Sapphire Grande Armée/Units and Materials

This is a page for the Sapphire Grande Armée's Units and Materials.

### **Battalion of Soldiers**

These are the units that fight in land battles or on ships. Called Battalions, they all are groups of soldiers fighting under the orders of a same Captain, and their numbers vary depending on their type.

#### **Non-Military Unit**

These are units that serve for law enforcement or for exceptional times, and are not supposed to fight or unconventional soldiers counting as members of the Regular Corps in the Grande Armée.

##### **Partisans and Militia**

Partisans and Militia are light and line infantries formed temporarily among folks. They are barely trained to handle rifles, but their accuracy and reloading speed are terrible as well as their discipline and morale, making them terrible soldiers who fight only because the situation required to. Only their weapons are standardized for both cases, the Partisans lacking standardized uniforms unlike Militia. They generally are not reunited in battalions and return to civility once comes the end of conflicts.

##### **Gendarmerie**

The Gendarmerie designates a coercive militarized police with weapons and discipline. Considered light infantry, they are adapted to fight against criminals and non-military fighters in order to apprehend and arrest them, serving as a Law Enforcement force rather than a Military one, yet should they be better choices than Militia. They're reunited in Battalions of 200 soldiers.

#### **Common Units**

These are the common units existing in all the Armies, including the Imperial Guard, Stranger Battalions and Regular Army except the Legacy Guard.

##### **Line Infantry**

Line Infantry is the first soldier type of the Grande Armée, and it is named after its usual tactics and formation: the line where the soldiers form firing rows. Armed with strong Hiroshima Muskets with Aokigahara Bayonets, and wearing the regulatory line infantry uniform depending on the Army and Guard they belong to. They are advantaged against Heavy Cavalry they can easily shoot down and stab with bayonets, and disadvantaged against Light Infantry they can hardly hit.

###### **Fusiliers**

Standard form of Line Infantry, with ordinary accuracy, reload speed, and reunited in battalions of 400 soldiers.

###### **Attack Column**

Assault Line Infantry, with lesser accuracy but greater numbers and speed (both reload and move), reunited in Battalions of 600 soldiers.

###### **Sappers**

Sappers are infantry who have aprons and fur hats, and use axes, shovel, pickaxes and bombs as weapons along rifles, and specialize in digging, breaking and building in order to prepare field devices or ways for other units. They can also supply them and are reunited in Battalions of 300 soldiers.

###### **Grenadiers**

Grenadiers are advanced Fusiliers with bearskin hats and hand grenades. Better fighters than Line Infantry, they are reunited in Battalions of 300 soldiers.

###### **Elite Fusiliers**

Form constitutive of the Guard and rare among the Regular, with greater accuracy and reload speed but less common, yet they have slightly less numbers. They're decorated thanks to their experience and are reunited in battalions of 300 soldiers.

##### **Light Infantry**

Light Infantry are the second soldier type of the Grande Armée, fighting in scattered formations and preferring discretion and individual shots instead of mass volley fire. Equipped mostly with accurate Hiroshima Rifles, they are advantaged against Line Infantry by tugging them, but are disadvantaged against Light Cavalry they can't defend against.

###### **Skirmishers**

The classical light infantry with dark uniforms specialized in mobility and flanking their opponents to fire volleys while holding a scattered formation. They are reunited in Battalions of 200 soldiers.

###### **Hunters**

Sharpshooters with camo-colored uniforms, generally green, specialized in outranging their opponents and hiding. They are reunited in Battalions of 200 soldiers.

###### **Voltigeurs**

Elite Skirmishers with dark decorated uniforms specialized in hitting and running from their opponents after flanking them in order to wear them out. They are reunited in Battalions of 160.

###### **Foot Carabiniers**

Elite Hunters with decorated coats and sober bearskin hats specialized in sniping opponents and staying out of their range. They are reunited in Battalions of 160.

##### **Light Cavalry**

Light Cavalry is the third soldier type of the Grande Armée, fighting on horses in rather scattered formations, preferring speed and mobility over defense. Equipped with generally fancy uniforms and swift Goshin Sabers, they are advantaged against Light Infantry they can raid and disturb and disadvantaged against Heavy Cavalry they can barely resist to and scratch. They are all reunited in Squadrons of 80 soldiers.

