Jasa'vi Shock Troopers

Formed close after the end of the Jasani Revolution, the Jasa'vi are an elite unit of Jasani infantry forces entrusted with the use of the Firebolts (a type of primitive firearm similar to the musket). These soldiers are trained to fight in asymmetric warfare where normal infantry are unlikely to succeed and are deployed whenever the tides of a major battle need changed.

Composition

Manpower

Shock Troopers are almost always deployed in companies of 200 soldiers, supported by 20 combat engineers and 5 medical officers. These 20 support engineers assist in keeping their weapons supplied with ammo and repair broken equipment. Due to the small size of their companies, Shock troopers are almost never used in formation tactics and are trained to operate in small groups against overwhelming odds.

Equipment

The Jasavi uniform for most operations consists of a steel (or aluminum, if the economy's good) chest piece atop a layer of leather or gambeson protecting the legs and arms. Soldiers rarely have anything to protect their head or face. However, some wealthy officers can afford metal helmets.

Weaponry

One of the most distinctive features of the Jasa'vi shock troopers is their primary weapon: the firebolt. The Firebolt, a type of primitive firearm developed in secret by the Jasani government, is a high-damage weapon that produces a lot of smoke and noise when fired. Though it is wildly inaccurate beyond a few spans, its intimidation factor alone is enough to force premature retreats and send entire formations into chaos, leaving them vulnerable to coordinated melee attacks.
To this end, Jasa'vi soldiers are also equipped with either arming swords or sabres to be used in close-quarters combat. While for normal infantry these weapons are nothing more than sidearms, since they rarely factor into formation warfare, they are extremely useful in special operations or once an enemy formation has broken apart.
If gunpowder or other munitions are in short supply, Jasa'vi units are also supplied with arbelasts in the event that their rifles are no longer viable for use. However, this also significantly decreases their battlefield effectiveness.

Vehicles

In order to communicate with commanding officers and coordinate with other units, Jasa'vi units usually train and care for about a dozen Kirat Birds trained to deliver messages. When not needed for their courier services they sometimes pull double duty transporting supplies.

Tactics

Jasa'vi are trained for a primitive form of lightning warfare; moving in secretly, striking quickly, and routing a foe before any reinforcements can arrive. When they are needed in large-scale battle, their most common strategy is for companies to identify key weak points in the enemy formation, hide among ordinary infantry until the opportune moment, and initiate a rapid strike against the weakened position. The sudden show of force and volleys of gunfire can reliable confuse or even drive the enemy into chaos, allowing the Jasa'vi to move into close quarters and surgically attack the disoriented formation. By the time other formations arrive to assist, their comrades are fleeing and the Jasa'vi have slipped back into the main force. These surgical strikes are designed to disrupt enemy positioning and force them to compensate for the losses, exposing vulnerabilities that the main combat force can exploit. In this sense, they are essentially acting as heavily-armed skirmishers.
However, the true talent of shock troopers comes when they are battling on their own terms: surprise attacks. Their specialty is in assaulting fortified enemy positions or encampments with sudden intensity and ferocity, leaving enemy forces unprepared and giving them a chance to quickly punch through. Along the way they destroy key military supplies and attempt to assassinate high-ranking officers, leaving the target softened for main offensives.

Type

Infantry

Founding

9th of 3rd Lunas, 411

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Trained

Used by

• Jasani