Blackshields

Eorles dal'Ynys Fyetra Læt Cofycarlas 18th Lancers of the Glass Isle The Blackshield Yeomanry The Blackshields .

File:Blackshield Cap Badge.png File:Blackshield TRF.png Cap Badge Tactical Recognition Flash Active (In some form) 6th Century-Present Country Altonian Border Kingdoms The Altonian Empire File:Nationalflag Kouralia.png Kouralia Branch File:Kouralian army flag.png Royal Kouralian Army Role Armoured Infantry Mechanised Infantry Light Cavalry Size Three Infantry Battalions One Infantry Battalion (Territorial) One Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment One Yeomanry Regiment 'Brigade' HQ Camp Larder Motto Yours is Ours. Engagements (since 2004) D'halbrisir 31st Annual Demon War Karolyland 31st Annual Demon War Slivary D'halbrisir Karolyland Commanders Current Colonel-in-Chief Elena Campbell Colonel Sir John Emry Lieutenant Colonel Robin Tyler Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Sanders Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Collins Lieutenant Colonel Dana Pierre

The Brigade of the Blackshields is one of the Royal Kouralian Army's longest lasting units - having served in armies on the Kouralian Peninsula since the late 5th and Early 6th Centuries, in forms ranging from warbands in the service of a notable warlord up to the modern Brigade-sized formation of technologically advanced, regular infantry and cavalry soldiers. The titular 'Brigade' is in fact only a honorary term afforded to the collection of units by the Altonian Emperor in 1790, but it has stuck despite the current organisation of the Kouralian Army meaning that geographically close units rarely serve in the same divisions to prevent over-concentration of casualties.

History

The first reference to 'Blackshields' is from the mid-5th century, referring to 'Brigand raiders with shields as black as a starless night, who come at such a time to take our women and crops to their citadel on a dark island beyond the hills,' written by a priest in a plea to a local nobleman calling for spearmen to defend the local villages. Reportedly a mounted captain led thirty spearmen into the hills to hunt down the 'brigands', only to be found two days later. His headless body was strapped to his horse, his spear broken and shield painted black and red with tar and his own blood. The Blackshield warbands served the Lord at the castle of Ynys Fyetra (The Glass Island) and were of a size at least eighty spearmen and mounted warriors. The Blackshield motif became known in the soldiers from the area, and was incorporated into the heraldry of the Eorl of Ynys Fyetra. The warbands, and later professional soldiers such as men at arms or regular regiments of foot and horse raised in the area or by the current Eorl have retained the black shield as a symbol of their lineage.

By the time of the later Unification Wars the Blackshield regiments were known as the first line of defence of the Altonian Empire, while the light cavalry of the Blackshields were known as peerless raiders and pillagers. After the conquering and assimilation of Altonia into Kouralia the Blackshield regiments(or those which had not yet been destroyed in battle) were entirely disbanded, and their symbolism was made illegal after much lobbying by the citizens of areas which had been on the border with Altonia. However, after much unrest at what was seen as an unfair removal of an important section of their history (and suspected insurgent behaviour by a group purported to be named the 'Blackshield Rangers'), the Crown removed that law and the first Blackshield Lancers regiment was reformed in the 1820s. Since then there has been one Infantry, one Cavalry, one Militia (/Territorial) and one Yeomanry regiment assigned the honour of carrying forward the lineage of the shields as black as a starless night.

Organisation

The term 'Blackshield Brigade' comes from the border-garrison, the Blackshield Brigade of the Altonian Imperial Army. This formation had roughly four line infantry battalions, two batteries of light guns and two regiments of hussars, and its purpose was to act as a speedbump for any Kouralian invasion - and to raid the Kouralian countryside in the immediate vicinity of its garrison. This term, 'Blackshield Brigade' has been retained, though it now refers to the collection of infantry and light cavalry recruited from that area of Kouralia.

As of 2014, the Blackshield Brigade consists of three constituent regiments:

• Eorles dal'Ynys Fyetra Læt Cofycarlas (The Earl of Ynys Fyetra's Own Borderers) (EYFC), a four battalion infantry regiment.
• 18th Lancers of the Glass Isle (LGI), a regiment of Armoured Formation Reconnaissance troops (Light Cavalry).
• The Blackshield Yeomanry (BSY(T)), a reserve regiment of light Formation Reconnaissance troops (Light Cavalry).

EYFC consists of three Regular Battalions, and one Territorial Battalion. The Regular Battalions are as follows: 1EYFC is an Amphibious Infantry Battalion in 7th Amphibious Division, 2EYFC is an Armoured Infantry Battalion in 12th Armoured Division and 3EYFC is a Mechanised Infantry Battalion in 2nd Mechanised Division. The Territorial Battalion, 4EYFC(T) is a Mechanised Infantry Battalion, in #5 Territorial Mechanised Brigade, attached to the 5th Mechanised Division.

LGI is an Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment within the 4th Armoured Division (The Gods' Hammer), making use of APCs and light tanks.

BSY(T) is a Territorial Army Light Reconnaissance Regiment in #27 Territorial Light Role Brigade, attached to 27th Mechanised Division.