Well it's that time! I've pretty much finalized my post on the Anderfels' military and by god it's pretty damn lengthy. Enjoy!
TYPICAL ARMS AND ARMOUR
Due to being an extreme climate and the long distances of barren emptiness, the armour of the Anders is commonly chainmail, scale, or lamellar. [The basis is medieval Russian and Lithuanian armour with some elements from 17th century Poland and Ukraine - good examples are from Ogniem i Miezcem and Mount & Blade With Fire & Sword.] Chainmail veiled helmets, veridium masks, or pointed helmets are extremely common headgear. Generally speaking, only the very wealthy can afford to have a masked helmet, and so very few possess one. Anders masked helmets are highly valued in other lands, but Orlesian collectors won't pay much for them. For obvious reasons to anyone who knows anything about Orlesians. The royal helmet typically has been a golden painted masked helmet with griffon wings on it, though King Riefel's own helmet is a veiled one made primarily of chainmail with a plated silverite top. The helmet of First Warden Albrecht von Leutofen is adorned with reindeer antlers. Different from typical Grey Warden helmets, but similar enough to be one. [His helmet is almost identical to a Teutonic Ritterbrüder helmet.]
The loose fittings of chainmail, scale, and lamellar are fantastic for fighting in a climate where it's as likely to be deathly hot as freezing cold. Thick fur uniforms are commonplace during the winter, though the hats stay out year round. The most common metals in the Anderfels are: volcanic aurum (particularly around Tallo's Eye), veridium, obsidian (again, particularly around Tallo's Eye), and grey iron. Thus armour and weapons smelted in the Anderfels are typically made of these materials - unless someone brings their own of course.
A particularly famous tale is of an Anders swordmaster who helped an aspiring student make a sword of rare starmetal. This blade, appropriately named Raumschwert ("Spacesword"), was the weapon of many warlords for centuries, till it was stolen and corrupted by the darkspawn during a raid on a merchant caravan from Laysh.
The Anders Army is mostly comprised (~60%) of cavalry, many of whom wear medium armour. Some are lightly armoured, but that's because they often can't get heavier armour or their particular fighting style does not lean towards heavy armour - horse archers being a prime example. A horseman's primary weapons are typically: a melee weapon, a shield, a lance, and three javelins for throwing. Horse archers typically wear light armour (as it has been decades since there was a pitched battle), but they can armour up if provided with the necessary armour. A composite bow with good flexibility (see Mongolian bows as an example) provides a lot of power and the arrows launched at great speed have felled Orlesian chevaliers.
Something interesting of note: some elite Anders cavalry have strips of wood with feathers on them tied to the back of their armour. This appearance of wings is intended to intimidate the enemy, but it ends up being an appearance thing – something the Orlesians no doubt love. These cavalry units are known as “Geflügelten Husaren” – Winged Hussars.
Coursers and Chargers from the Anderfels are highly prized in the rest of Thedas for their great speed and maneuverability. Due to a powerful bond between the Anders and their prized horses, the Anders are widely considered masters of mounted combat, a reputation well earned through centuries of examples.
The footmen (which make up ~40% of the army) are predominantly infantry armed with pikes, berdiches, four javelins, and a one-handed melee weapon; though axes are a favourite. They have large rectangular shields and are trained to form a pike and shield wall - the men in the first row form their shields into an overlapping wall whilst the second and third rows angle their pikes so that a row is facing up and one is facing down. Javelins are good throwing weapons and a common saying amongst Anders footmen goes as follows: “Down to javelin two? Things are still good for you. Down to javelin three? Well things are bad, I think you’ll agree. Down to javelin four? Well you’re gonna get a what for.”
Infantry are typically armoured in lamellar and chainmail, with some plate for things like shins, gauntlets, and cuirasses. Typical helmets include conical helmets, veiled helmets, nasal helms, and spangenhelms. Their chest plates are often adorned with the heraldry of the commander they serve under.
Any foot archers or crossbowmen (though they are exceptionally rare) always carry a thick pike to plant in front of them to protect from cavalry charges, and a big rectangular shield for protection from missile fire. It's a sensible tactic when fighting primarily is on flat open plains with barely any cover. The mindset is summarized as: when’s there no cover to be found, make some.
SIEGE TACTICS
The Army of the Anderfels hasn't laid a siege for 800 years - not since Orlesian forces, who were dug in at Kassel, were driven out by the Anders rebellion. And since the Anders aren't exactly known for their writings, King Riefel and his generals had to come up with entirely new tactics when they laid siege to Weisshaupt Fortress in 9:44 Dragon. Riefel wanted to force First Warden Albrecht to negotiate, so the tactics he employed were primarily defensive and harassing.
The cavalry all dismounted and wooden structures with holes for archers to shoot through were built. Other archers planted large rectangular shields in front of them and used it as cover - a tactic used mainly on open fields was now amplified to a larger extent. A trench was dug around Weisshaupt (where possible) and sharp wooden stakes were planted in it. Trebuchets and mangonels were brought in and flung various cargo - rocks, flaming rocks, dead cows, captured prisoners, even bundles of animal feces all landed in Weisshaupt's courtyard and on its towers. Infantry surrounded the fortress and would often throw javelins at the walls.
