of Khorazelm or Elmexdros. =
Lets face it. Without the Dragon, the Lunar Army was holding down most o=
f
Maniria without
too much trouble. The loss of so many crack regiments was disasterous an=
d
only recoverable
after the cadres of those units trained in the recruits. Often this was
not possible or took several
years. The esprit de corps of such units is not formed over night. Some=
of them have been in =
existence in one form or another since before the Dawn or just after it.
Martin Laurie
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