The cult writeup says they have bows but throughout the book, there's very little sign of archers (or cavalry for that matter).
> This isn't standard hoplite tactics, but 1) they aren't fighting standard hoplite enemies and 2) phalanxes always needed to be supplemented by other troop types to be viable.
Which is why Sun County says they hire Praxians.
> The other thing that is worth noting is that the Sun Dome Templars in
> Prax (and elsewhere, for that matter) are mercenaries. They are valued
> precisely because they are a type of troop that is rare in Prax, and
> effective in situations where the ubiquitous cavalry aren't. Hoplites
> are useful to attack fortified territory in the Rubble (especially
> trolls, who everyone else hates to fight), defend a town, etc.
The Sun Domers weren't much good for attacking the Trolls in the Rubble. Primarily because the Trolls used magic to seal the Rubble against intruders so the Sun Domers can't get a foot in.
> They are also a disciplined fighting force that is unlikely to descend
> into pillage and rampage, which is a pretty unusual thing in Prax.
I don't think so. They are disciplined, yes, but if there's an opportunity to pillage they will do so just like the next nomad.
> I think various groups in and around Pavis have been providing steady
> employment to the Templars pretty much continuously, and this
> employment is a steady source of both income and political favour to
> the County as a whole, and so the hoplites are maintained because they
> have value to groups other than the County itself.
Not just in and around Pavis. In and around Prax. The nomads found the Templars very good troops to have throughout most of their existence. The Templars hire themselves out as mercenaries. Who are the only people hiring mercenaries during the solitude of testing? The nomads.
> And I think relying purely on untrustworthy and unreliable allies (all of whom who could be your enemy next week, and have good reasons to hate you) would be absurdly dubious.
Relying on untrustworthy and unreliable allies is standard practice for everybody in Prax.
--Peter Metcalfe
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