Penandroi
The Penandroi, also called Bannermen are multiple units of professional soldiers that serve as primary offensive striking forces for most Aeillan successor states. They are responsible for conducting sieges, fighting pitched battles, and raiding into hostile territory. They are generally better equipped than most other forces under their state's employ, and are generally considered some of the finest soldiers in Southwest Galisea.
Penandroi generally consist of a few generalized types that are encountered. They are: Infantry Skutatoi or Shieldbearers are heavy infantry meant to break pikes, defend their own pikemen and disrupt enemy formations. They are generally the most heavily armored Penandroi infantry in a successor state, as well as bearing shields and war hammers.
Loútsosí or Pikemen are the chief close fighting soldiers of the a formation engaging in a push of pikes, as well as protecting other soldiers from cavalry. They also tend to be armored heavily, and equipped pikes and sidearms.
Mouskétes or Musketmen are ranged fighters intended to engage enemies with massed fire against. They can be heavily or lightly armored and are equipped with muskets or arquebuses and sidearms.
Toxotae or Archers are ranged fighters who engage as skirmishers and harrassers, rarely seen on modern battlefields, they are often raiders moreso than anything else, though they are still capable of delivering deadly volleys in a pinch. They are lightly armored and equipped with bows, and sidearms. Cavalry Legeres or lights are light raiders, who screen ahead of military columns and guard flanks against surprise attack. They are lightly armored and equipped with bows and cavalry sabers.
Cataphractarii also known as Scholarii or Cataphracts are heavy shock cavalry who smash apart enemy formations with shock charges. They are very heavily armored, and equipped with lances, sabers, and mauls.
Pistolí or Pistoliers are medium cavalry who wear down enemy formations before charging home with sabers. They are heavily or lightly armored and equipped with several pistols and cavalry sabers.
Types of Penandroi
Penandroi generally consist of a few generalized types that are encountered. They are: Infantry Skutatoi or Shieldbearers are heavy infantry meant to break pikes, defend their own pikemen and disrupt enemy formations. They are generally the most heavily armored Penandroi infantry in a successor state, as well as bearing shields and war hammers.
Loútsosí or Pikemen are the chief close fighting soldiers of the a formation engaging in a push of pikes, as well as protecting other soldiers from cavalry. They also tend to be armored heavily, and equipped pikes and sidearms.
Mouskétes or Musketmen are ranged fighters intended to engage enemies with massed fire against. They can be heavily or lightly armored and are equipped with muskets or arquebuses and sidearms.
Toxotae or Archers are ranged fighters who engage as skirmishers and harrassers, rarely seen on modern battlefields, they are often raiders moreso than anything else, though they are still capable of delivering deadly volleys in a pinch. They are lightly armored and equipped with bows, and sidearms. Cavalry Legeres or lights are light raiders, who screen ahead of military columns and guard flanks against surprise attack. They are lightly armored and equipped with bows and cavalry sabers.
Cataphractarii also known as Scholarii or Cataphracts are heavy shock cavalry who smash apart enemy formations with shock charges. They are very heavily armored, and equipped with lances, sabers, and mauls.
Pistolí or Pistoliers are medium cavalry who wear down enemy formations before charging home with sabers. They are heavily or lightly armored and equipped with several pistols and cavalry sabers.
Composition
Equipment
In most Aeillan states Penandroi can count on having access to decent equipment, with most being equipped with a metal thórakas and helmet, and in the case of cavalry even more. Underneath a padded jacket is also worn. In poorer states, and for light skirmishers only padded Kavadion is available. In successor states that wish to imbue self reliance on their soldiers, every Penandroi will come equipped with basic engineering equipment, stakes, and in rare cases more advanced tools enabling them to construct field fortifications on the march. Every Penandroi will also have a forage kit enabling them to forage for food.
Weaponry
Penandroi generally have access to most of the best weaponry available to a successor state. Most Penandroi fight with polearms such as pikes, halberds, glaives, and lances. More traditional Skutatoi will carry large shields and either spears or war hammers. If gunpowder weaponry is widely available, Penandroi might carry a musket or arquebus. Light skirmishers are often equipped with bows. Swords, particularly light stabbing swords are favored as sidearms. Cavalry often have lances, mauls, and pistols as primary weapons, depending on the tactics involved.
Structure
Penandroi generally operate at either the Tagma level, or at the Bandon Level. The Tagma is a mixed tactical-logistical formation consisting of a 1,200 combatants organized into 6 Bandons of 200 each. In modern infantry tagmae, there are 2 Bandons of Loútsosí, 2 Bandons of Mouskétes, 1 Bandon of Cavalry (often Pistolí, or Cataphractarii) and 1 Bandon of Skutatoi. Attached to them are as many soldiers serving in a supporting role, including artillerists, engineers, dedicated foragers, weapon and armor smiths, and other supporting troops. Tagmae that consist only of cavalry are called Alidae.
Bandons are smaller purely tactical formations of roughly 200, and commanded by Komes. They are organized around a single type of combat, and fight as a single block of soldiers. Beneath the bandon there are Kontarcon, Bikontarcon, and Pentakontarcon, which are smaller subsections of a formation commanded by a Dekarchos, Bidekarchos, or Pentadekarchos respectively.
