Ranks of the Imperial City Guard (Imperial Legion)

[marcum uth mather]

What kind of arms and armor would thay use. all the titles are nice but when you get down to it what would they look like. I remember a war card somewear for the knights of the Iron thron. Would they lead them to battle? In my campain the guard all were feild plate, unless they are on city patrole. They dont use archers ether. For armes they use a septum, broad sword, and mace. They never use a shield. When on city patrol they use a chain coif for the head, and a quilted- studed leather armor for the body. what does anyone else think as i am looking for suggestions

[imperialtemple]

Actually, I'd rethink the shield . . . .

There's a great scene at the end of Colleen McCullough's "The First Man in Rome" where the Senate is faced with a riot orchaestrated by a demagogue who seeks to install some popular celebrity "look-alike" as King.

The Senate passes a "Senatus Consultum de Republica Defendenda" (essentially martial law) and all of the aristocrats go home and don their weapons and armor. Gaius Marius is put in charge and he orders everyone, under pain of death, not to draw their swords against the crowds. Instead, the Senators end up locking their shields and using them as battering rams -- literally pushing the rioters out of the Forum and forcing them to disperse.

My thoughts are that shields would be particularly useful in a city environment. Maces are a good weapon to enforce civil order which double as a symbol of authority. And, polearms of some sort are usually traditional for sentries.

Swords are naturally the most effective weapon, but they seem fairly bloody. And, it ocurs to me that the "no violence in the Imperial City" rule sort of goes by the wayside if they're issued to the city guard . . . . Swords are used to kill. Maces are used to beat people into submission.

I can even see the Chamberlain being reluctant to abandon the whole mace idea and issue swords to his guards during a time of riots because it violates tradition -- bringing bloodshed into the Imperial City . . . . You could even take that a step further by saying that the Imperial City is governed by strict imperial custom and tradition. Only "nobles" are permitted to carry swords. Thus, noone's bodyguards are even permited to carry blades. And, you also add even more creedance to the idea of maces. Swords could be a distinguishing mark of officers and gentlemen.

Finally, crossbows are also a fairly effective weapon for maintaining law and order which you might consider -- though they conflict with the mace idea. So, you may still want to stay away from them.

Perhaps, polearms are issued to sentries. Maces and large square shields are issued to patrols. Swords are privileges of an officer and a gentlemen. And, a stockpile of short swords and crossbows (which any Chamberlain would weep over having to break out) is kept in the armory as a last resort if the Imperial City is falling to ruins . . . . A single riot wouldn't be enough. A long period of widespread violence (such as that in Rome during the times of the Brothers Gracchus) might be a reasonable cause.

[marcum uth mather]

actualy thats a lot along thre way i invisoned it. the whole idea of the mace and polearm are to bo used on watch. the broadsword is only to be used in open warfare. plus i have been mulling over another guard concept. what if there was a imperial highway through Anuire. After the colapse of empire the road was still patroled by the guard? The imperial city could gain small law holdings(0-1st level) from it. The rulers of the domains it goes through exept it as a nessery evil. They gain a well traveled road ( helps increas guild holdings) and the chaimberlin gains some regency points to help keep the dream of a new empire alive.

[Starfox]

The reasons there are so few shields on the War Cards and other Birthright
illustrations is probably that during the period whose technology Birthright
emulates - the 15th century - people stpped using regular shields.

this is because in real life there is such a thing as Sufficient Protection.
If you are wearing full plate, wich offers fully adequate protection against
almost all medieval weaponry, there is not much point in adding a heavy
shield to the mix.

This does not work in an Armor Class system, where, in fact, the last points
of armor are always the most valuable (unless your opponent can only hit you
on a roll of 20 anyway).

The idea of using shields against rioteers would probably occur to the
romans, who used offensive shield walls in their regular tactics. But this
line of thought was lost - in pre-modern times lines of pole arms (or later
musket stocks), held sideways against the crowd, served much the same
purpose.

/Carl

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[Ariadne]

Oh yes, this are enough titles (for Anuire) and I like those, who don't sound like copied from the US-Army. But what, if you want to play in Khinasi lands? ;)

[kgauck]

----- Original Message -----
From: "imperialtemple" <brnetboard@TUARHIEVEL.ORG>
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 10:36 PM


> And, it ocurs to me that the "no violence in the Imperial City"
> rule sort of goes by the wayside if [swords are] issued to the
> city guard . . . . Swords are used to kill. Maces are used to
> beat people into submission.

Such characters might have feats to improve their stunning and subdual
damage, being able to use their maces as subdual weapons to subdue and
capture criminals, or neutralize rioters.

Kenneth Gauck
kgauck@mchsi.com

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