[OL-FB-Troops] Jiangkai tirailleurs

[Keymonus]

As Jiangkai grew and became a real city, a company of tirailleurs was recruited among the inhabitants to defend the settlement.

The tirailleurs are units of light infantry -typical of the Oleon Royal Army- that fight with flexible tactics and open formations, taking advantage of the rough terrains.

Differently from l’Armée de L’Orient, formed by soldiers of Lotii origin but fully integrated in the regular army, the Jiangkai tirailleurs are organised as an auxiliary light infantry unit. Quite unusually, the officers are drawn from La Royale (the Royal Navy), and usually have a past in the merchant fleet: this may be unorthodox, but they are probably the only officers who can fluently speak both Oleander and Lotii, at least until the first Jiangkai volunteers will graduate in Breshaun Royal Academy.

While the tirailleurs were undoubtedly loyal to their new king and country, most of them were not enthusiastic about fighting against their former motherland, and they were considered a law enforcing unit more than a real fighting force. Things changed, however after the raid of May 622. The Lotii soldiers sacked Jiangkai even more brutally than they would have done with an enemy settlement, killing those who had remained behind and trying to set every building on fire: only the stubborn resistance and the sacrifice of the fort garrison spared most of the population from the massacre. As the tirailleurs organised the evacuation of the civilians from the city, they instead lived to fight another day.

Now the citizens on Jiangkai know that they can’t expect no mercy from their former countrymen. The tirailleurs will fight for their honour and for revenge, on El Oleonda and beyond.

 

The tirailleurs concept and design are heavily based on @Khorne’s early sketches of “Asian” troops, even before the Lotus Empire appeared in our world.

With this build, a new platoon of soldiers is raised in Jiangkai.

EDIT: As Jiangkai is still a town, only 10 (and not 30) men can be recruited in each turn

Edited January 1, 2023 by Keymonus

[NOD]

I like the Jiangkai tirailleurs. The landscape with the statue in the background looks interesting.

[Ayrlego]

Great troops and detailed backstory - I like how you incorporated the raid on Jiangkai into their motivation. Interesting looking statue as well, looks really well done (and almost wasted in the background! - it definitely deserves to be the focus of a MOC! )

[Jeff of Clubs]

Go get 'em boys! Looking good. I too am enjoying the stone heads of Jiangkai.

[Keymonus]

Thank you guys! I wanted to be sure to raise the troops in Jiangkai-we badly need them after the raid- but I’ll add some pictures as soon as I can! I’m glad you liked the stone lion, but it’s actually a little… ehm… recycled from my dyers’ district, where it was definitely too much in the background. I’ll show some more angles with the next photos!

[evancelt]

That stone lion is cool! 

Fun way to get those cavalry torsos into BoBS!

[Captain Braunsfeld]

Fine troops - fine statue!

[Keymonus]

Thank you!!!

[Khorne]

On 6/14/2022 at 12:09 AM, Keymonus said:

The tirailleurs concept and design are heavily based on @Khorne’s early sketches of “Asian” troops, even before the Litus Empire appeared in our world.

So cool that the artwork I did years ago can still inspire people  .

Like I said about Ross's Artemisian Nuns: another great entry to our roster. I like the background information that goes with the build. You incorporated the Raid on Jiangkai nicely into their story.