Black Phalanx
A special battalion of heavy armored infantry. They are clad in black heavy armor carrying tomahawk axes as weapons, but their main equipment is their huge tower shield. It is 2 meter high and 1 m broad and weights around 40kg. It is made of a high density metal provided by the sect of cripples. The shields are made into a shape that the can be linked to the sides of other shields and easily attached or removed. This way they build an impassable shield wall that slowly but unerringly advances. The shields also have an extendable spike attached to the bottom part so they can be anchored into the ground if needed, also a chain is attached to the top part. The axes are just a fall back option and the true weapon is the weight of their shields. Their standard tactic is for them to push forward until the enemies are in front of them and then to “topple the wall” crushing them under the weight. Support fire from the back provides a covering salvo for the phalanxes to pull up their shield with the help of the chain. Another tactic is to just push enemies into dangerous hazards or from cliffs, trapping them for surrounding troops, or straight up pushing them against obstacles via brute force.
Black phalanx guards have high requirements to be eligible to join this force. Very high strength and endurance, good coordination and extreme discipline and also a minimum height requirement. Only the elites of the elites can join and even then many are denied. Also to be able to become a true Black phalanx guard you have to be able to fight for a short moment while bearing the weight of 3 shields, simulating the time period where supporting members rush in to replace fallen allies, during which the shield wall must be held. The codex says that a shield wall has to hold for at least 10 seconds, during which he may even have to advance based on the situation, even if only at 1/3 capacity. They are highly effective and well known, famous and infamous, with a reputation of leaving “red carpets” wherever they go. Many stories about their inhuman training circulate, from playing catch with boulders to wrestling with trolls. Tiberius Stone, third commander of the black Phalanx, in the year ___, was graciously offered, by the then reigning house of the sun, to replace all their equipment with Mithril, a mindboggling amount of money, but Tiberius graciously declined with the famous words: ”Mithril is too light.”
Strangely many members become chronically sick with a wide variety of symptoms, almost none fatal, but a weak seed seems to be a common ailment. They can guess it has to do with the metal of sacrifice, but also know its importance and accept the risks. Most commonly factors seem to be open wounds and other injuries, pushing the standards of these elite members even higher, to prevent casualties. The term “Weaklings curse” has managed to establish himself, even if very inappropriate, as even the weakest of the black phalanx are leagues above most warriors of Latebra.
Black phalanx guards have high requirements to be eligible to join this force. Very high strength and endurance, good coordination and extreme discipline and also a minimum height requirement. Only the elites of the elites can join and even then many are denied. Also to be able to become a true Black phalanx guard you have to be able to fight for a short moment while bearing the weight of 3 shields, simulating the time period where supporting members rush in to replace fallen allies, during which the shield wall must be held. The codex says that a shield wall has to hold for at least 10 seconds, during which he may even have to advance based on the situation, even if only at 1/3 capacity. They are highly effective and well known, famous and infamous, with a reputation of leaving “red carpets” wherever they go. Many stories about their inhuman training circulate, from playing catch with boulders to wrestling with trolls. Tiberius Stone, third commander of the black Phalanx, in the year ___, was graciously offered, by the then reigning house of the sun, to replace all their equipment with Mithril, a mindboggling amount of money, but Tiberius graciously declined with the famous words: ”Mithril is too light.”
Strangely many members become chronically sick with a wide variety of symptoms, almost none fatal, but a weak seed seems to be a common ailment. They can guess it has to do with the metal of sacrifice, but also know its importance and accept the risks. Most commonly factors seem to be open wounds and other injuries, pushing the standards of these elite members even higher, to prevent casualties. The term “Weaklings curse” has managed to establish himself, even if very inappropriate, as even the weakest of the black phalanx are leagues above most warriors of Latebra.
Type
Special Forces
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