###### **Hussars**

Classical light cavalry donning extravagant clothing specialized in submerging and melee fighting their opponents.

###### **Lancers**

Horsewomen donning simple clothing and shakos specialized in charging and stabbing their opponents, but having trouble in melee fighting after the charge.

###### **Mounted Hunters**

Mounted versions of Hunters donning their clothing and using Hiroshima Carbines in addition to their Sabers. They specialize in ambushing and tugging their opponents while they shoot them from horseback.

##### **Heavy Cavalry**

Heavy Cavalry is the fourth soldier type of the Grande Armée, fighting on horses in rather tights formations and preferring armor and strength over speed. Equipped with thick or armored uniforms and sharp Goshin Swords, they are advantaged against Light Cavalry their charges and strikes devastate but disadvantaged against Line Infantry they can't resist against their bullets and bayonets. Like Light Cavalry, they are reunited in Squadrons of 80 soldiers.

###### **Dragoons**

The classical Heavy Cavalry with thick uniforms and steel helmets as well as Hiroshima Carbines along their Swords, they are a compromise between mobility and defense. Unable to use them on horse back, they can dismount to use their carbines.

###### **Mounted Grenadiers**

Grenadiers on horse back with the same uniform but only the Goshin Swords. They are specialized in charging their opponents and hitting them hard, yet they're similar to Dragoons in term of defense.

###### **Cuirassiers**

Ironclad horsewomen with shining cuirasses and helmets specialized in resisting their opponents' strikes while still hitting them quite hard like Dragoons do.

##### **Artillery**

Artillery pieces handled by several soldiers capable of aiming and firing them, and accompanied by limbers and horses or bikes to supply or pull them. The soldiers barely have Goshin Sabers and Hiroshima Pistols and worth little in fighting, but the artillery is a core piece of any Army Corp. They are reunited in Compagnies of 80 soldiers for 8 artillery pieces.

##### **Musicians and Flag Bearers**

The Musicians and Flag Bearers are not units at all by themselves, instead just being adjuncts to Officers in regiments. There is always 1 Flag Bearer and 2 Musicians per regiment, only 1 in the Cavalry units, and they wear colorful fancy outfits and use Goshin Sabers as their weapons. They have the role of transmitting orders through their music or motivating their units.

Infantry Musicians play fifes and drums while Cavalry Musicians play bugles.

##### **Ship Soldiers**

The Ship Soldiers who fight on sea rather than land exist in two kinds which exist in Crews depending on the ship's size and requirement and as ship crew members, they depend on the Imperial Navy.

The crew soldiers have light uniforms and bonnets or tricorns and armed with Hiroshima pistols and Goshin sabers, and they are charged to man, load and fire the ship's mounted weapons, such as the cannons, as well as to maintain and repair the ship. They are thus not made to fight nor board other ships by themselves.

The **Marines** are soldiers with Line Infantry uniforms and bicorns, armed with Hiroshima Rifles and Goshin Sabers. Even if they assist the crew soldiers on tasks, their main purpose is to defend their ship, and to attack the enemy ones. As they're purposed to fight, they serve more than crew soldiers in boardings.

##### **Hokkaido Legion**

The Hokkaido Legion are Elite Fusiliers units composed of Yōma and Ainu living in the Hokkaido region of Japan and equaling a Young Guard's one. They have traditional Ainu apparel with a blue feather on their hats. They exist in only 3 Battalions of 180 soldiers.

##### **Hiroshima Voltigeurs**

The Hiroshima Voltigeurs are Voltigeurs units composed of Yōma and humans living in and around Hiroshima, equaling a Young Guard's one. They wear black uniforms similar to Hirohito's and kepi with white and red feather and the Hiroshima seal. They exist in only 2 Battalions of 160.

##### **Guard of Tokyo**

The Guard of Tokyo are a Cuirassier unit composed of Yōma and Human living in Tokyo, equaling a Young Guard's one. Their helmets are slightly similar to Kabutō helmets, and they have Edo-style banners. They exist in only one Squadron of 80.

#### **Stranger Battalions Elites**

Those are the elite units of the Stranger Battalions.