Wealthy and powerful successor states will sometimes be able to form multiple Tagmae into a Tourma (generally composed of 3 Tagmae for about 9,600 soldiers). These comparative massive formations are effective combined arms forces that can generally be counted on to engage and destroy most any force that they face in combat. The Aeillan Empire used to have larger bodies of troops known as Sómae, but these have long since fallen out of use. Aside from these common formations, there are also Demitagmae and Drouganoi, which are sub Tagma units intended to serve as steps in between Tagmae and Bandons with more focus on tight combat capacity.
Tactics
On the battlefield, Penandroi favor tight formations, and well drilled unit tactics. Discipline and maintaining momentum through unit mass are the most important aspects of Aeillan warfare. Consequently the ideal Aeillan soldier fights as part of a unit, and individual prowess and heroics are de-emphasized in favor of obedience and discipline.
In infantry warfare, Aeillan Penandroi favor pike and shot tactics with large formations of pikemen protecting musketeers from cavalry attacks. Supplementing musket and pike in certain situations are heavy infantry, equipped with shields and heavy hammers to destroy pikes and disrupt pike formations. These blocks of infantry are backed by artillery which is often trained to skip cannon balls through infantry formations to rip apart the tightly packed blocks.
Cavalry tactics conversely are centered around breaking up infantry forces, or as skirmishers. Light and medium cavalry engage in combat by moving close and attacking with ranged weapons, steadily wearing down infantry formations before charging home with melee weapons after the formation has been significantly weakened. Heavy cavalry in converse are meant to smash formations asunder by charging the flanks and rear of engaged formations. Cavalry are also generally expected to screen ahead of Aeillan columns and protect friendly infantry from enemy cavalry.
Training
Penandroi are generally given two or three months of training after joining the Penandroi. Units are generally trained together, though in periods of relative peace replacements will be trained instead to plug holes in unit rosters. Cavalry and other specialized soldiers receive additional training, occasionally up to a year, in the skills necessary for their profession. When not on campaign, Penandroi are actively expected to keep up their training relatively constantly while stationed in their barracks with formation drills occurring regularly. Throughout their service, Penandroi often fight in small battles raids that serve to keep their skills sharp at the same time as harming their enemies.
Logistics
Logistical Support
Penandroi at the Tagma level and above have organic logistical support units attached to them that provide for a decent amount of the supply needs with foraging expected to provide the rest. Soldiers can generally expect to be provided some amount of food, tools, and for those with projectile weapons up to 60 shots of ammunition, as well as being paid regularly. In the field however, Penandroi loot and forage to survive and pay themselves, especially when on campaign in hostile territory and away from the logistical centers of their hosting states.
Auxilia
On some campaigns, Penandroi will be supported by less professional forces such as Akritae or Stratologoi who are often the first line of defense in defensive campaign, or pressed into service on the offensive. Additionally, many Aeillan successor states can afford small elite cadres of Hetairoi who are elite soldiers providing unusual services such as being shock troops, trackers and scouts, aerial cavalry mounted on exotic flying mounts, and most rarely warpriests and warmages who provide magical support blasting entire units to pieces with fireballs or healing the fallen with magic.
Upkeep
Maintaining the Penandroi is expensive their equipment must be provided by the state, and they are paid in coin rather than in land or in food. This means that maintaining professional military units for any extended period often becomes the primary expense of a successor state, and sometimes to a far greater extent than any other expense.
Recruitment
Penandroi are often recruited from the urban poor, particularly in the capital cities where there are often substantial numbers of poor people who cannot find any other work, and must turn to soldiering to survive. Rarely rural folk will join the Penandroi, though more often than not the farmers are better suited to serving as Akritae on the frontiers. Veterans are often recruited into the Penandroi as trainers and lower officers passing their experience on to new recruits.
History
Formed by the Aeillan Empire as part of a series of military reforms that occurred shortly before the start of the Feloran invasions, the Penandroi were originally meant to be the mobile field forces of the Basilei to engage in wars of conquest and to see off major invasions that had been delayed by the border garrisons or Akritae. During the Feloran invasions, Penandroi made a solid account of themselves, proving more challenging for the Feloran invaders and indeed preventing them from completely overrunning the country. Towards the end of the Feloran period the Penandroi were at the forefront of the reconquest defeating the weakened Elven armies, and Penandroi guarded the war mages who sank Antiokus.
After the Felorans were repulsed, Penandroi had a crucial role in the Aeillan succession war proving as potent against their own as they had been against the Felorans, and demonstrating their utter destructive capability against their comparatively weaker Akritae cousins. When the Exarchates took power, and the Empire collapsed, the Penandroi were retained, now as the professional elite of their respective state's armed forces.
In the reforging era, Penandroi fell into relative disuse, the expense of their training and equipment, and the general lack of willingness to commit to open battle meant that Penandroi were only kept in small numbers as palace guards more than anything else. As Aeillan successors have regained most of their past economic strength and population however, the Penandroi have begun to swell in number, and indeed have seen more use, beginning to replace the Akritae in their traditional duties, as well as fighting in open battle increasingly often.
Individual Stat Blocks:
Penandroi Footman,
Penandroi Cavalryman, Veteran Officer
Unit Stat Blocks: Skutatoi, Loútsosí, Mouskétes, Toxotae, Legeres, Cataphractarii, Pistolí
Type
Escort
Founding
EA 340
Overall training Level
Professional
Assumed Veterancy
Trained
