Seilurid Fusiliers

Composition

Equipment

The Fusiliers are the standard template for which the Seilurid's infantryman kit are based, and which all others use with slight modifications. Pre-1903 uniforms were made of linen and carried the white and purple imperial colors while post-1903 uniforms are in field green and are complemented with a new white winter uniform of felt and fur. Clothes, rations, blankets and other personal articles are carried in a backpack made of birch wood and canvas.

Weaponry

The standard service weapon of every Seilurid Fusilier is the FS-89 bolt-action rifle and its modernized derivative the FS-89/01. The reliable nature and smooth, rapid-operation of its straight-pull bolt and magazine release give the Fusiliers the ability to sustain rapid, disciplined salvos at medium-to-long ranges. A total of 192 rounds are carried by each soldier, distributed between 4 canvas pouches called Cartouchières, with two at the front and two on the sides of the backpack. A bayonet is also provided for the FS-89.
For fire support, formations of Fusiliers at the Battalion level may see dedicated heavy weapon teams called Groupes de Combat d'Appui Feu. These will either center around a Mitrailleuse Universelle modèle 1905 (MU-05) or a Lance-Roquette de 75 - modèle 1902 (LR-75m02). Respectively these are a heavy, oil-cooled machinegun firing the same cartridges as the FS-89 for general suppressive fire and 75mm rocket launcher that serves as a point-support artillery substitute. Both weapons are placed on wheeled carriages for easy transport and protected by a steel gunshield.

Vehicles

The Fusiliers do not use vehicles of any kind in their regular operations, though a number of horse-drawn wagons are used to carry various supplies and logistical equipment.

Structure

Typical Fusiliers formations may be found up to the regimental level where they number 3125 combat personnel. According to the Empire's base-5 organization, these are sub-divided into five battalions of 625 combatants, themselves made up of five companies of 125 soldiers, and so on through combat groups and fireteams. These numbers only tally frontline personnel and do not account for supporting, command or specialized personnel.

Logistics

Logistical Support

Logistical components in Fusilier formations start appearing at the Company level, where each company carries with it the requirements for its shelter, cooking, and basic repair or maintenance tools, as well as the appropriate staff to operate said equipment. Each company is outfitted with no less than 8 wooden, horse-drawn logistical wagons pulled by Loire Coldbloods, though the majority of these wagons' space are used up by disassembled yurts.
Indeed, rather than have individual soldiers carry tent parts, the Seilurid infantrymen are easily distinguished from the fact that they essentially carry mobile camps of vintage appearance wherever they go. These large yurts of felt and wood can be assembled or taken apart relatively quickly, and though they are still much slower to set up than tents, they provide much better protection against the elements, more working space, and serve as morale boosters and communal areas for resting soldiers.
Each company is supported by a Groupe de Soutien made up of smaller specialized teams. These include two cooking teams each made up of a cook and four assistants, a technical support team made up of supplies officer, an armorer, a farrier, a woodworker and a beast keeper, a spiritual support team made up of 1 to 3 chaplains, and a medical support team made up of a medic and up to four assistants.

History

Seilurid Fusiliers make up the backbone of the Seilurid Imperial Army. They are the most numerous among all of the branches and have been around in a fashion resembling their current from ever since the advent of the first decently reliable gunpowder weapons. Throughout most of Imperial history, the Fusiliers have been a volunteer force and this largely remains true in modern times even as conscription becomes more and more widespread across the nations of Achaea and Bahili.
The Fusiliers have been involved in just about every major war since the mid 1550s, when they were called Mousquetaires and used muskets, but fought and were equipped in substantially the same fashion. Regardless of the name used, the Seilurid Fusiliers have always been known for their discipline and valor in combat, facing the brunt of whatever the enemy threw at them without faltering even as more prestigious formations like the Grenadiers and Cuirassiers tended to earn most of the fame in offensive operations.
In more recent times and with more modern rifles, the Fusiliers' discipline and relentless drills have made them feared for a combination of good precision and overwhelming rate of fire in coordinated volleys. As they are the first line of defense in active conflict zone, their reputation has been proven repeatedly during the majority of the recent conflicts on the Bahili continent where small companies of Fusiliers have held at bay Najman advances on the borders and prevented raids against frontier settlements against forces many times their numbers.

Type

Infantry

Overall training Level

Professional

Assumed Veterancy

Trained

Used by

• Seilurid Empire