Halberd Games

Lunar Army

The following information concerns the Lunar Army in 1617. A lot of this information is debatable in the YGWV (Your Game Will Vary) sense. Also remember that the Lunar Empire embraces contradictions!

Size of the Army

The Lunar Empire's population is about 7.3 million. Its establishment strength (if every regiment had a full number of around 1000 infantry or 500 cavalry) may be as high as 183 000. Its actual strength (of troops actually servinng) is from a maximum of 137 000 to as low as 73 000 depending on the source of information you use. This probably doesn't include militia units and household troops.

Order of Battle

The main formations of the Lunar Army are shown in the sidebar. The following PDF shows the Lunar Order of Battle in 1617. Entries which are blank are where I'm not sure about something. I have only put in the regiments with names - particularly with the Garrison Army, there are many more.

Lunar Order of Battle

Deployment

Field Armies are usually named for their location . The Empire currently has four Field Armies; Dragon Pass, Oraya, Prax and Pent.  The army commander is appointed by the Ordenviru and assigned forces to acheive a set of military and political goals. The commander is then, in general, then left to achieve them.  The size of such armies varies, as does their composition.  For example, the Army of Dragon Pass is fighting in difficult terrain and requires flexible troops often drawn from the Provincial Army and infantry formations of the Heartland Corps.

Troop Types

These are the troop types described in the Order of Battle:

• Alkothi - unarmoured medium infantry armed with a mace and carrying a large shield. They rely on a swift advance to contact and personal ferocity in combat.

• Auxiliary: a recent attempt to integrate Heortling Fyrd into the Provincial Army has led to the introduction of this troop type. They have a helmet and a medium-sized, round, wood and leather shield and carry 2 light spears and a small axe. They are loose order infantry for operating in hilly and wooded country.

• Avilry: troops mounted on giant birds. Some can fly and are thus Flying Avilry.

• Carrobalista: mobile bolt shooters mounted on carts.

• Bows - medium infantry with light armour and a composite bow fighting in close order.

• Cataphracts - heavy cavalry wearing complete heavy armour on fully armoured horses armed with a long two-handed spear and sometimes a composite bow.

• Dragoons - mounted heavy infantry with a large heavy shield, heavy armour and long spear.

• Fyrd - mixed tribal militia, largely medium infantry with large shields and two light spears but stiffened with small numbers of thanes wearing heavy armour and with swords and also some huscarls.

• Heavy Maul - heavy infantry with heavy armour and a two-handed maul.

• Heavy Swords - heavy infantry with a large shield, heavy armour and sword. Some have a heavy throwing spear.

• Hoplites - heavy infantry with a large heavy shield, heavy armour and long spear.

• Horse Archers - skirmishing light cavalry with composite bow.

• Huscarls - heavy infantry with heavy armour and a long-handled two-handed axe.

• Hypaspists - fast moving light-medium infantry with large heavy shield, light armour and long spear.

• Javelin Cavalry - heavy cavalry wearing heavy armour and carrying a large shield and javelins.

• Light Chariots - light two horse chariots carrying an armoured archer and a driver.

• Light Horse - unarmoured light cavalry with a bundle of javelins.

• Magicians - any predominantly magical unit. Some are mounted.

• Peltasts - skirmishing light infantry with a small light crescent-shaped pelte shield and javelins. Some also carry a heavy curved bladed weapon called a rhomphaia.

• Pike Phalanx - heavy infantry with medium armour, small shields and long two-handed pikes.

• Prodromoi - light cavalry with a long two handed spear (sarissa).

• Psiloi Archers - skirmishing light infantry with composite bow.

• Psiloi Slingers - skirmishing light infantry with sling.

• Sables - sable mounted troops usually in light armour and with a long spear.

• Scythed Chariots - heavy four horse chariots carrying a heavily armoured driver in an armoured cab. These have scythe blades attached to the axels, yoke-pole and chariot body and are designed to be driven into enemy formations to break them up.

• Shieldwall - close order medium infantry with large shields and short spears.

• Spear and Bow Cavalry - heavy cavalry wearing heavy armour and sometimes on partially protected horses armed with a long spear and a composite bow.

• Thureophoroi - fast moving light-medium infantry with a large light oval thureos shield, long spear and javelins.

• Xystophoroi - heavy cavalry wearing heavy armour and armed with a long two-handed spear called a xyston.

• Warband - tribal infantry with mixed weapons and little armour relying on an aggressive charge to contact.

• Wardog Pack: a mixture of light infantry, often similar to peltasts, with trained war dogs. Common amongst Jajalorings.

• Wargang - uz armed with mixed blunt weapons.

• Wyvern Riders – troops mounted on fierce flying reptiles.

 

Sources

The main source is:

Discourse on the Armed Forces of Our Glorious Lunar Empire, an unpublished essay by Martin Laurie written in about 2000, contains many details about the Lunar Army

Martin sent this to me and it is used with his permission.