Smiths and quartermasters were on hand, and so the army was well supplied as Weisshaupt's gallant defenders slowly starved. Loud singing and instrument playing at night often kept the defenders from sleeping well, and it was a constant headache. Siege towers and ladders were built but not often employed during the siege. Again, Riefel's goal was to force a negotiation.
THE CHANTRY AND THE BATTLEFIELD
The Anders are a highly spiritual people and all the clans have minor variations on Andrastianism. [Similar to how German clans and ethnic groups had minor variations on Christianity during the 4th, 5th, & 6th centuries.] The cities and towns are more or less uniform in their religious views, as many laws passed by the monarchy are based on religious rather than secular values. Incidentally this has resulted in many Anders clansmen being persecuted for their variations on the Chantry's views of Andraste and the Maker. The priest of a clan, despite being ordained by the Grand Cleric in Hossberg, adapts parts of the Chant to their clan’s values, resulting in hundreds of minor variations on Andraste's teachings.
Chantry Sisters and Brothers, generally, are equally at home on a battlefield as they are in a cloister. Many priests have donned armour and led troops into battle before, but most simply do prayers before, during, and after battle. They are often mounted and carry the tools of their trade wherever they go. They are often dressed in brown or black robes and carry a scepter with the Flaming Sword of Andraste on it, and a jar of incense. Before battle, they ride in front of the troops chanting and praying for them - for victory primarily. While Chantry members in Orlais and Ferelden are never expected to fight, in the Anderfels it's not uncommon. While killing a member of the Chantry is an uncommon practice for the victors, it doesn't come without cost. Killing a Chantry member when it isn't self-defense (and only one other witness is needed to say it is or isn't self-defense) is a sin that would require two weeks of intense prayer and fasting.
Once a battle is commenced, priests from both sides (presuming they are both Anders) will often try and curse their foe with the Maker's wrath. However since the Maker is an absent god, it has never worked, but it keeps morale up. As has been stated, some bring weapons and charge into the fray, but most do not. The life of a battlefield priest is an ugly - and often short - one and many a fresh Chantry sister has been traumatized by what she has seen and forever stays in a cloister.
Interestingly, the priests' role as moderators also extends itself to negotiation. Amongst the Anders if an ordained priest is not present for negotiating, the negotiation is seen as not having the Maker's blessing. This has caused confusion and even controversy during negotiations with foreign nations - namely Orlais (the majority of Orlesians view the Anders' beliefs as primitive nonsense). Despite worshipping an absent god, the fear of the Blight keeps the Anders faithful in the idea that one day they will have a bright tomorrow.
BATTLE FREQUENCY
Earlier in the reading I mentioned that the Anders are considered masters of mounted combat (which has led to some rather offensive stereotypes I would not repeat here). You may be asking, "How often do they fight, that the peoples of Thedas overall see the Anders as the masters of mounted warfare? The Anders Army has not been called in decades and its last battle was that long ago." The answer is that the Anders clans fight each other quite often.
Since the majority of the steppes is uninhabitable blightland, the pockets of greenery - where either nature has reclaimed that ground or it has been fortunate enough to not weather the Blight - are hotly contested. The migration patterns of the clans are predominantly about moving between these patches of greenery. So meaning that the Anders clans are loosely tied together and the only real places they come together are at the Verbündeten Klans or when the Anders Army is assembled.
So to answer the hypothetical question, the Anders fight quite often and so they demonstrate on a regular basis why they are the masters of mounted warfare. Any military willing to disagree should read about what happened to the Orlesian occupation force when they were driven out of the Anderfels (back then known as the Orthlands) around 800 years ago. The chevaliers were massacred by the horse archers and were unable to reach their targets; the cavalry that were still alive foolishly charged straight into a line of Anders pikemen and were slaughtered. The Orlesian infantry put up more of a fight but were still driven back by the Anders’ determination and ferocity. The rebellion destroyed many careers in the Orlesian Military and Emperor Kordillus II was furious. He tried again to reclaim the Anderfels but was stopped by Anders guerilla fighters and eventually he gave up.
MILITARY HIERARCHY
For review:
König Riefel II von Steilenberg
Landmeister Albrecht von Leutofen
Großkomtur Vytautus Merzün
General Kaleva von Richvalein
Komtur Adolf Kertzonin
Kommandant Katarina Shiegen
At the top, quite clearly, is King Riefel II. He is the commander in chief, so to speak, of the entire Anders Army. The king has the power to assemble the Army together, and only he can do that. The last time the Army was assembled was 46 years ago in 8:95 Blessed by King Georg III to fend off a Nevarran incursion. The Nevarrans were emboldened by conquests in Orlais and the Free Marches decades prior and felt the Lattenfluss would make a fine addition to their burgeoning empire.
