Footman

**Key Features** | »Clockwork repeater crossbow»Greenfield-pattern flanged mace»Talon steel hauberk (inherited), worn under segmented plates of Talon steel armor»Tunic w/ livery»Saint's bone talisman (fake)

*"We are on a mission from God!"*

- Footman
## Tactical Analysis

* **Expensive gear:** The Talon is not known for its efficiency. Despite the price tag, Footmen are only middling as infantry go. They are well armoured by infantry standards, and their crossbows hit fairly hard, but have sluggish rates of fire and limited range compared to modern firearms.

* **Carrying a Big Stick:** The other weapon for Footmen is a powerful mace. This weapon takes some time to strike, but if the Footman can get a good swing in, he can one-hit kill any infantry or battlesuit he may come across. However, they can still be killed mid-swing.

* **Dedication:** Footmen are still line infantry, not commandoes. They will be slaughtered by anti-infantry weapons and while their crossbows are effective against light vehicles, they still have trouble dealing with tanks. They are also pricier than their actual stats would seem to merit, but there's nothing you can do about that. Just don't throw them away needlessly - the Talon do not have an unlimited supply of manpower.

* **Loyalty**: The longest serving Footmen are often gifted with superior equipment, such as crossbow bolts filled with flammable substances, clockwork-powered frames that allow them to resist being crushed by vehicles, delicately crafted automatic crossbows that double the Footman's rate of fire, and specially-forged thermobaric bolts that pierces vehicles and instantly immolates infantry and an Ambiaric mace that instantly kills any vehicle it hits.

## Background

The Talon is not a large organisation. Of all the factions with major pull globally, the Talon are remarkably small; while even the Talon aren't certain how many members they have outside of their knightly core, they know that the vast majority of their number are Footmen, recruits into the Talon that are scattered around the globe awaiting the call to action. Footmen are not dedicated soldiers; they are regular people with regular lives that were recruited into the Talon through a variety of means.

When the Talon mobilises for war, they call upon these soldiers to travel to their side and fight for them. The average community probably contains two or three of these secret warriors; old war veterans, respectable young churchgoers, unassuming businessmen, using various clubs and societies to train and recruit new members. When the call goes out, hundreds or even thousands of them can converge on the field, grouping together once again under the banners of the Talon.

**Footmen** are a strange collection of anachronisms on the field. A glance at their equipment might lead somebody to conclude that they are part of a strange historical recreation, with their chainmail armour, riveted helmets and oversized crossbows. However, the solid modern military core of the Talon shines through in the way they move and fight, fire teams of armoured warriors sticking to cover and providing overwatch fire, each foot long bolt capable of punching through concrete blocks to spray molten metal and shrapnel into the enemy. Footmen skirmish with enemy infantry while heavier elements are brought up, and provide a core of defensive troops that can be counted on as a rear guard.

As a symbol of the completion of their training, every Footman is presented with a mace. While it does serve a ceremonial function, it is also fully usable as a weapon, and indeed all Footmen receive training in its use. While the crossbow is generally preferred for its range and effectiveness against light vehicles, and though it does take a bit of a time to bring the heavy weapon around, enemy infantry soon find that the mace is very lethal in close-quarters combat.

 File:Talon Footman Minifig.png
## Just the Stats

 **Armour Type** | Infantry

 **Kill Reward** | 2400

 **DPS** | 25

 **DPS** | N/A