Imperial army
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* [[Dawn]] and the [[The Marches|Marches]]: 4 armies each | * [[Dawn]] and the [[The Marches|Marches]]: 4 armies each | ||
* The [[The Brass Coast|Brass Coast]], [[Highguard]], [[Navarr]] and [[Wintermark]]: 3 armies each | * The [[The Brass Coast|Brass Coast]], [[Highguard]], [[Navarr]] and [[Wintermark]]: 3 armies each | ||
* The [[Imperial Orcs]], and [[ | * The [[Imperial Orcs]], [[Varushka]], and [[the League]]: 2 armies each | ||
* | * [[Urizen]] 1 army | ||
The League would be able to support an additional army if they regain control of the territory of [[Holberg]]. | The League would be able to support an additional army if they regain control of the territory of [[Holberg]]. | ||
Revision as of 09:12, 25 August 2015
Overview
The Empire is defended by its armies. Each army is a large force, capable of acting independently and supported by their own logistics with baggage trains, siege engines, and foragers. They are therefore able to venture beyond the boundaries of the Empire and, so long as their casualties are low, remain fully capable despite being engaged in prolonged campaigns.
The typical member of an Imperial army is fed and billeted by the civil service but is not paid in coin. These volunteers have signed up for two years Imperial Service - they are trained and equipped and then assigned to an Imperial army. if they choose to leave the army at the end of that period they receive payment in land from the Empire (equivalent to a level one farm).
Although the lure of land is what draws most citizens to Imperial Service, the training and equipment received can be valuable. Most members of the many independent military units spread across the empire are former soldiers.
Each Imperial army is commended by a general. While generals are chosen by Senators, once appointed the general has sole authority to order the army to move or attack as they choose. Traditionally the generals of one nation will cooperate but it is not a requirement and a general is within their rights to give orders as they see fit.
Army Size
To allow players to make sensible and meaningful comments about the capability of their armies, each army has a fighting strength (usually 5000). This number represents the effective fighting force of the army - equivalent to 5000 raw recruits. The civil service uses complex day magic to quantify the effective fighting force of each Imperial armies, providing this IC information to the Imperial generals. An actual Imperial army may have more or less than 5000 soldiers in it, the civil service only provide the Generals with precise information on the actual fighting strength, since this is the critical number needed to make effective strategic decisions.
Barbarian armies tend to be much larger than Imperial armies, although in practice their fighting strength is usually similar.
As an army takes casualties its fighting strength drops. An army whose fighting strength falls below 1,000 will immediately disband.
Large Armies
The majority of campaign armies have a maximum strength of 5,000 fighting force. A large army, however, has a maximum fighting strength of 7,500. A large army still counts as only a single campaign army. Turning an existing standard Imperial army into a large army requires a motion by the Imperial Senate, and costs 200 wains of mithril over a year (minimum 50 mithril each season until it is completed).
Special Quality
Each Imperial army has a unique quality that is permanently fixed at the time the army is created and which reflects the character and flavour of the army.
When a new army is being created it will automatically develop a quality dependent on the nation raising the army. In many cases the quality will depend on events at the time and be influenced by decisions taken by the characters involved in raising the army.
Senate Commissions
The Imperial Senate can pass a motion to recruit a new Imperial army, or to resupply, improve, or enlarge an existing army.
Costs
- Materials: 250 mithril.
- Time: 1 year to construct
- Upkeep: 50 Thrones per season.
Recruitment
All Imperial armies must use recruits drawn from a single nation. Each nation can only physically support a limited number of armies at one time; this number cannot be exceeded.
When the army is complete a new Imperial title of general is created in the Imperial Military Council. Appointment follows the normal constitutional process (human generals are selected by the senators of the nation) and re-appointed each year after that.
A newly created Imperial army is at its maximum strength of 5,000. It begins play mustered in one of the Imperial controlled territories belonging to the nation where it was raised.
Resupply
The strength of an Imperial army declines as it suffers casualties. While an army will slowly resupply and reinforce itself over time, the Senate can pass a motion to provide the army with additional resupply. The army to be resupplied must be in a friendly territory, and may not be engaged with any enemies.
Further details of how an Imperial army can be resupplied by the Senate can be found here.
Enlargement
The Senate can contribute resources to increase the strength of an existing campaign army, making it large. The army in question must be in an Imperial territory and not engaged with any enemies, and the process takes a year. It costs 50 wains of mithril each season until complete (for a total cost of 200 wains of mithril).
Upkeep
Although the soldiers in an Imperial army are not paid for their service, an army still costs a huge amount of money to operate. Each Imperial army costs 50 Thrones per season, paid for from the Imperial Senate budget. Each large army costs 75 Thrones per season.
Maximum numbers of Imperial Armies
The Empire cannot sustain an unlimited number of armies. In addition to the significant drain on the treasury of the Imperial Senate, each individual nation can only provide so many soldiers. The supply number for each nation represents the maximum number of Imperial armies that nation can sustain at any given time. The Senate cannot raise a new Imperial army if it would take the nation over its supply number.
The only reliable way to increase the supply number is to add additional territories to the nation in question. Likewise, the loss of territory to the barbarians may reduce the supply number for that nation.
At this time, the maximum number of armies a nation can support are as follows:
- Dawn and the Marches: 4 armies each
- The Brass Coast, Highguard, Navarr and Wintermark: 3 armies each
- The Imperial Orcs, Varushka, and the League: 2 armies each
- Urizen 1 army
The League would be able to support an additional army if they regain control of the territory of Holberg.
A nation will not contribute its support to maintain an army from another nation. The only way for players to increase the number of armies a nation can support is to conquer additional territory.
Military Units
Some wealthy or powerful citizens maintain their own independent military unit. These units can be attached to an army to increase its effective fighting strength. This is done by the orders of the military unit’s commander (submitted using the personal resource downtime system).
The experienced and capable troops in a starting military unit provide an advantage out of proportion to their numbers, adding the equivalent to 100 raw recruits to the strength of the army they support.
Current Armies
At present there are 21 Imperial armies.