Other sources:

Jeff Richard's list at Glorantha.com.

Dragon Pass by Greg Stafford and Robert Corbett- the wargame published in 1983 by Avalon Hill contains an order of battle for the Lunar Army in Dragon Pass at some point in the Hero Wars.

Tarsh in Flames, Unspoken Word 1, published 2001, edited by Mark Galeotti and Simon Bray contains an article called 'The Army of Tarsh' by Martin Laurie which provides an order of battle for the Tarsh army in the 1610s and 1620s. (ISNN 1473-7930).

Sons of Kargzant, Unspoken Word, published in 2004, edited by Mark Galeotti, contains information on Char Un regiments.

Masters of Luck and Death, from Issaries (ISS 1303) published 2004 contains a description of the Silver Shields regiment.

.Imperial Lunar Handbook Volume 1, The Lunar Empire, from Issaries (ISS 1302) published in 2003, by Mark Galeotti, Martin Laurie and Wesley Quadros contains an article on 'The Imperial Army' which talks about the sizes of regiments.
Imperial Lunar Handbook 2, Under the Red Moon, from Issaries (ISS 1304) published in 2006, by Greg Stafford, Mark Galeotti, Martin Laurie, Wesley Quadros and Roderick Robertson contains an article on the Lunar Army. Barbarian Adventures and Orlanth is Dead, from Issaries (ISS 1401 and ISS 1402) contain some information about the Lunar Army in Sartar. Details of particular regiments are also found in various issues of 'Tales of the Reaching Moon'.

 

Formations of the Army

Ordenviru

This is the High Command of the Imperial Armed forces. The Ordenviru includes the heads of each force and is overseen by the Imperial Warlord. It consists of:

• The Red Emperor

• General of the Heartland Corps

• General of the Cavalry Corps

• Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard

• Commander of the Hunter Corps

• General of Anirestyu Corps

• General of the Garrison Army.

• Admirals of the Imperial Navy

• Admiral of the Middle Air Navy

• Lord Dean Potentate of the College of Magic

• Great Sister

• Jar-eel the Razoress

• Grand Marshal of Carmania

   

Imperial Bodyguard

The Imperial Bodyguard began as the personal defenders (Vorderos) of the goddess in the Bold Rebel period of her Teelo Estara time. The Bodyguard was maintained by the Emperor Tekenegi after the apotheosis of the goddess and added to by the different Masks of the Emperor which followed.   The Bodyguard began as a force of Warrior-Priests but subsequently elite units have been added from many areas of the Empire as well as specifically Lunar troops. The Bodyguard has grown into a large formation which is used as a single body to add power to armies for important campaigns.

Heartland Corps

The Heartland Corps contains the infantry and mounted infantry units of the Imperial Army. It has recently started to gain newly raised avilry units. It is a group for administration purposes but is never used as a tactical formation. Regiments of the Corps are deployed separately to armies on different fronts as required.

The Corps was originally the field army of the Empire and primarily Dara Happan in character. After Jannisor's Rebellion units from other regions of the Empire were gradually incorporated into the field army to form what was then known as the Heartland Army. After the war with Sheng Seleris the Cavalry Corps was created, the Heartland Army lost all its cavalry regiments and was given its current name. Following the huge losses at the Night of Horrors in which many traditional regiments were destroyed more Lunar worshippers and citizens were recruited.

Units of the Corps maintain a home barracks and temple which is responsible for recruiting and training. 

Cavalry Corps

The Cavalry Corps was formed by the Emperor Magnificus after the Seleric War as a response to the mobility of the Empire's Pentan enemies. It incorporates cavalry regiments from a variety of military traditions which are often no longer confined to their native regions.

Sister's Army

The Great Sister formed her army to fight Sheng Seleris originally from the widows of soldiers and citizens killed by the Pentans. In the hills of Darsen they defeated many Pentans. After the end of the Seleric War the Great Sister maintained the force and they have their headquarters in Graclodont. They remain an all female force.

Provincial Army

The Provincial Army consists of two main parts. The professional regiments of the Regular Provincial Army can be added to armies for campaigns by order of the Provincial Overseer or the Emperor. The part-time soldiers of the Provincial Militia  are usually only called up for defence of their own provinces. However the ruler of each province can order the militia of their own province to fight in external wars but is then responsible for their pay. Provincial Army officers are trained at the Provincial School of Battle in Mirin's Cross. This provides the officer corps with an understanding of Lunar tactics and military doctrine. Since 1611 the Provincial Overseer has frequently levied a War Tax on the provinces instead of demanding military service on the Southern Front. This unpopular tax has been used to pay for the large Tarshite military effort in Dragon Pass.