##### **Irish Legion**

The Irish Legion is a direct legacy from the Napoleonic Grande Armée. It is composed of Irish patriots from both the Napoleonic wars and today who are known to be the Stranger Battalions' bravest Legion, known for their numerous feats and still bearing the Irish symbols and Napoleonic emerald green uniforms. They exist as Line Infantry, Musicians and Grenadiers as well as Sappers and Skirmishers, and thus exist in Battalions of related numbers.

#### **Imperial Guard**

Those are the Imperial Guard's Elite units to which the Regular Corps' do not compare to.

##### **Musketeer**

Ultimate Line Infantry wearing an exclusive fancy and decorated dress and using Hiroshima Heavy Muskets with fourquines, and Goshin Swords. They specialize in firing strong volleys to mow down opponents and rely on their Swords in melee. They exist in Battalions of 200.

##### **Ir**o**nclad Gunners**

Ironclad Gunners are special Light Infantry exclusive to the Middle and Old Guards. They wear the Cuirassier's uniform, and are armed with barely carriable Sakura Boulton Machine Guns with ballistic shields, and specialize in mowing down opponents and resisting shots, but they weakly fight in melee using Goshin Sabers. They are reunited in Battalions of 40.

##### **Snipers**

Ultimate Light Infantry wearing the Carabinier's uniform and specializing in sniping opponents at extreme range using discrete Hokkaido Windbüchses. They are reunited in Battalions of 80.

##### **Mounted Musketeers**

Ultimate Light Cavalry with Musketeer horsewomen, equipped with Hiroshima Rifles and Goshin Sabers, and specialized in harassing opponents with raids and snipes. They are reunited in squadrons of 80.

##### **Carabiniers**

Elite Heavy Cavalry, exclusive to the Old Guard, wearing decorated golden armor and uniform, armed with Goshin Swords and Hiroshima Carbines they shoot from horse back similarly to Mounted Hunters. They are as armored as Cuirassiers, but adding firearms to their swords make them deadlier and more effective. They are reunited in Battalions of 80.

##### **Guard of Saint-Helena**

The Ultimate Heavy Cavalry, an unique unit of Cavalry exclusive to the Old Guard dedicated to serve as Sapphire's personal bodyguard. With uniforms similar to Carabiniers' but fancier, and equipped with Goshin Swords, Hiroshima Rifles and Pistols, they can use all their weapons on horse back but also fight on foot by dismounting or when on ships. They are reunited in an unique Squadron of 80.

Even if quite as slow as Carabiniers, they form the most dangerous unit of the Imperial Guard, however their low number makes them precious, thus they are an emergency unit supposed to fight to prevent a still avoidable defeat or to protect Sapphire.

##### **Imperial Grand Battery**

The Ultimate Artillery unit, with the cream of the crop among cannoneers donning decorated dark uniforms and steel spiked helmets. The Battery focuses its shots on an opponent's single point to deal the maximum of damage in one fire, and the mastery of the cannoneers make it the most accurate and powerful Artillery Unit of the Grande Armée. It exists only in 3 Compagnies of 160 cannoneers and 16 24-pounder Tokyo Cannons each.

### **Marine Impériale**

Their ships use both steam engines and sails with masts to move, making wind optional through it can make them move faster. They have different kinds of ships destined for specific uses. In general, the ships are colored black with golden lines outside of each deck, and castles' backs are golden with sculptures and Sapphire's emblem on their tops.

#### **Line Ships**

Line Ships are the military ships by excellence of the Navy, formidable by their broadsides that destroy anything next to them, and their tactics that make use of this major strength. However, they are slow and little maneuverable, making fast ships viable counters if they succeed to dodge all the broadsides. They are propelled with steam engines and propellers behind their rudder.

##### **HMS Napoleon III Citadel Class Ironclad**

   Made through the project for the HMS Louis-Napoleon, a more modern approach of the line ship, the Citadel Class Ironclad Napoleon III is an unique new kind of Ironclad based off the Yamato Class battleships while continuing the Line Ship purpose and style of the Grande Armée's Navy. It is the new largest ship of the fleet, being 300m long and 30m large with 5 masts with sails, a huge steam engine and 3 propellers, for a crew of only 1000 people.

All the cannons are mounted on turrets and exist in several kinds and calibers, the hull holding the biggest ones, and the broadside is devastating despite the lesser number of cannons. Due to the design, these ships are called called "Citadel ships" or "Castle ships".

