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.
Gaining new keywords
Existing Imperial armies already have one or more keywords representing their traditional roles. An existing keyword can be removed without cost. Adding or removing a keyword requires a motion by the Imperial Senate. An Imperial army can gain additional keywords, but the cost to add each new keyword is progressively more expensive. The first keyword added to an army requires 50 wains, the second 100 wains, the third 200 wains and so on.
List of 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 may also be adept at making use of materials scavenged while on campaign, or carry additional supplies with them when they are at war.
Effect: This army can resupply naturally at the rate of 750 strength each season rather than the normal 500 (a large army would resupply at 1,125 troops each season rather than 750). They must still obey the normal requirement for natural resupply. Other ways of resupplying an army are not changed.
Aggressive
An aggressive 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 additional casualties on enemy armies. After the casualties that army would have inflicted are calculated, the result is increased by 20%. For example: a 5,000 strength aggressive army inflicts 600 casualties on the enemy rather than 500. Note that this keyword does not change victory points or make it any easier to win a campaign.
Resilient
A resilient army may have superior armour, represent a higher-than-average number of soldiers with great endurance or fortitude; have access to more healing that usual (preventing deaths and helping soldiers recovery quickly from their wounds); or contain troops who focus on controlling and reducing the ability of the enemy to fight.
Effect: This army cannot lose more than half of it's current fighting strength to casualties in a single season.
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: When attacking a fortification, any damage inflicted on that fortification by this army is increased by 20%. When defending a fortification, the damage inflicted on that fortification by enemies is reduced by 20%.
Note: To gain these advantages, the narrative of the campaign has to involve an actual attack on the fortification - fortifications only inflict or take casualties during attempts to capture or destroy them.
Marsh Fighter
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 has it's strength increased by 20% for determining the campaign outcome when the campaign includes a region with the marsh keyword (that is, your side controls a marsh region in the territory, or the narrative involves fighting in a marsh region controlled by someone else).
Rugged
Fighting in hills and 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 has it's strength increased by 20% for determining the campaign outcome when the campaign includes a region with the mountainous keyword (that is, your side controls a mountainous region in the territory, or the narrative involves fighting in a mountainous region controlled by someone else).
Forester
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 has it's strength increased by 20% for determining the campaign outcome when the campaign includes a region with the forested keyword (that is, your side controls a forest region in the territory, or the narrative involves fighting in a forested region controlled by someone else).
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 currently has to a naval force. The army is experienced at dealing with sailors and fishermen, travelling by boat and ship, dealing with the realities of amphibious assaults, and making beachhead landings. It is most common among Freeborn armies.
Effect: The army has it's strength increased by 20% for determining the campaign outcome when the campaign includes the coastal keyword (that is, the army's side controls a coastal region in the territory, or the narrative involves fighting in a coastal region controlled by someone else). The coastal keyword applies to many areas adjacent to the sea (although not all - the wide beaches of the Brass Coast represent entirely different terrain to the cliffy bluffs of Urizen), and also to some regions around major rivers or other large bodies of water.
Scouting
A scouting army is often broken down into smaller units that can operate semi-autonomously, spreading out over the countryside when it moves. The army is accompanied by trained observers, often equipped with telescopes and signalling mirrors, and often has access to cartographers and detailed maps - and the knowledge to make good use of them.
Effect: When this army is committed to a campaign, it provides reports on the campaign armies in the territory, including the allegiance of the armies, an estimation of their strength and other information such as keywords, local fortifications, significant or noteworthy military units and other potentially useful strategic and tactical information. This information is supplied to the general who commands the army at the beginning of an event.
Disciplined
A disciplined army has well organised chain of command, and every soldier knows what to do if separated from a superior officer. The army is often supported by priests or spiritual advisors - within the Empire they may make use of ceremonies of the Way to provide additional guidance. Armies from Highguard and the Iron Confederacy are most likely to have this keyword.
