Rankan Legion

The Rankan Legion is the source of Rankan military and political success, enabling them to subjugate all the main powers of the continent west of the Theocracy of Chalke. The twelve legions form the core of the Rankan Army.
A Rankan legion has evolved to be a completely self-contained army, with a single legion able to handle most smaller conflicts. For larger wars, multiple legions will be used, but the ability of each legion to operate independently gives the Rankan commander a tactical flexibility that competing powers lacked.
The twelve legions are:

1. The Eagle Legion
2. The Griffin Legion
3. The Iron Legion
4. The Thunderbolt Legion
5. The Lion Legion
6. The Dragon Legion
7. The Black Legion
8. The Serpent Legion
9. The Golden Legion
10. The Scorpion Legion
11. The Moon Legion
12. The Dolphin Legion

Composition

Manpower

10,000, divided into:

• 1,000 heavy cavalry lancers
• 1,000 light cavalry used for skirmishing, patrols and outflanking
• 1,000 heavy swordsmen
• 3,000 pikemen
• 4,000 archers

Weaponry

• The lancers are armed with lances, swords and maces, and are armoured in plate armour on barded horses.
• The light cavalry are armed with bows and sabres, and armoured in lamellar armour, with a small round shield.
• The heavy swordsmen are armed with two handed swords, and are armoured in plate armour.
• The pikemen are armed with pikes and shortswords, and are armoured in lamellar armour and carry a large oval shield.
• The archers are armed with longbows and shortswords, and are armoured in lamellar armour and carry a small round shield.

Structure

The legion is commanded overall by a Duke. Reporting to the Duke are:

• The Master of Horse
• The Master of Foot

Under the Master of Horse are two Lancemarchals, who each command a Lance of 500 heavy cavalry, and 4 Bannermarchals, who each command a Banner of 250 light cavalry.
Under the Master of Foot are the Commander of the Guard, who commands the heavy swordsmen, and ten Myriarchs, who each command 300 pikemen and 400 archers.

Tactics

The tradional deployment will have a block of pikemen supported by archers in the centre, with heavy swordsmen kept in reserve to exploit gaps in the enemy front line. The lancers will either be deployed on both flanks, or sometimes concentrated on one flank as a decisive force, with the light cavalry on the other flank as a delaying force.
Rough terrain troops are normally provided by the Provincial or Feudal army, but if required, the pikemen are also trained to use javelins, and the archers can discard their armour to operate more effectively in rough terrain.

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Veteran

Used by

• Rankan Empire

Ranks & Titles

• Duke