Pioneer

## Tactical Analysis

* **Pioneering Techniques:** The most capable of even the kshatriyas, the Frontier Corps' Pioneer infantry are elite light infantry. Using MX-15 carbines and trained in stealth and surveillance, the pioneers can appear anywhere on the field whenever they are contacted. Their hostile environment suits just make them all the more dangerous, attacking from where the enemy least expects.

* **It's a Kashmir pattern shoulder bag:** Just because they're light infantry doesn't mean they're unprepared to face enemy armor. When threatened, pioneers can toss a light but powerful explosive charge onto an enemy tank.

* **Pioneering, not groundbreaking:** Despite their skills, the pioneers travel without heavy armor or weapons. If the enemy does find and corner them, their lives can be measured in seconds. The fact that only a few of them can be called onto the field at a time is even worse news for their commanders.

* **Next journey:** Already known for their incredible stamina, the pioneers who reach a level of ability above even their fellows are known to run as fast and hard as a dog or bear.

## Background

*"If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a pioneer."*

- Field Marshal Sam Monekshaw
Gurkha. The simple word brings a shiver of terror up the spine of any professional soldier. They fought for the British wherever they were needed as mercenaries on retainer. When the British joined the Allies, so did the gurkhas. The same martial discipline that served the British became perfect for the Allies to use against the Empire of the Rising Sun, and over the course of the war the gurkhas became feared opponents for their ability to use stealth and brute force (often at the same time). The Empire even conceded that, for barbarians, the gurkhas were as fearsome a class of warrior as their own. That's why many gurkhas consider it small condolence that so many of their families were in England when the bombs fell over China. Now the few gurkhas who are left on the field are just barely in line with the Allies, using their stealth and brutality to turn the lives of the Kingdom into a nightmare. After a famous incident where a company of gurkhas crept into a Kingdom cloning facility and broke every second vat without being caught, it's no exaggeration to say that the nobles of the Kingdom check under their beds for kukris before sleeping.

The Commonwealth took in the many Nepalese who needed a new home thanks to the fallout, and among these survivors were many ex-gurkha soldiers. The proper Indian Army snapped up the gurkhas who could still fight, leaving the Frontier Corps with proud but old soldiers who needed a half-dozen pills just to wake up in the morning. Knowing they had little else to work with, the Frontier Corps instead decided to focus on using the experiences of these gurkhas as a weapon instead. Making them instructors at the elite training facilities for the Commonwealth, the gurkhas' only requirement was that their facilities be moved to the mountains of their old home. Training their charges in ever harsher conditions than they knew, the gurkhas trained the Frontier Corps' elite light infantry. They were christened the pioneers, and sent on their new missions.

The new pioneers are the most feared of the Frontier Corps, despite existing for barely as long as the Atomic Kingdom has existed. Their actions in the atomic, crystal-ridden wastes to the north have become the stuff of legend. Known for making their long range patrols in full radiation suits and still avoiding detection. Their survival skills in the hostile environments of war have also made them feared enemies of the GLA, whose toxins are useless against their hostile environment suits. Though they're India's elite, this skill comes at a price. As India's elite, they're typically sent on missions by the highest levels of command. Of course, these missions are typically near the operations areas of lower ranking Frontier Corps commanders. This means that for any commanders that have access to the proper radio codes, the enemy will suddenly find themselves under assault by one of the most dangerous elite infantry units in the world.

The pioneers themselves are a source of discontent among the world's surviving gurkhas. As the true survivors of their warrior lineage, the British and Indian Army gurkhas find working alongside pioneers distasteful at best and insulting at worst. To them, the pioneers are a bastardization of the gurkha history, a quick and dirty attempt by the Commonwealth to create a horde of elite killers without the same level of discipline and resolve that the Nepalese gurkhas are famous for. Only time (and battle) will show if these pioneers are truly worthy to stand on the same level as the gurkha on the battlefield.