##### **HMS Napoleon II Lanterna-Class Ironclad**

   Made alongside the Citadel Class Ironclad, the unique Lanterna Class Ironclad Napoleon II is based off standard ironclad ships and just deepens the concept of steam ship with iron/steel armor without much originality unlike the Citadel Class. The term of Lanterna comes form the crow nests protected with bulletproof glass that look like lanterns.

It has a honorable broadside but the limited yaw of most cannons has made that the Citadel Class, more powerful and prestigious, is preferred as a flagship and new generation of line ships to the Lanterna Class.

##### **HMS Napoleon**

The HMS Napoleon is not a model of line ship but an unique line ship and the old largest ship of the fleet. It is a 200m long and 25m large 3-decked line ship with 4 masts with sails and a large steam engine and propeller. It has a crew of 1000 people around.

It is armed with all the kinds of weapons available for the Navy ship, such as 122 Cannons with 12 100-pounder guns on the roar and front and 105 guns on each side , with 500 pounder guns on the first and lowest deck, 250 pounder guns on the second and 100 pounder guns on the third and top deck. Near them are 4 Howitzers and 4 Congreve Rocket Launchers to support the broadsides with bombarding artillery. The hull is ironclad with Star platinum to make it resistant to other ships' cannons and shocks with them.

As the largest line ship and the one with the most important armory, crew and armor, it was the flagship of the Imperial Navy, led by crew soldiers of the Old Guard to make effective use of all of its weaponry. It is used in major battle as the head of the line to do major damage to the enemy fleet.

##### **122 Guns Ironclad Line Ship**

The 122 Guns Ironclad Line Ship is a 80m long and 16m large 3-decked ship with 3 masts with sails and a steam engine and a propeller. It has a crew of 600 people around. With its 122 cannons with 4 at the front and rear and 114 on each side, from 36-pounders to 12-pounders from the top to the bottom, they serve as more casual line ships with steel armor.

They generally serve as flagships for major fleets that don't include the HMS Napoleon, and serve as annexes for the HMS Napoleon when the latter serves as the flagship.

##### **Large Guns Ironclad Line Ship**

The 70 Large Guns Ironclad Ship is a special kind of Line Ship, having the same dimensions as the 122 Guns Ship, the same propulsion, but instead of having 3 decks, it has only 2, and has only 94 or 74 Guns instead of 122. The particularities are that all the guns are of large caliber, from 100 for those with the most guns to 500 for those with the fewest.

They serve in the same roles as 122 guns Line Ships at the difference they prefer the firepower of each cannon instead of the one of a multitude of cannons.

##### **100, 80 and 74 guns Ironclad Line Ships**

These are smaller versions of the 122 Guns Line Ship with less guns and only 2 decks for those with 74 to 80 guns. They serve as flagships only for minor fleets, and are secondary line ships.

#### **Secondary Battleships**

##### **Ironclad Frigate**

The Ironclad Frigate is a medium ship made for fast travelling on long distance while having fair armory. Their 3 masts with sails along their steam engines with paddle wheels, and around 40 to 50 24-pounder guns in a single deck and possibly on the bridge, combined to a steel armor protecting the ship from hits.

##### **Bombard Ironclad Frigate**

The Bombard Ironclad Frigate is a ship with the same dimensions, and profile has an Ironclad frigate, with the exception of a propeller propulsion and of having every cannons replaced with Howitzers or Congreve Rocket Launchers to serve a similar role as the Bombard Brick, but with at least 12 times the power and a steel armor that fill the weaknesses of the Bombard Ship.

##### **Brick**

The Brick is a small ship with 20 16-pounders cannons in only one deck, through having three masts and a small steam engine with a propeller. It serves for relatively short travels that don't require heavy armory and/or speed. Thus, they are very fast ships but are very weak against most battleships, being insta-destroyable by line ships..

##### **Bombard Brick**

The Bombard Brick designates a brick, with at least 3 Howitzers to bombard enemy ships, with the same cannon batteries on the sides but with 3 howitzers on the front. A version with Congreve Rocket Launchers exists too.

