Arcana: Unit Design

Infantry

Peasants

In times of dire need, (or when they're rebelling) slaves, peasants, and criminals can be quickly arranged into something resembling a fighting unit. The process of "arming" and "drilling" them costs only a couple gold and unlike most other units, can be done practically anywhere that's inhabited. Unless magically controlled however, peasants tends to be poorly motivated, and always have to make do with the worst equipment and training. Their raw availability however, means they often make up the bulk of poor armies in times of war and if your cities and castles fall, these are all you'll have if that.

Training Cost: 0 Gold

Upkeep Cost: 1 Gold

Militia

Formations of medium infantry are an excellent balance of low price, reliability, power, and mobility and inevitably form the backbone of most armies. If armed with spear and shield, they will defend well against cavalry, swords and shields allows them to efficiently kill at or under their weight, whilst arming them with heavier weapons makes them credible against more heavily armored opponents.

Training Cost: 0 Gold

Upkeep Cost: 3 Gold

Men-at-arms

Many local lords do not rely entirely upon levies of local peasants and burghers for defense, preferring to keep a number of trained soldiers on permanent retainer. These are colloquially known as Men-at-arms. Drawn from the laboring classes, men-at-arms are often former militiamen who have distinguished themselves in battle. Hardened veterans who have often fought in many battles, men-at-arms are both more skilled and more disciplined than regular militia, making them invaluable as the core of any expanding levied army.

Training Cost: 50 Gold

Upkeep Cost: 6 Gold

Knights

As much of a social class as a military roles, knights are trained since childhood to be warriors and soldiers and are always found at the center of an army or the vanguard of an attack. Trained to be deadly opponents on foot or on horseback they are accustomed to wearing heavy armor. Often in peacetime they will act as a King’s enforcers, in which capacity they tend to be even more lavishly equipped than the norm. Coming mostly from the minor nobility, knights cannot just be drafted by any king with gold in his coffers and take a lifetime to train. During peacetime knights will often act as tax collectors, halving their gold upkeep.

Training Cost: 200 Gold

Upkeep Cost: 16 Gold (8 when not mobilized)

Melee Weapons

Pick a main weapon and an optional side weapon. A two-handed melee weapon cannot be used with a shield.

Spear

The concept of attaching a sharpened point to a wooden shaft is older than the written word. It is pure simplistic efficiency that has never been eclipsed.

Cost: 5

Mace

The earliest maces were simply stones bound to a handle with leather. Now they are often cast in iron and bronze with cleats and armour-piercing spikes. Even though arms and armour have become vastly more sophisticated, it remains surprisingly effective to simply bludgeon one’s enemies to death.

Cost: 10

Pike

Perhaps the simplest and most effective way to arm an army. Pike formations are equally able to ward off cavalry and opposing infantry with a forest of pikes. Against disciplined enemy infantry armed with pikes, engagements tend to become a contest of endurance in the "push of pike".

Cost: 12

Axe

While never a glamorous weapon, the axe is highly versatile and a potent armament.

Cost: 12

Sidesword

Popular with both soldiers and civilians, side-swords are adept at fighting both armored and unarmored opponents. They are commonly used with a buckler.

Cost: 15

Warhammer

Warhammers are an evolution of maces, meant to deliver a much more traumatic blow through armour. Often one side of a warhammer’s head tapers down into a wicked point meant to pierce through solid plate.

Cost: 20

Broadsword

Heavy one handed swords, often with an ornate hilt guard. Usually carried by cavalrymen and other soldiers who prefer its brute force over more elegant blades.

Cost: 25

Battleaxe

An immense, well-balanced and often elaborate great axe that carries with it a good measure of intimidation and a tremendously powerful blow.

Cost: 35

Halberd

An axe blade and spike mounted atop a long pole. Halberds are exellent for supporting the more cumbersome Pike, and are also carried by royal guards across the known world. Also by association includes polearms such as glaives and bills.

Cost: 35

Long Swords

The quintessential knightly weapon, long swords encompass a family of expensive and superbly crafted blades.

Cost: 50

Great Swords

Imposing bladed weapons that typically consume weeks or even months of a craftman’s efforts to produce. Typically they find their way into the hands of elite soldiers, due to both their expense and the special skills needed to use them properly.

Cost: 75

Ranged

Javelin

Light spears primarily intended for throwing.

Cost: 3

Throwing Axe

A thrown axe of the sort used by Franks and Dwarves everywhere.

Cost: 5

Crossbow

While having a slower rate of fire than traditional bows, the crossbow's bolts are considerably more potent.

Cost: 10

Compound Bow

Weapon of choice for the sensible barbarian horse archer.

Cost: 10

Longbows

Standard longbows made of yew, or more favorable or less favorable but cheaper or more common woods.

Cost: 15

Arbalest

The more powerful metal cousin of the basic crossbow, an arbalest is one of the deadliest ranged weapons around.

Cost: 20

Arquebus

Simple and easy to construct, the Arquebus was the first firearm used by the Alfar Imperial Legions.

Cost: 25

Leadcaster

More expensive and much more complex than a simple Arquebus, the magitech Leadcaster is the pinnacle of recent firearm development.

Cost: 40 + 15 Mana

Hand Leadcaster

A compact version of the shoulder fired standard leadcaster. While it lacks the range and power of the full sized gun, its smaller size makes it perfect for use by mounted troops.

Cost: 20 + 10 Mana

Enchantments & Enhancements

Adamantium Weapon

Impossibly sharp, extremely hard and nigh indestructible.

