Ielkräta
"Plant your feet. Let the weight of a thousand man charge oppose you, only do not move. Be as an iron wall."The Ielkräta are an elite unit of melee infantry composed entirely of giants who serve the Crown lands of Demia as part of the Royal Demian Armed Forces. The group is inspired in large part by the tales of returning mercenaries from the Kingdom of Ekoya who have heard of and seen the Kinirin Ankleski, the Ekoyan order of giantess soldiers, prompting the Demian Crown to form their own order of giant soldiers, though the Ielkräta have no restrictions on males joining which, combined with Demia's larger population, has allowed the Ielkräta to vastly outnumber their inspiring order.
Composition
Equipment
Ielkräta soldiers are equipped with specialized armor and shields which, when interlocked with those of their comrades, become nearly impervious to conventional ranged fire.
Weaponry
As the Ielkräta exist primarily for the purpose of keeping the enemy pinned and open for flanking, much of their engagement is done at mid range. To this end, soldiers are equipped with Javelins, one of the only units in the world to still use them but they have time and again proven their effectiveness. For melee engagements, they are equipped with bearded axes as well as bladed gauntlets, designed as much to intimidate the enemy as to be deadly in actual fighting. All soldiers also carry a standard long-sword for backup.
Tactics
The Ielkräta are known for their signature tactic of forming an 'iron wall' with their shields and specialized armor. In this formation they are neigh impervious to arrow, bolt, and even small powder-arm fire, forcing the enemy to engage them in hand to hand combat or ignore them entirely. This tactic is often coupled with cavalry units charging from an opposing side, allowing the Ielkräta to charge and flank their enemies.
Type
Infantry
Overall training Level
Elite
Assumed Veterancy
Veteran
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