Armies Of Breland

Both in numbers and in industry, Breland matches or surpasses any of the nations involved in the Last War. Still, its people are reluctant to commit themselves fully to the fight for other people’s freedoms, or for Wroann’s pretensions to the crown of Galifar. Only when foreigners seize Brelish territory, and combat cannot be avoided, do the Brelish fight with vigor.
The flexible command structure of Brelish military units is a great advantage. They quickly adapt to different threats, from the massed Thrane levies, to the skilled mercenaries of Cyre, to the arcane and druidic forces of Aundair and Eldeen.

MILITARY STRUCTURE

Breland’s military tradition is one of independence, charismatic leadership, and freestanding militias answerable to cities and provinces. It is also known for the excellence of its archery and, most important, its habit of rewarding merit in its officer corps, rather than seniority, rank, or piety. Its army is larger than any other but for Karrnath’s. It has an uneasy relationship with mercenaries, using them to reduce its own losses but never quite trusting them.

Brelish Infantry

A Brelish infantry platoon consists of three volunteer squads or, in the last twenty years of the war, three enlisted squads. The troops are usually led by a captain, a 3rdlevel knight or fighter.
A company consists of four platoons. A major, normally a 4th-level knight or fighter, commands the company. A regiment of foot or archers consists of three companies. Such regiments are led by colonels, normally a 5th-level knight or fighter. Colonels are usually mounted, though they command infantry.
A legion—the largest unit that Breland typically fields—consists of two or three regiments and is commanded by a field marshal, who is usually a 7th- or 8th-level knight or fighter and an adjunct colonel, who is a 6th-level knight or fighter. A typically Brelish legion is made up of a regiment of foot, a regiment of archers, and a regiment of cavalry operating under a field marshal.

EL 5: These all-volunteer squads, consisting of citizen militia taking up arms on their own initiative, are led by a sergeant.
Sergeant: human fighter 2 or knight 2.
Volunteer Soldiers (9): human commoner 1.

EL 5: An all-enlisted squad features trained soldiers, usually from city backgrounds.
Sergeant: human fighter 2 or ranger 2.
Enlisted Soldiers (9): human warrior 1.

Brelish Cavalry

Brelish cavalry is organized into lances, squadrons, and regiments.
A captain, normally a 2nd-level knight or fighter, commands a squadron of three lances (the term for Brelish cavalry platoons).
A cavalry regiment groups six squadrons and is led by a major, a 5th level knight or fighter.
Beyond the regiment level, cavalry is incorporated into legions with infantry, typically with a single cavalry regiment combined with one or two regiments of foot or archers.
EL 8: Cavalry lances, consisting of either a quartet of mounted corporals or a trio of heavy chargers, are commanded by a captain.
Captain: human knight 2 or fighter 2.
Corporals (3 or 4): human knight 1 or fighter 1.
Light Warhorses (5): MM 274 or
Heavy Chargers (4): MM 274.

EL 10: Cavalry squadrons, consisting of either fifteen mounted light soldiers or twelve heavy chargers, are commanded by a major.
Major: human knight 4 or fighter 4.
Captains (2): human knight 2 or fighter 2.
Corporals (9 or 12): human knight 1 or fighter 1.
Light Warhorses (15): MM 274 or
Heavy Chargers (12): MM 274.

Brelish Rangers

Brelish Rangers are specialized in reconnaissance, keeping the large Brelish legions moving in the right directions. They operate miles or even days in advance of their regular forces. The most common unit of Brelish Rangers is called a band, or sometimes a “Ranger’s dozen,” of eleven soldiers.

Band of Rangers (EL 6): Made up solely of trained warriors, a Brelish band consists of standard wildernessskilled volunteers, assisted by a sorcerer or artificer and led by a ranger capable of tracking and assessing enemies’ forces.
Warden: human or shifter ranger 3.
Wands (2): human sorcerer 1.
Volunteers (8): human warrior 1.

Common Tactics

The armies of Breland are quick and flexible, striking from ambush and quick to retreat when things turn against them. They are fierce in protecting their own territory and much more hesitant beyond the borders they know. Brelish troops operate in standard ranks and formations, but are fully capable of fighting even when their commanders are slain. Breland is particularly renowned for the skill of their archer troops (all members of such squads have the Weapon Focus feat associated with the kind of bow they use).

ELITE UNITS

Breland’s elites include famed strike forces and dragoons. Both are described below.

Redcloak Battalion

The Redcloak Battalion is the best of the best among Brelish elite forces. Devastatingly skilled heavy infantry supported by magic, the Redcloaks serve as an immovable rock in the front lines of several Brelish battles. The group never exceeds forty members but is fully capable of outfighting far superior numbers. More extensive information about the Redcloak Battalion can be found in Sharn: City of Towers, on page 140.