Generally, it serves as small support ships for small and medium ships due to how howitzers can damage the enemy crews, but their brick-like profile make them weak ships that tend to be insta-destroyed by line ships.

##### **Aviso**

The Aviso is the smallest and fastest of the ships of the Navy, with barely 10 8-pounder cannons, two masts with sails, and one little steam engine with a propeller. It is easy to destroy by most other battleships and can't really threat any with its few tiny guns, but however its speed tends to make it untouchable for most of the larger ships, and to be ideal for short travels that don't require much payload.

## **Equipment**

Managed by Perinyon, the Guard uses its own equipment it has developped throughout the centuries thanks to Bonaparte's influence. They thus have their own weapons, uniforms, armors, and ammunition they produce without limits and exclusively for themselves, through Sapphire's generosity tend to make her give some of the equipment to who she trusts.

### **Weapons**

#### **Aokigahara Bayonet**

Created and named after the Suicide Forest, this is the regulatory bayonet of the Line Infantry and their counterparts. It is a 30cm long triangular thin and very sharp knife stuck with a curved rod to a ring meant to be fixed on a musket rifle barrel's end.

It is used both to turn the rifle to a kind of spear to fight against Cavalry and opponents, and as a knife to cut food.

#### **Hebijo Castle Spear**

Created at Irongate, this is a 1m50 wooden spear with a Star Platinum blade, used by the Lancers. Fairly light, the weapon gives Lancers a good melee range and penetration, superior to the sabers, but damage and handling is limited, as the spear is made for stabbing and not much for cutting, keeping the saber as a more ideal weapon in melee.

#### **Goshin Blades**

Created at the Goshin Village from the 2019 Tohno Tengu Blades, they are a Saber and Sword made of star platinum with a golden ornate guard and pommel. The Saber has a slightly curved Katana-like blade, with the corresponding Hamon, while the Sword has a straight blade while having a Hamon too.

Officers such as Marshals have a more decorated version of the Goshin Sword, but as they are less fighters than commanders, their sword is more symbolic than useful.

#### **Hiroshima Firearms**

Created after the foundation of the Sapphire Imperial Japon, this rifle is the evolution of the 2019 Hiroshima Firearms. They are ornate breech-loaded percussion firearms with full wooden stocks, star steel parts, sights and barrel with an end to fix a bayonet to and a ramrod below. The firing mechanism, quite simple, can jam at a 0,01% rate at worst, and they are planned to be used with Grey powder for component. There are 4 types of Hiroshima Firearms with different proportions despite the similar design.

* The Heavy Musket is a repeating great rifle with power and penetration in mind used by Musketeers. It has a 2 meters long barrel, a caliber of 1 inch and a maximum range of 3 kilometers with an effective range of 2 kilometers where its precision is high.
* The Musket is a heavy rifle with power in mind used by Line Infantry units. It has a 140 centimeters long barrel, a caliber of 0.80 and a maximum range of 2 kilometers with an effective range of 1 kilometer where its precision is high.
* The Rifle is a repeating long rifle with accuracy in mind used by Light Infantry units. It has a 160 centimeters long barrel, a caliber of 0.69 and a maximum range of 6 kilometers with an effective range of 4 kilometers where its precision is flawless.
* The Carbine is a short rifle with practicality in mind used by Cavalry units. It has a 70 centimeters long barrel, a caliber of 0.70 and a maximum range of 1 kilometer with an effective range of 600 meters where its precision is quite high.
* The Pistol is a break-action handgun used by officers, and it has a 40 centimeters long barrel, a caliber of 0.70 and a maximum range of 500 meters with an effective range of 200 meters where its precision is average.

#### **Nagasaki Blunderbuss**

Created at the same time as the Hiroshima Firearms, this weapon is named after the Nagasaki Academy. It is an ornate caplock blunderbuss made similarly to the Hiroshima Rifle, with the difference of having a shorter and flared barrel. It possess the same fail rate, and a maximum range of 50 meters with an effective range of 30 meters with slug ammo. A pistol version, called Dragoon, exists with a maximum range of 10 meters and an effective range of 3 meters and a quite low accuracy. The similarity between it and the Hiroshima rifle made that it is considered often as a shotgun variant of the Hiroshima rifle, yet no unit use the Nagasaki Blunderbuss.