Effect: This army is disbanded when it takes casualties that reduce it's strength below 250 rather than below 1,000. In addition, a disciplined army is more effective at fighting fearsome enemies. When this army engages fearsome enemies, the benefits of the fearsome keyword are neutralised and the disciplined army inflicts an additional 20% casualties against those armies.
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 five territories each season, rather than the usual three. It must stills top moving when it enters a hostile territory.
Magic
A magic army contains many more magicians, and soldiers trained to fight alongside magicians, than a standard army. Such armies integrate magical and martial tactics to harry their opponents and achieve difficult goals. Armies from Urizen, Thule and Axos are most likely to have this keyword.
Effect: TBC If the general of this army supplies 35 mana crystals, the army gains a 1,000 point force bonus to fighting capabilities for the next season.
Mercenary
A mercenary army is not necessarily one that fights for payment, but rather one that has experience working with and integrating independently minded military units who dofight for payment. Armies from the Brass Coast and League are most likely to have this keyword.
Effect: TBC If the general of this army supplies 5 thrones, the army gains a 1,000 point force bonus to fighting capabilities for the next season.
Entrenched
An entrenched army is well-equipped to hold it's ground against it's enemies. It might be equipped to produce makeshift fortifications, or it might simply possess a stubborn spirit coupled with training in defensive formations.
'Effect: TBC An entrenched army has the number of casualties it takes reduced by 10% if it has been in this territory since last season. If it has been in this territory longer than one season, the bonus increases by an additional 5% to a maximum of 20%.
Guerilla
A guerilla army is often capable of breaking down into smaller bands with greater autonomy than most armies. The soldiers are trained and equipped to exploit almsot any terrain, and quickly get to know the lay of the land. A guerilla army avoids direct confrontations, using traps and tricks to weaken, outmaneuver and harry the opposing armies.
'Effect: TBC An entrenched army has the number of casualties it inflicts increased by 20% if it has been in this territory since last season. If it has been in this territory longer than one season, the bonus increases by an additional 5% to a maximum of 35%.
Glorious
A glorious army lives to fight. Individual soldiers strive to excel, taking joy in fighting stronger opponents and seeking opportunities to defeat their enemies and win their battles. It is most common in Dawnish, Wintermark and Jotun armies.
Effect: This army generates an additional 20% victory points, but all casualties it takes are increased by 10%.
Barbarian orc keywords
These keywords are associated with barbarian orc armies, especially the Thule and the Druj. They are not normally available to Imperial armies. Unlike the keywords used by the Imperial armies, these keywords are designed to be more circumstantial and to be countered by clever tactics and by direct player action at an event.
Fearsome
A fearsome army uses magic, powerful creatures and terror-tactics to unnerve their enemies and damage their morale. It is most common in Thule and Druj armies.
Effect:The army inflicts an additional 20% casualties on it's enemies, and victory points used to claim regions are 20% more effective. If a fearsome army faces a disciplined army, this bonus is lost and the fearsome army takes additional casualties.
Poisonous
A poisonous army uses herbs, magic and monstrous creatures to inflict sickness and weakness on their opponents. It is most common in Druj armies.
Effect: The army inflicts an additional 20% casualties on it's enemies (Could be 20% extra strength for determining outcomes instead) except when it is facing armies that have been protected from poison and infection (for example, when in an area under the effect of a Rivers of Life ritual).
Savage
A savage army fights better the more desperate it becomes. It is most common among the orcs of the Broken Shore and the Lasambrian Hills
Effect: When this army has been reduced below half strength, it inflicts an additional 50% casualties.
Merciless
A merciless army specifically targets weakened opponents, seeking to destroy enemy armies rather than simply drive them off. It is most common among Grendel and Druj armies.
Effect: This army inflicts an additional 20% casualties, spread among all opposing armies whose fighting strength has dropped to 2,500 or less.
Keywords and large armies
Being large is not a keyword. A large army simply has a maximum strength of 7,500. Some keywords may work slightly differently when assigned to a large army
Defunct keywords
These keywords have been removed
Plains (Defunct)
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.
Skirmish (Defunct)
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.