Army qualities
Imperial armies (also called campaign armies) possess qualities that give them advantages in certain situations. These keywords reflect the flavour of the army and the nation to which it belongs. A military unit assigned to assist a campaign army does not usually gain the benefit of these keywords - the smaller unit's own keywords apply instead.
List of Keywords
Basic Keywords
Logistics
An army with good logistics has excellent access to supplies and the organisation to make sure they get to where they are needed. They might also have access to magic or surgical skills that help individual soldiers recover quickly. Effect: The army recovers casualties 5% faster.
Offensive
An offensive army focuses on inflicting casualties on the enemies. This might reflect a bloodthirsty nature, or access to powerful weapons especially bows or crossbows. Effect: The army inflicts 5% additional casualties.
Resilient
A resilient army may have superior armour, represent a higher-than-average number of soldiers with great endurance or fortitude, or have access to magical healing (preventing deaths and helping soldiers recovery quickly from their wounds) or magicians who focus on controlling and reducing the ability of the enemy to fight. Effect: The army suffers 5% less casualties.
Siege
An army trained in siege warfare is adept at attacking fortifications. usually this means the army has the expertise to quickly construct catapults, trebuchets and siege towers as well as some expertise in rationing resources and countering enemy engineers. It may also reflect an army with experience fighting in the cramped conditions of a city or castle. Effect: The army gains a significant advantage to sieges, whether attacking or defending.
Marsh
An army experienced in fighting in a marsh gains significant advantages over less experienced armies. They tend to be more comfortable operating in smaller units, may favour ranged weapons, and have the support of magicians or surgeons trained to deal with insect bites, poisonous vermin and disease. They also tend to have a bit of specialist equipment, such as waterproof cloaks. Effect: The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in swamp or marsh terrain.
Mountains
Fighting in mountains is a risky business. Armies with this keyword tend to have especially skilled scouts and cartographers who track passes, valleys and the like and are always ready to suggest ways to make the best use of the broken terrain. They also tend to have equipment or supplies to help them deal with cold, altitude or difficult terrain. Effect: The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in mountainous or hilly terrain.
Forests
Fighting in a forest is a frustrating undertaking. Trees make it difficult for armies to form up, and so an army with experience fighting in this kind of terrain often split up into several smaller units capable of operating for several days without supervision. Their ability to operate in diffuse formations gives them a significant advantage over armies less versed in guerilla warfare. Effect: The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in forested terrain.
Plains
The wide open spaces of the plains offer their own advantages and disadvantages. It is very hard for a campaign army to surprise anyone, and cover is often minimal. An army experienced in fighting in the open is often very adaptive, using formations that help it to respond to attacks from any direction, and often possesses special abilities to communicate orders quickly through the use of flags or mirrors. Soldiers in such an army tend to be especially fit, used to moving quickly in full harness to outflank their foes. Effect: The army gains a 5% bonus to both offense and defence in plains or fields terrain.
Coastal
A coastal army often includes mariners among its soldiers, and is usually supported by boats or even ships. This is the closest the Empire gets to a naval force. The army is experienced at making beachhead landings, taking advantage of water to move troops quickly to where they are needed. Effect: Each other Imperial army on the same campaign gains a 5% bonus to offense while you are in coastal terrain.
Skirmish
A skirmish army is trained specifically to adapt to the terrain and circumstances they find themselves in, avoiding diect engagements until the last moment, and harrying supply lines and unprotected flanks. Effect: The army gains a small advantage in any situation where another keyword does not apply.
Advanced Keywords
Strong
The Imperial Orcs field two armies that are strong. A strong army is larger than a normal imperial army, possessing a greater base strength. This requires commensurately greater logistical support, as can be imagined, and such armies are sometimes vulnerable to concerted attacks against their supplies. Effect: The army has a basic army strength of roughly 7,500 soldiers.
Fast
The soldiers of a fast army are trained to move quickly for long periods of time, carrying their gear. Overland, they can outpace most other armies of similar size. The logistics of the army are often focused towards helping soldiers move, and recovering from forced march. Effect: The army can move one additional territory each downtime.
Magic
The Urizen army contains many magicians, and soldiers trained to fight alongside magicians. Such armies integrate magical and martial tactics to both harry their opponents and to help their troops recover quickly from battle. Effect: The army inflicts 5% greater casualties on an opposing force, and also recovers from casualties 5% faster.