#### **Hakuagake Volley Rifle**

Created at Hakuagake in preparation to the fight against Executioner Amethyst, this weapon is a break action  breech-loaded caplock volley rifle with 9 rifled barrels of 100cm length and a caliber pf 0.6. The system is similar to the Hiroshima musket, but firing pins replace the hammer and the firing mechanism is complex and quite delicate, giving the weapon a failure rate of 0,1%, through it makes possible to choose to fire only one, several or all the barrels at once. The maximum range is of 1 kilometer and the effective range of 750 meters where the precision is quite moderate-high, due to the weapon being unwieldy and lacking sights. A 3-barreled carbine version exists with shorter barrel and range (Maximum of 400 meters and effective range of 275 meters) but equal precision. It is currently unused.

#### **Sakura Boulton Machine Gun**

Created by Ryōki at the Sakura Boulton complex, and instituted as an alternative for the Hakuagake Volley Rifle to the Guard, this weapon is the most modern weapon the Guard use, but also the heaviest and the fewest used. It is a water-cooled gas-operated belt-fed machine gun with a ballistic shield and a 120cm long barrel firing at 600RPM, with a maximum range of 3km and an effective range of 1km where the precision is average. The Ironclad Gunners are the only unit to use them.

#### **Hokkaido Windbüchse ("Wind rifle")**

Created at Hokkaido during the stay at the Snow Maidens' Palace, this weapon is the most perfected of the weapons of the Guard, used exclusively by Snipers. It is a pressurized air rifle with a wooden stock, a 2 meters long barrel, under the barrel a detachable assembly of 5 airtight tank with a manual air pump with a wheel crank, a small spyglass scope above the barrel, and special firing and repetition mechanisms. The assembly is accompanied by magazines with bullets.

The weapon exists in the fewest numbers and has some particularities compared to firearms. Between each shots, the air pump has to be actuated several times in order to have the maximum pressure to ensure that the shot fired has the maximum power and range, power and range reducing at each shot fired without actuating the pump as the pressure diminish. An alternative is to change the air tanks with full ones. The system is also a little complex and subject to a failure rate of 0,1%. It is also heavy and delicate, thus making the rifle unsuitable for bayonets and by extension Line Infantry.

Through, the Windbüchse presents many advantages, such as that shots can be fired in a row without reloading until the air tank run out, it is also inaudible at medium and long range, and not too loud at close range, ideal for stealth. It has a an incredible maximum range of 10km with an effective range of 7.5 kilometers with a flawless accuracy, through the spyglass don't allow to exploit it fully even if more than the bare eye. For its silence, accuracy, and power, the weapon gained the nickname of the "Empress's Death Note".

#### **Tokyo Cannon**

Created from the 2019 Tokyo Cannon at Tokyo after the Battle of Tokyo, this is a breech-loaded artillery piece with a star steel carriage, and 4 meters long rifled barrel. Powerful horses and suspensions allow the piece to move around when not deployed. 3 cannoneers are necessary to operate the weapon.

Several calibers exist, such as the biggest, 24-pounder with a maximum range of 7 kilometers and effective range of 6.5 kilometers; 12-pounder with a maximum and effective range of 6 kilometers; the 6 pounders with identical range as the 12-pounder. They all are extremely precise and do direct shot preferably.

700-pounder, 500-pounder, 250-pounder and 100-pounder versions with ranges identical to the 24-pounder model exist for the Imperial Navy's largest ships. These and the other versions also exist Fortress pieces to defend a ship or a fortification, where they are part of its structure.

#### **Aomori Howitzer-Mortal**

Created at Aomori during the siege of Aomori, this is the Howitzer-Mortar version of the 2019 Tokyo Cannon. Carried and loaded the same way, and requiring the same crew, it has a short 1 meter rifled barrel. It exists only in the caliber of 8 inches, with a maximum range of 9 kilometers. It fires at opponents indirectly, dodging obstacle but having a quite medium precision. It exists as well as field artillery pieces as Navy and Fortress pieces to defend a ship or a fortification, where they are part of the structure.

#### **Yamanashi Congreve Rocket Launcher**

Created at the Sakura Boulton Complex and named in hommage to the Battle of Yamanashi, the 2020 Yamanashi Congreve Rocket Launcher is an artillery piece for launching Yamanashi Congreve Rockets.