Cost: Base Weapon Cost in Adamantium

Combination Weapons

It’s a sword with a gun in it! Probably not as effective at stabbing as a typical sword or shooting as a gun, but who cares? It’s a sword with a gun in it!

Cost: Cost of Base Weapon + Cost of Extra Weapon

Warning: Those who attempt to use a gun as a club or throw a sword will be executed.

Brute Force

In many cultures that practiced war differently than the Alfar, it was often more effective to enchant an existing weapon to affect its user and not the intended target. A mace, warhammer or sturdy axe doesn’t care if it hits harder by virtue of being magically forged or simply being swung with superhuman force.

Cost: + 50 Mana

Alfar Blades

The Alfar Empire had honed the manufacture of swords and other edged weapons to an art. In the waning years of the Empire, the secrets of their forging began to proliferate through the outer provinces and places beyond. Also known as Imbued blades, they are infused with arcane energies during their creation. Depending on the recipient’s desire, they may glow with searing heat or crackle with electric charge.

Cost: 2x Base Weapon Cost + 50 Mana

Lightswords

A sword (or other edged weapon) that has an ethereal edge that cannot be stopped by ordinary means.

Cost: + 100 Mana

Upkeep: +10 Mana

Sorceror Arms

Some weapons are imbued with enough energy that they may allow any user to cast forms of low magic. Examples include javelins that become bolts of lightning when thrown, or spears that can issue a gout of flame.

Cost: + 200 mana

Upkeep: +20 Mana

Adamantium Casing

Casting a gun barrel out of adamantium tends to vastly increase its strength, allowing much more powerful charges to be used.

Cost: +Base Weapon Cost in Adamantium

• Applies only to cannons

Explosive Shot

Made of explodium.

Cost: + Base Weapon Cost in Mana

Upkeep: +10 Mana

Personal Armor

Light

Padded Jacket

A simple reinforced jacket.

Cost: 3

Shell Coat

Essentially similar to a barrier jacket, except with hard armor plates at the shoulders, elbows and other strategic locations.

Cost: 5

Skirmisher Armour

Typically made of rigid but lightweight materials like hardened leather with interior metal strips, and reinforcements. It provides more resistance against slashing and bludgeoning weapons than other forms of light armour without being as heavy as mail.

Cost: 10

Medium

Mail

While seen as somewhat dated in this era of heavy plate, older styles of mail armor are still commonly used by feudal foot soldiers and poorer knights alike.

Cost: 10

Lamellar

Armor consisting of small plates that have been laced together in overlapping rows.

Cost: 15

Plated Mail

Mail armor that has been reinforced by the addition of metal plates.

Cost: 25

Heavy

Partial Plate

While not providing the comprehensive protection of full plate armor, partial plate still offers better mobility and superior visibility over a suit of full plate, in addition to being cheaper to produce.

Cost: 35

Full Plate

The favored armor of nobility and knightly cavalry. Expensive, but is more than worth the price for the protection it offers.

Cost: 60

Superheavy Plate

Impossibly thick armor used by monstrous creatures or the super humanly strong.

Cost: 100

Shields

Buckler

Scottish targes, bucklers, and other small shields. They cannot cover much target area against a rain of missiles, but provide a significant advantage in close combat.

Cost: 2

Light Shield

Shields of fair size but simple and light construction. Light shields provide good protection and coverage against lighter weaponry, but are too flimsy to withstand heavy weaponry.

Cost: 4

Full Shield

Good defensive boosts against all forms of attack.

Cost: 10

Tower Shield

These are large, heavy shields that cover practically the entire body against attack. They are very solid against projectiles and formidable protection for ranks of spear. Tend to be a bit unwieldy in a general melee.

Cost: 20

Pavise

Useless in close combat but provides exceptional ranged protection.

Cost: 25

Enchantments & Enhancements

Elven Weave

Having done away with clumsy mail millenia ago, the Alfar Empire outfitted its troops with comfortable (if somewhat heavy) soft armor made of adamantium fabric. Enchantments dispersed the impacts of blunt weapons and the adamantium weave could turn all but the best swords. Better still, elven weave can be worn even while travelling, making it popular with adventurers.

Cost: +Base Armour Cost in Adamantium + 50 Mana

Upkeep: +5 Mana

• Applies only to Light & Medium Armour

Adamantium Plates

A few lords or rich knights can afford special plate armor reinforced with adamantium, giving them almost unmatched protection.

Cost: +Base Armour Cost in Adamantium

• Applies only to heavy armour.

Charged Shield

Particularly common during the Necromantic Wars amongst those who could not afford a set of fully enchanted armour, shields can be warded to resist the effects of magic and enchanted weapons.

Cost: +10 Mana

Barrier Jacket

Intended for light armour, barrier jackets have an inner weave of magical circuitry that reinforces and protects the wearer. It is usually reserved for those who cannot use heavier equipment and will pay a premium for the best protection feasible on light armour.

Cost: + 50 Mana

Upkeep: +5 Mana

• Applies only to Light Armour

Enchanted Armour

In outer Alfar provinces late in the decline with rare metals becoming scarce, many knights and veteran soldiers were unable to afford Alfar armour. Particularly common in poorer areas where lighter armour was easier to acquire than full plate, they turned towards enchantment to provide better protection.

Cost: +30 Mana

Upkeep: +3 Mana

Embodied Armor

Rife with enchantments, 'embodied' armor is the ultimate expression of heavyweight personal armor. Not only does it provide incredible resistance to attacks both physical and magical, it is surprisingly easy to move in and even augments the wearer's strength.

Cost: +100 Mana

Upkeep: +10 Mana