Balatar Militia
"The balatar militias are the backbone of our culture. The intermural warfare is hardly helpful on its face, but these days it's almost more of a sport than real war. It's cats playing with yarn or dogs chasing each other around the field. It's practice for real bloodshed. In times of true danger, the balatari form up with years of long practice and face the horrors of war with the hearts of professional warriors. The goblins fear them, the elves fear them, and the dwarves respect them."
Margrave Arronax Skinner, Elector of Cambreath
Composition
Manpower
Traditionally, a balatar militia requires at least a dozen participants. The largest balatar ever assembled was gathered in the Sixth Crusade under Margrave Gims, 35,000 strong. A settlement at least the size of a village can typically raise 200-300 individuals for the balatar without too much fuss.
Equipment
Balatar militia bring shovels, cookware, and they're generally responsible for carrying their own supplies and rations. They prefer lanterns that they can hang from tentpoles while on the march to keep the night at bay.
Weaponry
The balatar kit is a matter of tradition, and it's closely tied to the identity of the 'common man' in Maecodian culture (See Weapon and Gear Etiquette ). They carry slings with lead bullets, shields painted with their family symbol or crest, helmets unique to their town, spiked clubs/spears called stackels..
Structure
Command and control of Balatar are ad hoc affairs, usually democratic at the bottom and oligarchical at the top. Every team of four or five (for some Balatari it is as large as ten or twelve) elects a corporal. Three or four corporals will elect a sergeant. Three or four sergeants will elect a lieutenant.
The one who called the Balatar and makes decisions for the army is called the Commander, who nominates up to three captains, and each captain will command as many as five lieutenants.
Occasionally (so far only when a crusade has been called) Commanders will band together to form a Confederated Balatar under a High Commander. There is essentially no traditional limit on the sizes of these Balatari, as they rarely happen.
Tactics
Given that the militiamen may be well experienced but almost certainly lack the time to devote to real peacetime training, their tactics are simple. They form up into a shield wall, then they rush in to come to grips with the enemy. If they feel the need, they can use their slings and will fire volley after volley to soften their enemies up. Particularly well trained Balatari will push with their shield wall as normal while the back few rows will lob bullets over the heads of the front lines and harass the enemy.
Training
Each town trains its own Balatari.
Given that it's a voluntary, monthly obligation, it's not unusual for a given citizen to skip a month or so. This is a hidden strength of the training, as a militiaman will stand next to a variety of his fellow townspeople and not become too used to fighting next to a potential casualty.
Logistics
Logistical Support
With very few exceptions, and even then never without more professional units coming along, Balatari don't travel more than a few days' march from home. This homefield advantage extends to their supply lines, with their hometown generally able to keep them fed and watered.
When travelling further afield, they rely on a combination of foraging and whatever logistics the professional units they are accompanying have.
Auxilia
Halfling Partisans often accompany balatar on campaign, providing scouting parties, early warning systems, and area denial.
Upkeep
For each season it is in the field, a typical Balatar Militia costs 178 gp in supplies and wages. Keeping them in the field for more than a season, or during harvest or planting at all, requires an extremely charismatic leader or persuasive threat, and will have a negative effect on their local economy.
Recruitment
Balatari are called up from the town square. This process can take anywhere from a day to a week, wherein a prospective commander will plead, promise, cajole, or bribe the military age youths of the town until they can raise a Balatar.
Type
Militia
Overall training Level
Semi-trained
Assumed Veterancy
Recruit
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