EL 14: A Redcloak strike force is the smallest operational unit of the battalion.
Lieutenant Meira: female shifter warrior 8/ranger 6.
Alain Lanner: male human warrior 7/fi ghter 2.
Maal Jonz: male half-orc warrior 7/barbarian 2.
Heeson Graccen: female elf adept 9.
Pol Makker: male dwarf magewright 8/fighter 1.

Breland Dragoons

These mounted infantry are capable of traveling faster and carrying heavier gear than regular infantry. The Breland dragoons, in their various companies and flashy uniforms, are not quite as famous as the boldest wands or cavalry units, but in many cases their toughness and mobility carried the day. Like cavalry, they are organized into lances and squadrons. Their weapons and tactics are often unorthodox.

EL 7: These elite mobile infantry lances are supported by an artificer.
Captain: human knight 4.
Hussar Sergeant: human knight 2.
Hussar Wand: human artificer 2.
Outriders (8): human fighter 1.

THE FAMOUS OR INFAMOUS

Presented here are two heroes of Breland, their memories still bright in song and story.

Brother Malice

N male half-elf sorcerer 3/ranger 6/arcane archer 1
A member of the Brelish Rangers, Brother Malice experienced his first brush with fame during a deep infiltration supply raid on a Cyran lightning rail station. His most famous shot was one that he later described as “spitting at the sun.”
In the latter years of the war, Malice was forty-four years old and preparing to retire from active fighting to train Breland’s younger archers. On his last mission, his Ranger band was operating in the northeast against Thrane. In the distance, they spotted a large Thrane raiding force consisting of cavalry and light foot. Scouting for details about the enemy troops, they circled around and approached the Thranes from the flank. Malice’s sharp eyes picked out the leader, and he recognized Sir Jeffi n Krayci, a renowned Thrane general noted for his brilliant cavalry raiding tactics and his inspiring leadership.
As the band prepared to withdraw, they were spotted, and several Thrane squads immediately wheeled and charged. The other Rangers broke for the cover of a nearby wood, but Malice stood and fired a single shot at the general, arcing it over the charging cavalry. Barely making it to the copse and escaping the Thrane search parties, Malice and two surviving Rangers later learned that General Krayci perished that day—a Brelish arrow found a gap in his neck armor and slew him instantly.
To this day, Malice calls this remarkable event “just a lucky shot.” Ironically, his modesty feeds the legends of the Rangers, and he is remembered fondly as the man who robbed the Thranes of one of their most accomplished leaders.

Urik Rowan

LN female human aristocrat 2/knight 4/magewright 2
Lady Urik Rowan was a Brelish general who lost a string of battles and still won the nation’s heart when she destroyed a horrific eldritch machine.
Rowan was raised as a child of privilege, attending the small private Quinrest military academy in Sharn, and was commissioned in 966. Within six years, she rose to the command of a Brelish legion that included both mudstained veterans and a company of aristocratic dragoons born to the saddle. Still, Rowan was not liked—some considered her too aloof, others called her the bitch-general. She proved willing to destroy companies if it would win her a crucial piece of ground, and many believed she cared more for advancement than for her troops.
In fact, Rowan’s journals show that she felt her failures and the troop losses keenly, but thought she had to comply with orders, no matter the cost, and maintain a bold public face. Nevertheless, her unorthodox tactics and heavy use of wands were experiments that cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers. Some have never forgiven her for those experiments, but they were clearly the foundation for her later successes. The only “victory” of her early years was at the battle of Marguul Pass, when she took command after General Minyu’s death and prevented a worse rout. Even so, her reputation and this episode did nothing to endear her to the nation.
Rowan’s controversial leadership resulted in her spending much of the war stationed far from the front lines in Droaam. Thus, she was on hand when that area rose in revolt. Once again, Lady Rowan suffered a string of defeats, but given her desperate lack of troops and resources and the overwhelming power of the monsters arrayed against her, that was not surprising.
She was responsible for a series of brilliant maneuvers using light infantry, Brelish Rangers, and her handpicked and self-trained company of wands. Her efforts stymied Droaamite advances that allowed hundreds of Brelish citizens to escape Droaam who would have otherwise perished.
Rowan’s greatest renown stemmed from her actions at the Battle of Butterfi eld in late 987. The last remaining sizable settlement of humans in Droaam, located in the foothills west of the Greywalls, Butterfield had been serving as a gathering point for fleeing refugees. King Boranel ordered the final evacuation, and countless slow-moving citizens, most dragging their last remaining worldly possessions, clogged the pass beyond Butterfield. A powerful force of ogres and gnolls moved in for the slaughter. Panic spread when word reached the humans that six hill giants bore an eldritch machine before the Droaamite columns that turned all weapons within a one-mile radius into bane weapons against humans.
Rowan used a combination of hit-and-run tactics, leveled bombards, and sharpshooting to harass the monsters, kill the giants, and destroy the eldritch machine. Though few of her troops survived the engagement, nearly all of the refugees cleared the pass and reached safety.

Source: The Forge of War

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