Landmeister (Landmeisterin for female) is literally "Landmaster", but a more accurate translation would be "Territorial Minister". This is the person who oversees the Anders territory and enforces the laws within in them. Historically this title has been granted to the First Warden. As First Warden, the Landmeister is very popular with the Army and holds great command within it.
Großkomtur translates as "Grand Commander". It is held by the heads of the Army, below the king and the Landmeister. There are typically four Großkomturs at any given time. The current four (as of 9:44 Dragon) are: Vytautus Merzün, Albert von Kässlich, Elizeveta Vurtien, and Johannes Schergun.
General is what you think it is, but pronounced differently (ghen-er-al). The Generäle are effectively second-in command for the Anders Army. They command sizable units but given the migratory nature of the Anders, they are very rarely called together for an army. The Generäle are usually clan leaders, but not always.
Komtur is one of the words for "Commander" in Ander but is often distinguished from Kommandant. The Komturs typically oversee small areas of Anders land, and most are Grey Wardens. They are effectively military governors, and many people turn to the Komturs more than the king.
Kommandant is a synonym for Komtur, yet in the hierarchy they mean two different things. Kommandants are the bottom rung of the Hierarchy's ladder, serving as the heads of small units. Again they are often Grey Wardens or Anders clansmen.
The proper term when addressing a military commander (other than the king or Landmeister) is to say “Herr”. Herr means “sir” and is used as a gender neutral term like ser. For the king, the proper phrase is “Eure Majestät”/ “your majesty”. The Landmeister (in the setting of the army at least) is to be referred to as “Kommandant”/”commander”. A confusion to be sure, but this refers to the fact that the Landmeister is also the Commander of the Grey for the Anderfels (aka First Warden).
A PROFESSIONAL ARMY
Historically speaking, the Anders Army has often been made of differing non-standardized clansmen who are called together in times of crisis. These soldiers are closer to warriors and are by no means professional. The closest thing the Anderfels had to a professional standing army was the small force the government kept to enforce order within their territories.
In the early months of 9:42 Dragon, King Riefel, working in conjunction with his Großkomturs, reformed the Anders army – he made it a professional fighting force for people whose whole lives were fighting. These were not peasants who would drop the plough for a sword in times of crisis. The clans would still be called to form the Army, but it now had a significant standing force. That force was made up of three groups of people – mercenaries, urban dwellers who wanted to be soldiers, or clansmen who were forced to become part of the army as their clan’s form of tax.
Allow me to focus on that last group in particular. In order to strengthen the monarchy’s importance in the minds of the wandering clans and to build up the Army, Riefel demanded that all clans send at least eight fighters to serve in the Anders Army at a time. They would serve for one year before being swapped with another eight. No restrictions were made based on sex or religion with a minimum age of 15. This was a clan’s tax.
The idea of 15 year olds serving next to 30 year olds in an army is a foreign concept to us (as non-Anders), but remember that many Anders wander the desolate steppes where darkspawn can appear at any time. Anders are taught and expected to fight from a young age. For an Ander, fighting is as common and important as praying. To quote Brother Genitivi, “The most devout priests and the most deadly soldiers, the poorest nation in the world and the most feared.”
Armour and weapons were, for the most part, standardized. I mentioned before what the typical weapon arrangements were. While there was variation amongst what melee weapon would be used (axe, mace, sword, hammer, etc), the arrangement itself was very standardized. This was part of the plan Riefel and his Großkomturs drafted – the reorganization and standardization of the army. As Genitivi’s quote points out, the Anders are arguably the deadliest soldiers in Thedas, despite their previous irregularities and non-uniformity.
Since the Anderfels was lacking in the trainers necessary to bring the army up to speed, foreign ones were brought in. Predominantly they were from Tevinter and Nevarra, but the king was pleased to find the Inquisition sending in trainers of its own – at the behest of the Lady Ambassador and Commander of course.
The Anders Army is now becoming a standardized and deadly army, worthy of rivalling even Orlais and Tevinter. However one big problem remains for the Anders Army should it ever tackle the Imperium’s – size. While the Anders are just as strong, if not stronger, than the Tevinter soldiers, the Anders Army is a fraction of the size. The Tevinter Army ranges into several hundred thousand strong, whereas the Anders Army has only ever gotten as large as 50,000. This is a result of the mere fact that the Anders population is the smallest of the human nations – roughly 300,000-400,000; whereas the population of Tevinter ranges into the millions.
The idea of battlemages serving in armies is a tried and true concept in many Thedosian nations. Not the Anderfels. Due to the monarchy's strict adherence to the ideals of the Orlesian Chantry, mages were often forbidden from positions of power - be they governmental or military. The only office a mage could hold in the Anderfels was Landmeister (indeed anyone can hold Landmeister making it the only office in Thedas that has such loose restrictions). With the standardization of the army and talk of reforms to the way mages are treated [regardless of who becomes Divine], Riefel decides to incorporate mages into the Anders Army. As such, battlemages are an infrequent sight whereas before they were totally non-existent.
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