Garrison Army

The Garrison Army is a term used for units not assigned to the mobile forces.  The Garrison Army has only a small headquarters in Glamour. The ruler of the region or the General placed in charge of an area commands the Garrison Army units. They can be transferred temporarily to an active force.

Almost all of the Garrison regiments are location specific, though a few are assigned to a large region such as a Satrapy or an area like the Orayan March.  In general they defend their area and that is the extent of their role.

They usually have a full time element who typically double as both watch and firemen in cities or law enforcers in the country. In times of trouble, these formations are brought to full strength by the call up of reserves and militias.  All able bodied men of military class and standard are on the rolls but often only perform garrison training and provide funds for weapons and equipment reluctantly.

Imperial Navy

The Imperial Navy was only created in 1600 ST. Until then defence of waterways was the responsibility of local forces.The Navy has its HQ at Yuthuppa. It is a force of around 200 triremes, dromans and pentekonters and operates on the main rivers, the Sweet Sea and White Sea.The most prestigious part of the Navy is the Moon Boat fleet of the Middle Air Navy.Currenly this force mainly provides transport and scouting but new warships are under construction.

The College of Magic

The College was founded by Irripi Ontor and provides magical support for the army. It consists of specialists schools and cults such as  the Blue Moon School, Spell Archers and Crater Makers and from the Minor and Major Classess of the Imperial Universities. The Minor Classes are undergraduates and the Major Classes are graduates. All are trained to operate together. The College has its HQ in Glamour. Security for the magicians is provided by the College Guards.

House Forces

Satraps, noble houses and associations maintain their own forces.  These vary greatly in quality and training from elite untis such as the Rinliddi Iron Beaks who guard the Paradisal Aviator and the Shadow Born Cavalry of Silver Shadow to the tribal levies avaialble in Satrapies which has a warrior tradition. A particularly formiddable example of house forces would be those of the the Satrap of Kostaddi who can call on the 10 000 clansmen of the Sable Tribe of the Hungrey Plateau and the Killmen of Alkoth as well as normal temple and house troops.

Red Hairs

Moon Slaves are recruited using the the Red Hair Tribute exacted on the Pentans after the Nights of Horrors.  Red Haired children are sent ot the Empire in tribute.  They become the Red Hair Tribe: allies of the Empire.

Hunter Corps

The Hunter Corps was formed by Emperor Artifex to deal with the Solgil Gal Mind Eaters. Originally it was a collection of bounty hunters and specialized warriors or game hunters but has added a growing list of unique groups and units to its rolls, from the infamous murderers of the PargAddi penal regiment to the peerless Fervent Brass Guard of Carmania.The units of the Hunter Corps are smaller than full regiments and are deployed in situations requiring unconventional warfare.

Anisrestyu Corps

This is the logistical forces of the army. It maintians supply depots, ships and convoys.

Carmanian Army

The four Carmanian satrapies are  outside the Imperial military, the Garrison Army system and the Imperial Satraps Charter as they count as as Citizen Foreigners.  They are tied to to the Empire by their loyalty to the Shah – the Red Emperor.  By his will the Carmanian army works with the rest of the Imperial forces to deal with joint issues efficiently, usually through the Ordenviru. 

Carmanian contributes some regiments to the Heartland Corps or the Cavalry Corps such as the Queens Regiment or the Bashkar Lion Helms of the Bodyguard but otherwise maintains its own military institutions and commitments.

Allies

The most important Lunar Allies are the Char-Un. Usually around 3500 Char-Un serve in the Cavalry Corps.  In times of trouble the Empire can call on the full muster of the Char-Un. Should they answer the call some 20,000 warriors could ride with their leader – the Pan.

Some of the people of the Redlands serve as Lunar allied cavalry.

The Uz of the Blue Moon Plateau rarely provide troops for the Lunar army directly though they do serve in the Monster Men unit or the Blue Moon School.

Warbands and Mercenaries

Many warbands have been used by the Empire especially  in response to the troubles of Dragon Pass.  Many have been absorbed by the Hunter Corps but others are freelance groups. 

Special Forces

Special forces groups are not part of the order of battle for some reason and/or are part of a different part of the Imperial Administration. One example is the  Vampire Legion.  This force is trained in the City of Dreams but are rarely seen.  They serve as the bodyguard for the Emperor, when he is heroquesting into dangerous places or against enemy heroes. 

The Broo Guard consists of chaos creatures able to control their nature through the Lunar Way to control their natures. They are well equipped and extermely effective.  They are based in the crater,  under the Hungry Plateau and in the the Jord Mountains.  At least 1000 were deployed against the rebels of Rone.

Jar-Eel the Razoress serves the Empire but is not under the command of the army as she is the personal incarnation of the Goddess.

The Full Moon Corps is composed of Vecors, Lunar spirits of dead heroes of the Empire that manifest to aid the Empire when summoned. They are also the Garrison of the Moon and usually only a small number will be deployed to the material world .