It exists in 2 kinds, the first and main variant is a 2.5 to 10 meters long launching frame standing angled on a bipod. By itself, it is a simple piece put directly on the ground, reloaded by putting the rockets on the rail, and fired by igniting the rockets. The second variant is inspired from the Korean Hwacha, a large rectangular box with holes on a carriage similar to a cannon's, and which can launch multiple small Congreve Rockets in a short/medium range, thus useful for the purpose of suppressive and barrage fires.

The interest of the launchers by themselves is just to give a reliable base to aim and fire the rockets. Wheels allow to rotate the frame and thus the rocket while the carriage or bipod can be adjusted to change the elevation and trajectory of the rocket. The artillery piece and its ammo are carried on a cart drawn by horses. It exists as well as field artillery pieces as Navy and Fortress pieces to defend a ship or a fortification, where they are part of the structure.

#### **Kamikaze Air Cannon**

Named "Divine Wind" because of the use of pressurized air to propel shells, the Kamikaze Air Cannon is an experimental artillery that is being developped for the Grande Armée. It is very similar to the Tokyo cannon, but it propels its shells thanks to pressurized air tanks located on the carriage and linked to the cannon's breech. It is thought to have the advantage to be quite stealthy, the fire being just a little louder than the Windbüchse's, and thus to serve as a potential sniper cannon. However, its caliber is limited to 6-pound shells, as better air compressors are still just planned, and each shot fully empty an air canister.

### **Uniforms and Armors**

#### **Officers (Marshals, Generals and Captains)**

Officers wear blue fancy uniforms and bicorns worn in column, both with gold-black trims and ruffled cuffs. Their uniforms are made of blue knee-length skirt, black infantry boots, white thighs and blouse, black vest, and a blue frock coat with ample sleeves. A white cravat and jabot wraps around the neck. It is possible and optional to have gloves and a cloak with the uniform. The amount of decorations and how it fancy is the uniform indicates its importance of the officer who wears it.

#### **Line Infantry and Ship Marines**

Fusiliers wear a common outfit, blue uniforms constituted of a shirt, a frock coat with white lines, golden buttons, and gold-black collar, white belts with red edging crossing the chest, a blue skirt with gold-black edging, white thighs, black boots with gaiters, golden fringed pauldrons, and a hat. A blue greatcoat and a backpack tend to accompany the uniform. Usual decorations for the hat are golden tassels, white and blue cassowaries (feathers) or pompoms, golden braids, and tricolored cockades.

Grenadiers and Sappers have black short bearskin hats and white gloves whatever their Guard, and Sappers have white aprons too. The Old Guard Infantry have full bearskins with golden front plate and visor and knee-length skirts, while the Medium and Young Guards have shakos and short skirts.

Soldiers of the Old Guard have fancier decorations on their hats than those of the Middle Guard who themselves have fancier decorations on their hats than those of the Young Guard. The Young Guard and Regular Corps' uniforms have a white shirt, and the Regular Corps don't have any decoration,

Marines, the sea equivalent of Line Infantry, have a bicorn instead of the shako while the crew soldiers only have pants, thighs, and a shirt, and a bonnet or tricorn instead of the shako.

#### **Light Infantry**

The Skirmishers and Voltigeurs lack of decorations, and theirr uniform is fully marine blue, even the greatcoat, the hat, boots and collar still being black with thin dim silver trims. The belts and backpack became black with dim gold trims too. This monochrome uniform is actually inspired by ninjas and made to make the Voltigeurs and Snipers more discreet, stealth being a key component of their roles.

The Hunters, Carabiniers and Snipers follow similar principles as the Skirmishers and Snipers in terms of uniform, but the environment's dominant color replace the blue to better hide in landscapes, and Carabiniers and Snipers have black bearskin hats instead of shakos and wear greatcoats.Their backpacks are lighter too, and they lack of decoration, making them hardly visible in natural environments.

##### **Musketeers**

The musketeers don a fancy dress composed of a feet-length blue skirt with ruffled trims and lace split skirt above; white stockings; black boots; an underbust bodice; sleeves with puffs and ruffled cuffs; a ruffled collar with a jabot; a large cloak and a blue cavalier hat. The bust is left naked, making this uniform the only skimpy one of the Grande Armée.

