The Witcher World: The Path to Domination Begins in Velen

Chapter 105 The Current State and Reorganization of the Army

In the main hall, Ron stood by the window, overlooking this busy yet orderly territory.

The windmills in the river bend were turning slowly, and the large fields next to them had already been harvested. Several tenants were carrying the last cartload of grain into the barn. This was a completely different world from the abandoned castle he had initially taken over.

A steady knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," Ron said, turning around.

Karl entered the hall, clenched his right fist and pounded his chest, giving a standard military salute. "Your Highness."

"Karl? What's the matter?" Ron asked, looking at his personal guard commander.

Erwin looked up from behind the long table piled with reports, adjusted his glasses, and explained.

"Ron, I invited Commander Carl here. It's about the details of the army's organization. Carl knows more about this than I do, so having him refer to it based on the actual situation of the troops will make it more applicable."

Ron nodded, walked back to the long table and sat down, pushing the documents on the table aside to make room.

"Initially, the number of soldiers was small, so I established a rough three-tiered military system consisting of the Guards, the Standing Army, and the Militia. Now the Standing Army has nearly two thousand men, and the organization definitely needs to be adjusted. Karl, tell me about the current state of the army and the problems it faces."

Karl placed his helmet on the corner of the table and reported clearly and logically: "Your Highness, the soldiers of the Standing Army and the Imperial Guard are divided and trained according to their branches of service, which means they are organized into full units. The advantage of this system is that the training is more targeted and the coordination is higher in large-scale operations."

However, future battlefields will not necessarily consist entirely of large-scale clashes. More often, there will be probing attacks and small-scale offensive and defensive engagements. It would be best if we determined the organization of mixed units in advance and conducted training on the coordination and cooperation of various branches of the armed forces. For example, how infantry and crossbowmen can provide mutual cover, and how spearmen and horse archers can coordinate their advances on open ground. These all require practice and refinement.

"How are our military branches currently organized?" Ron asked.

"First is your personal guard, divided into two parts: the armored cavalry regiment and the Fiona Warriors Regiment." Karl stood ramrod straight, his voice steady and powerful.

"Currently, there are a total of thirty-one armored cavalrymen, including myself, who have completed the full plate armor. Apart from your personal guards, the rest are elites selected from the regular army through a rigorous process. The basic requirement is to pass the Level 5 Imperial Armored Cavalry test and have a clean and verifiable background."

While they fell short of the standard of a level six elite armored knight's personal guard, they were sufficient to support assault and breakthrough missions on the battlefield. Next were ninety squires, all equipped with plate armor, leg guards, arm guards, and chainmail neck guards. The squires' primary tasks were to follow up and widen the gaps after the armored cavalry broke through enemy lines, and to be used as heavy infantry in siege warfare. Their plate armor was one layer thicker than the breastplate of the regular army, offering only slightly less protection than full plate armor.

He paused, then continued, "The Fiona Warriors are formed by six Fiona champions who select outstanding archers from the regular army. Currently, there are fifty members. The selection requirements for the Fiona are extremely strict. Not only must their archery skills meet the standards, but they must also master close combat training with two-handed greatswords. When their arrows are exhausted or when the enemy gets close, the Fiona must be able to engage in direct combat with heavy infantry."

During the selection process, many elves signed up. Their archery skills were indeed excellent, but their strength was insufficient to wield heavy longbows and two-handed greatswords. These elven archers were formed into a separate reconnaissance unit. As scouts, they excelled, their ability to stealthily navigate through the forest and observe from a distance far surpassing that of ordinary soldiers.

Ron nodded. He thought of the elf Aveline who infiltrated the Bosodi vault when he was at Cowburg. Their agility was their natural advantage, which was very suitable for reconnaissance.

"Next are the cavalry and infantry units. The Imperial Private Horse Archers are light cavalry who perform reconnaissance, harassment and pursuit missions. The Imperial Guard Archers and Crossbowmen are ranged units. The Guard Archers use longbows, and the Crossbowmen use military heavy crossbows."

Infantry is divided into two tiers: light infantry and heavy infantry. Heavy infantry is further divided into double-edged spearmen and legionary infantry in a 3:2 ratio. They fight with a combination of spears and shields, which is very effective against enemy cavalry and heavy infantry.

Legion infantry, equipped with Calad's staff, Imperial sabers, and kite shields, are the main force in melee combat. Their main equipment consists of full-body lamellar armor, chainmail, and visored helmets, providing defense comparable to that of armored infantry.

Light infantry are equipped with breastplates, helmets, armored uniforms, and long chainmail robes. Compared to the Redanian army, they have an additional layer of chainmail, making their equipment lighter and more suitable for patrols, garrison duties, and long-range raids. Light infantry are also far more mobile than heavy infantry in complex environments.

He paused. "Your Highness, the above is the current main combat formation. Logistics, engineering, and sorcerer units are not included; only combat units are calculated."

After listening, Ron tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Erwin, the standing army is similar to Nilfgaard's elite forces; they are both professional armies. Let's refer to their organization when formulating our own. As our main adversary in the future, this will make it easier to deploy the corresponding forces on the battlefield."

Erwin flipped open the notepad and quickly checked it.

"The Nilfgaardian army is quite well-organized. Their highest strategic level is called an army group, which consists of about 60,000 to 100,000 men and is responsible for the entire strategic direction. Examples include the Central Army Group stationed in Velen, the Eastern Army Group in Aden, and the Viden Front."

An army group is composed of corps, each with approximately 20,000 to 30,000 men. For example, the Third Corps and the Fourth Cavalry Corps are the main forces at the operational level and can independently take charge of a major offensive direction.

His pen flew across the paper: "The next level down, the division-level units, numbering between six and ten thousand, are capable of conducting small-scale battles independently. They are the smallest units in a campaign, such as the Alba Division and the Diswen Division."

Secondly, there are brigade-level units of about three thousand people, which are elite units capable of independent operations and usually undertake important tactical tasks, such as the Nausicaä Brigade, the 7th Cavalry Brigade of Dellanny, and the Virihad Brigade.

It has a regimental-level strength of approximately 1,500 personnel and serves as the basic administrative and conscription unit. It consists of two to four battalions, each with approximately 200 to 500 personnel. These are the smallest units capable of independently executing tactical missions, possessing their own command system. A standard infantry company consists of approximately 100 personnel, and a cavalry company approximately 50.

Ron quickly constructed this military structure in his mind, and then made a decision: "Let's start with a squad as the smallest unit, with ten to fifteen people. Six to eight squads will form a company, two to four companies will form a battalion, and so on, with the highest unit tentatively set at the division level. We'll talk about the rest later."

"Karl, after the reorganization is completed, we will begin mixed-unit coordinated combat training at the battalion level. What battalion-level officers are currently available to us?"

"The Raven's Nest garrison, under Micoe's command, numbers about five hundred men and is doing a good job. The Reardon Manor garrison, under Pete's command, numbers about three hundred men and is also functioning normally."

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