#### **Light Cavalry**

Hussars and Lancers and Lancers have blue uniforms composed of fancy coat and cloak with gold-black lapels and turnbacks, a single white belt with red edging crossing the chest, white gloves, short blue skirt, white thighs and black cavalry boots with golden gaiters. Lancers wear the Line Infantry standard shako while Hussars have a bearskin.

#### **Heavy Cavalry**

Dragoons wear blue uniforms composed of a coat, a white belt and gloves, blue miniskirt and black cavalry boots with grey gaiters. They also wear helmets to protect their heads from indirect fire and fragments as well as blades.
Cuirassiers and Carabiniers have blue uniforms similar to the Dragoons, but they have a cravat and a knee-length split skirt instead of the Dragoon's miniskirt. Above the blouse and on the head are worn a plate cuirass and a plate helmet that protect them from bullets and blades.

Carabiniers have slightly different uniform from Cuirassiers, as they wear an ample blouse above the coat and below the cuirass, and their armor is fancier, with a large blue fur caterpillar.

**Guard of Saint-Helena**

The Guard of Saint-Helena has an uniform largely inspired from the Carabiniers' uniforms. It consists of a blue feet-length split skirt with gold-black trim, black boots with gaiters, white thighs, a white blouse with large ruffled cuffs, a blue coat with gold-black trims, cuffs and collar, golden fringed pauldron, a white cravat with a white short jabot, black belts with red trims crossing the chest, a cuirass, a large cloak with gold-black trims and a helmet that looks like an enhanced cuirassier helmet fused with the one of a Carabinier.

### **Ammunition and Projectiles**

Generated in unlimited quantities exclusively for them, and managed by Besshiēru, the Guard uses their own projectiles, adapted for their weapons and powers.

#### **0.69 Star Brass Bullets**

Made of Star Brass, these bullets of caliber 0.69 are used by most of the weapons of the Guard. They are inspired by minié bullets, and have a conical shape, and deform inside the guns' barrels to follow the rifling. They have an excellent penetration, that even bulletproof things can't block them, and their light weight and profile make them suitable for long ranges.

However, they are made of a "safe" metal, they don't fragment and split inside the target nor poison it, making wounds quite superficial.

They exist also as round pellets for the Blunderbuss and for the grapeshot shells, and are stored in magazines for the Hokkaido Windbüchse.

#### **Star Brass Shells**

Similar to bullets, these are the Shells used by the Guard's Artillery pieces. They exist in two kinds each divided in 3 common types.

The two kings are first the cannon shells, shaped like cylinders with conical ends, except the grapeshot shell which is just cylindrical, and the howitzer-mortar shells, shaped like spheres. The three types are fullmetal shells,  full shells which damage just by their impact; explosive shells filled with grey powder and a fuse to explode at the impact; and finally the grapeshot shell, which Howitzer-Mortar version is called Shrapnel, filled with some grey powder and amounts of round bullets that are shot in all directions when shot (Cannon) or at impact (Howitzer-Mortar).

There also is the chained balls shell exclusive for the Navy's cannons, made to break the enemy ships' masts.

#### **Yamanashi Congreve Rocket**

The Yamanashi Congreve Rocket is a kind of primitive rocket made of a sheet iron case with a long stick stuck to its side. Working like a firework rocket, the Congreve Rocket is put on a launcher, a launching frame, ignited with a match to fly in the sky for a certain distance before falling back to the ground and explode in the air before hitting the ground.

Even if it is primitive as a military rocket, it's curved trajectory in the sky and explosion in the air near the ground as well as the possibility  to fire several rockets at once makes it an alternative for the howitzer to shell a whole place. The explosion also are very impressive, scaring enemy troops and making it easier to cause them to retreat. Different diameters and lengths of rocket casing exist depending on the flying distance desired, however the larger and longer the casing is the longer the launching frame and the stick stuck to the casing have to be.

Usually, to make the rocket an effective dangerous weapon as a well as an effective psychological weapon, the Congreve Rockets were given longer casings and Star Brass bullets were put inside to make the head a shrapnel charge that will propel bullets everywhere around it at the explosion, effectively devastating the enemy ranks as well as their morale.